After graduation you and I will share at least one thing in common. We will all be proud alumni of Justin-Siena High School. When I graduated in 1998, I never would have imagined myself here, talking to all of you, at your Baccalaureate Mass. Real solid chance that most of my teachers from back then wouldn’t have ever imagined it either. You see I wasn't always the best student during my time here. I tended to focus on the things I thought were the most important; playing football, lifting weights, and spending time with my friends. I also tended to procrastinate on things that I didn't care about as much; which really manifested itself in my second semester trig and physics grades. Perhaps, a few of you can relate.

So, how did I end up back here teaching and coaching? It turns out who you are in high school doesn’t necessarily define who you will become. This may seem obvious, but I don't think this can be overstated. One of the most interesting dichotomies of life is that high school is simultaneously one of the easiest, and most difficult, times you will ever go through. Easy in the sense that your responsibilities are centered primarily on yourself, but difficult in trying to understand who you are and where you fit in this world. The good news is, that the future will provide plenty more opportunity to further develop this understanding. As you move on from here, explore new things, meet new people, and don't let the fear of failure paralyze you from taking risks. According to Joe Plumeri, former CEO of the Willis Group, “You can Google for an answer. You can Google for a mate. You can Google for a career. But you can't Google to find what's in your heart, the passion that lifts you skyward.” This fundamentally important question, of where your passion truly lies, can only be answered by living YOUR life. Your time on this planet is the scarcest resource you have, spend it on the things and with the people that feed your soul.

This continued process of finding out who you want to become is going to be full of obstacles and challenges. Over time you will learn how to better maneuver around them, climb over them, and sometimes smash right through them. Actor Bradley Whitford once said, “Take action. Every story you have ever connected with, every leader you've ever admired, every puny little thing you've accomplished is the result of taking action. You have a choice. You can either be a passive victim of circumstance or you can be the active hero of your own life. Action is the antidote to apathy and cynicism and despair.” In my experience the single biggest thing that prevents us from taking action is our lack of confidence in who we are. Put in the work, develop your capital, and trust in yourselves. When things are all said and done you will be judged on how you finish, not on the stumbles that you have had along the way.

Finally, over the course of your four years here we have tried to teach you the value in helping others. We have tried to teach you that everyone has difficulties in their lives that you are, very likely, unaware of. We have tried to teach you the value of service. In all we have tried to teach you to be kind to one another. It turns out that it is far more difficult to be kind than it is to be clever or smart. According to former CEO of the Boston Red Sox’s Larry Lucchino, “Life is not about warming yourself by the fire, life is about building the fire. And generosity is the match. If you want to be happy for an hour, take a nap. But if you want to have happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.”

Best of luck to the class of 2019, we love you, and remember that Justin-Siena will forever be one of your homes. Go Braves!

To echo the Mass theme of light, two advanced choir members offered a beautiful song after communion. Enjoy a listen to “Go Light Your World” performed by Rose McGovern '19 and Jason Celaya '19.

Video
https://vimeo.com/339262818

Mass Photos