Jesus desires excellence, not mediocrity
A homily at DuBois Central Catholic
Editor’s Note: This is a summary of a homily from Fr. Ben Daghir at DuBois Central Catholic on May 18, 2023, The Ascension of Jesus.
This is our last school Mass for the 2022-2023 academic year. I’d like to take a moment and connect the first homily of the year with our Feast of the Ascension today. There is a clear connection between the two: we are called to greater heights. This means that Jesus demands sainthood and we are built for Heaven.
In today’s feast, we celebrate Jesus ascending into Heaven. It’s an upward movement toward the heights. The Christian life is oriented toward Heaven. Now, let’s reflect back on the first homily to kick off the school year.
On August 24, 2022, I preached on the Gospel phrase “You will see greater things.” I mentioned that Jesus Christ constantly calls us beyond our comfort zones to greater adventure. Jesus always raises the bar. Jesus does not settle for mediocrity. Jesus demands excellence. Only then will we see “greater things.”
I then directed our attention during that first homily to our school mascot, the cardinal. I asked, “How do you get a cardinal to fly?” The answer, of course, is to break its branch. Our cardinal mascot is clearly not perching on a branch. Instead, the cardinal is in flight. A cardinal is not built to sit on a branch just as you are not built for mediocrity. The cardinal is soaring to new heights. The cardinal is on a mission. The image of our mascot gives us a clear message: we are not built for mediocrity but rather for excellence. In the Christian life, we call this sainthood.
To our seniors, who were the people who challenged you this year to leave the branch of mediocrity and enter into the realm of excellence? Was it a teacher or a coach? Was it a classmate or a teammate? Was it a priest or a principal? Identify moments during this past year in which your branch was broken and you began to soar toward greater heights. Be grateful for these challenging moments.
I promise you that no one will have higher expectations for you than Jesus Christ. He knows you. He knows your gifts and talents. He has a plan for you. Just as He ascended into Heaven, He desires for you to ascend to Heaven. He wants you to raise the bar and to leave your comfort zone.
The world will appear to set the bar high for you but that bar will fade away over time. The worldly bar will neither satisfy your deepest longings nor reach your greatest dreams. The Catholic Church, which continues the mission of Jesus Christ, will always demand the most out of you. It’s the Church that will always challenge you to excellence, to sainthood.
To our seniors and all of our DuBois Central Catholic students, know that Jesus Christ has high expectations for you. Allow Him to make you a saint.
+ Fr. Ben Daghir
Wonderful homilies. I always enjoy the artwork included with each one.
Always a good read