Dear Graduands,

ometimes life situations seem to be different from what they are in reality. I think that many of us may well know that funny story telling of a mother waking up her son in morning.
“Get up; it’s time to go to school!”
“Oh, mum! I don’t want to go to school today… and after all, why should I go?”
“There are three good reasons — said the mother —: in the first place it is your duty, secondly you are fifty years old, and last but not least you are the principal!”

Yes, when we look at a situation superficially, we may be deceived with a wrong impression. Generally, as we attend academic graduation ceremonies, we see a jovial mood, healthy pride, and the satisfaction of celebrating the end of a challenging effort, the acquisition of a higher status, and the prospects of a successful career.

But this is not what we are celebrating here today. On the contrary, we are celebrating the beginning of the commitment to belong to people who have no status and the prospects of a joyful journey in solidarity with those people.

This is the deep joy of social ministers: journeying together with the poor, sharing in their struggles, and growing together.
Your joy is not going to be in your professional success and accomplishments, but in your closeness to and care for people, in understanding them deeply, in contemplating the mystery of humanity and life within them, and in learning to respect them ever more.

Likewise, you will not find your true joy in being at the centre of the stage, in exercising the power of your role, or in emerging above others. Rather, you will experience a deep happiness when you will discover that you are growing in your freedom to accept yourself and others the way they are, in freedom from expectations, and ultimately in your fidelity to your inner calling.

Over the past two years, you have been developing your critical consciousness about your life vocation and you have been empowered with tools that will help you live and develop it. On such a path, one day you will find someone revealing to you that indeed, you have been instrumental to bring light into their world. And chances are that you will not even know how! Amazing, isn’t it? That is part of the beauty of ministry!

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude because you have been a great gift to the Institute and the College. By accompanying you, we have grown as well, and we have been enriched with your personal stories, struggles, insights, dreams, and deep humanity. Thank you very much for being with us!

Bro Alberto Parise mccj
ISMM director