“Today is an amazing day! Today, you become the masters of your own fate. Today, You become the rightful owners of your own lives. The keys have been passed to you, along with all of the potential and the responsibilities that go along with being an owner,” said Rev. Mavis Watson in the meditation at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church where the Canora graduates gathered for their interdenominational service.
“Your parents have done their job. And as I look across this room, I see that they have done it well. Congratulations Moms and Dads – your efforts have paid off well. I look out upon a group of faces at their best. Beautiful gowns, suits … hair is done and ties are tied. You all look very sharp indeed!
“And there are other things that I see as well – I see promise. Promise that anything is possible. And I see potential. What will you do with the responsibility given to you today as you enter adulthood?”
With so many options and opportunities each graduate has so many choices to make, Watson said “You can become anything you want! Or not. What an amazing possibility!”
“In our Old Testament reading, God made the choice blatantly clear:
(Deuteronomy 30:19 20) ‘… I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that Grads told that life is full of choices and they need to choose wisely you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying His voice and holding fast to Him, for He is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.’
“God makes His desire regarding which choice is His. Which choice He desires that we make. And He chooses life.
“Have you ever considered that every choice you make leads somewhere? That every choice we will make leads either to death or to life? What does that mean?
“In its simplest rendering, it means that every time we say `Yes to God’ or `Yes to what is good’ we choose life. “And everytime we say `No – to God’or `No to what is right or good’ we choose death.
“For in the eyes of God our Father, everything Good eventually leads to Him but everything this is not helpful, healthy or holy ..leads away from Him,” Watson said. “I have the blessed perspective of being many years ahead of where you are sitting today. And I can tell you from personal experience that fi fe is hard- and that Life without God – is impossible.
“Yes, life can be fun and it can be full of joy as well. But life without the author of life … well, that’s just plain hard. “Jesus is telling us that there are many paths that will be offered to us along the road of life. Some of them will be small choices - which will simply require a yes or no response.
Others will need you to take time to make a decision about. You will need to realize that these choices, will have a much greater effect and a much larger impact on what would happen – both for yourself and for others who will also be affected by that choice.
“There are many things you can do without God. And there are many things you can accomplish without Him as well. But the things that will give you the greatest joy and the most fulfi lled life, must include Him.”
*****
Numerous clergy members, grads and people from the community participated in the graduation church service. Leanne Buchinski played for the prelude and the processional as the graduates entered. Rev. Franklin Emereuwa offered words of welcome, followed by the congregational hymn Seek Ye First.
Jordan St. Mars, a graduate, led in a prayer, which was followed by the parents’ prayer read by his mother Lisa St. Mars.
Rev. Wilf Michaels gave a scripture reading from Deuteronomy 30:15-20. It was followed by a reading by Jordan Lazaroff, a graduate, and a scripture reading of Timothy 6:6- 14 by Rev. Marg Janick Grayston.
Helen Forbes, a teacher, recited the friend’s prayer. Rev. Dwaine Senechal and Rev. Greg Bright gave several gospel readings.
There was $535.40 collected in the free will offering which will go to Filling the Gap food bank. Rev. Brett Watson gave the prayer of thanks. Kaitlyn Statchuk, a graduate, gave a reading about all
each had to be thankful for.
Together, the graduates read A Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.
Nicole Burym was the last graduate to give a reading.
The congregation sang God of the Ages.
Rev. Emereuwa gave The Lord’s Prayer and benediction.
The graduates departed as Leanne Buchinski played the recessional.
