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HOMILY FOR OUR JUBILARIANS IN THE DAYTON AREA

AUGUST 12, 2006 AT THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHAPEL OF

THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON

SCRIPTURE: I KINGS 19:4-8; PSALM 34; EPHESIANS 4:30-5:2; JOHN 6:41-51

Yovel is the Biblical word for a Jubilee and it is associated with the

sounding of the ram’s horn to announce the celebration of a sabbatical or

of a marked period. There is a remarkable occurrence this year for one of

our Jubilarians, Bro. Deibel, is celebrating 80 years as a vowed member of

the Society of Mary. This type of occurrence is given a distinct Hebrew

expression “Chag-Yovel-hagivoroth” or a mighty person’s 80th year.

Everything associated with a Jubilee is a celebration and a joyful time.

So let us celebrate and be joyful for the gift of our 18 jubilarians here

today in our chapel of the Immaculate Conception.

These Marianists, our fellow brothers and brother-priests, have vowed their

lives to God through a dedication to the mission of Jesus after the example

of Mary his Mother and our spiritual mother.

As one of our past Provincials said, “These men are our most precious

possession and resource for our apostolic mission.” They are like the

pearl of great price, the treasure hidden in a field, whereby one sells all

in order to possess them as a precious gift from God. They are the leaven

which raises the dough for the bread of our community table and its

hospitality. In fact, in a certain sense, they are the ones who have

continuosly witnessed to the message of the Gospel today: Jesus as the

Bread of Life and the vital nourishment for their journey and ours after

their example.

Jubilees are a time for remembering, thanking, and celebrating the lives of

those with whom we live and who have passed certain milestones in the

journey of life as a Marianist following Jesus and Mary. I thought of my

first experience of a jubilee. It took place while I was at Marianist Prep

at Beacon, N.Y. in the year 1950. Brother Nick Reitz was celebrating his

silver jubilee, that is, 25 years of vowed commitment. I remembered how all

of us young candidates thought how many long years that took for Brother

and how old he seemed to us, as we dined in a large room not far from the

Hudson River and West Point in the beautiful state of N.Y. But, even

though I said to myself, “How old one must be to have such a celebration!

Will I ever live that long and be able to do that?” Well, today as I look

at our silver jubilarians of vows and of Fr. Kip Stander as priest, I think

of these men as relatively young! And then to think there are several

jubilarians here who are celebrating the equivalent of three silver

jubilees( Bro. Frank Deibel, and Bro. Ed Fick).

All of us look upon these Marianist jubilarians as role models for our own

journey toward God in union with Mary and Jesus. What a marvelous and

precious gift their presence is and in their witnessing to us in

communities of faith and hospitality. Their perseverance and dedication is

the fruit of their vow of stability—a consecration to Mary’s mission with

patient endurance on the journey. We thank God for each of you,

jubilarians, and for the living gift of your lives among us.

How did these Marianists reach these great milestones of the Gospel journey

of life? Probably, by the way the readings for this celebration show us

through Elijah, the Psalmist, and, of course, through Jesus. I am sure

these readings touch their lives and make sense to them today. Unlike,

Elijah, however, none of them have a death wish. Rather they are fully

alive and want this celebration of joy and thanksgiving among us their

friends, fellow-brothers and sisters, and their relatives.

Yet, they are like Elijah, who has been twice touched by an angel and given

food for the journey taking him up to the holy Mountain of Horeb or Sinai.

And like Elijah being present at the Transfiguration of Jesus, this day is

like that for each of our jubilarians. How have they been touched by an

angel? They have been touched many times through many of you here present

and by their families and friends. They have nourished themselves on the

Bread of Life at the Eucharist and thus have continued their journey with

vigor toward the holy mountain where God dwells. Yes, the Eucharist, the

Word of God, and the community of faith and prayer brought them into the

presence of God. These gifts were their food for the journey; and today is

their Tabor experience.

Their spiritual hunger is satisfied through these gifts and they have hope

and a continued purpose in life through their vowed dedication to learn

from Mary’s example, to lead as the prophet Elijah did, and to serve others

as Jesus does. Did he not tell us, “I have not come to be served, but to

serve and to give my life for many.”

Yes, the food from God in the Bread of Life, is similar to the food Elijah

received and is a constant reminder—a daily manna—of the covenant fidelity

of God in all the events and circumstances of their individual lives.

Through God’s graces and Mary’s help they have persevered in their daily

response and their part of the covenant exemplified in their vows. God’s

mercies endure forever and God’s loving-kindnesses forgive and forget any

of their failings and faults along the way. Maybe they could say with

Robert Frost, “ Forgive, O Lord, my little jokes on Thee

And I’ll forgive Thy great big one on me.”

Many chapters of their journey book on life and their past travels are

finished and closed, but each new day brings hope for their future and a

taste of God’s goodness through the Eucharist. They take up each new day as

Elijah did and walk in his spirit. They, too, are told, “Get up and eat,

else the journey will be too long for you.”

Yes, dear jubilarians, we all thank God for your showing us the ways that

you take with Jesus and Mary. We thank you for your servant-leadership and

for your mentoring us in so many ways by your witness, dedication, and your

prayer.

May I celebrate with you for a moment in the manner in which we formerly

celebrated in the past by singing or praying part of Psalm 133: Let me

attempt to sing it in Hebrew and if that falters, to say it in English:

HINEH MA TOV WEH MANAI’M…SHEVET ACHIM YACHAD

“Behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together

in

harmony and unity…

The Response from Psalm 34 is right on target for the joy they experience:

“Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.” All five of our senses are

touched upon in this Psalm as we celebrate with joy their jubilee. They

have worked at integrating the whole of human life by living out good

Marianist life through our manifold charism of joy, unity, hospitality, and

love. To taste and see how good the Lord is means to savor God through a

deep faith experience and not simply a creedal acceptance. We see this in

their bright shining faces and their smiles!

In the Epistle to the Ephesians we are reminded that our jubilarians too

have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and are empowered to live in and by the

love of Christ while extending hospitality and offering physical and

spiritual nourishment to others thereby sustaining their hope in Jesus as

the Bread of Life. From their own Marianist living out the virtures of

kindness, compassion, forgiveness they have taught others not to be

pessimistic or give in to negativism. As Paul says, they are imitators of

God’s love in Christ Jesus because they themselves believe and have offered

their lives as a spiritual offering with a fragrant aroma.

As one gets older, the Gospel of John which favors Mary at Cana and Calvary

becomes a source of spiritual nourishment. Today’s selection continues our

theme of Bread of Life for the Journey. Dear, Jubilarians, all of you have

accepted Jesus as your Bread of Life and your sustenance for the journeys

ahead of you. You know then that by accepting Jesus unreservedly through

faith of the heart you are destined for the goal of the journey—eternal

life in the Kingdom of God. Just as Elijah was nourished with bread from

an angel, and just as the people of Israel were given Manna in the desert

for forty years, so, you too have Jesus as the Manna that has come down

from heaven today.

Blessed William J. Chaminade exhorted us to be “Strong in faith” , “fortes

in fide” by which he means faith of the heart. You know well that there is

no substitute for such faith which all of you have had throughout the

years. And, as you renew your vows and participate in this Eucharist, we

will be joining you with our own love and faith. We who are here represent

the entire Marianist Family: Sisters, brothers, priests, lay people in all

of the branches , are very proud of each and everyone of you and we thank

you for your years of dedicated commitment in the Society of Mary. Our

Eucharist is a perfect act of Thanksgiving and our Bread for the Journey.

Your own gift of self is what we appreciate so much and is the reason for

our gathering here to celebrate all of you. Thank you, dear Marianist

Jubilarians, for who you are for us. May the Lord bless you and keep you

and always shine his face upon you! Amen.