Homily on the Feast of Benedict and the Celebration of Jubilees
"You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy…
You who fear the Lord, trust him…
You who fear the Lord, hope for good things…
You who fear the Lord, love him…
Study the generations long past and understand:
has anyone hoped in the Lord and been disappointed?
This statement of trust and hope from the Book of Sirach
must have been in the Benedict's mind and heart
as he shaped the material of the Rule.
Today we celebrate the generosity and grace that have been present
to us in our jubilarians.
Sixty, and fifty years ago,
our jubilarians professed their vows
in the presence of the Saint John's community and the Church.
Truly, by the mercy of God,
they have done their best to let the Holy Spirit work in them.
We also celebrate the grace of God at work
in two of our men who wish to make solemn vows.
Father Gunther,
lover of the plants and flowers of the wild outdoors,
teacher of Prep students in chemistry and geometry for 12 years,
teacher of many biology students in the University, especially of botany,
administrator at every level of the University over many years,
registrar, dean and vice-president for academic affairs,
strong early supporter in the development of study-abroad programs,
then gentle and beloved pastor of souls in Farming,
connoisseur of ice cream in many forms,
Father Gunther, you have been a blessing in our midst.
Father Jim,
teacher of Latin at Prep School
and well-acquainted with the nuances of language,
you also taught English and math in Puerto Rico.
After working in the business office
since 1979 you have devoted yourself to priestly service in parishes
in Saint Paul, Albany, New Munich, and Avon
and now to Saint Therese's in New Hope.
Expert card player,
you will always make the most of the cards.
We are grateful for your presence among us.
Father Don,
teacher of Gregorian chant in your early days here,
but then becoming admissions director for the University for 13 years
and then moving into planned giving for 28 years.
You have been called the "father" of planned giving in academic institutions
because you were part of a first group that received
expert training funded by the Northwest Area Foundation.
Over the years, you have held many positions in the area of development,
and it has always been clear that this work was genuine ministry for you.
I can still remember you "tickling the ivories"
for different groups of people
and hope you still get chances to play the music you know so well.
Thank you, Don, for generous presence in our midst.
Father Alberic,
from the great city of Mitchell, S.D.,
home of the Corn Palace,
named the "outstanding graduate of SJU in 1952",
early on you fell in love with scripture,
and especially with the archaeological research
that is one of the legs of modern scriptural study.
You participated in and led many digs,
in Jordan, England and in Israel.
You also led the Scripture Institute for ten years,
served as a faculty resident for 37 years,
cared for and worked seriously on the development of the inner campus
by planting trees and other plants.
You have worked with Institutional Advancement for many years,
building relationships with our graduates and with the local community.
Thank you, Alberic, for your generous service and presence in our midst.
Father Gordon,
With a positive energy unmatched by most,
you served in the Air Force before joining the abbey.
After directing the Mental Health Institute, teaching and prefecting,
you discovered a home in the Business Office.
You served in almost every role there,
Director of Physical Plant,
Director of Planning, VP of finance for the University,
and finally Treasurer from 1980-1996.
You were also prior of the monastery from 1975-1980.
And then you surprised even yourself
by becoming President of the Prep School.
When the string ensemble was struggling
you reached back to your orchestra days
and stabilized the group by playing violin.
Thank you, Father Gordon, for your dedicated service and leadership.
Brother Christopher and Brother Xavier,
today you make solemn vows to God and to this community.
As you can see from the lives of these confreres,
you can expect your lives to take many twists and turns.
But the community is constant in opening itself to the mystery of
God's love.
None of us knows what will be asked of us.
We do know that Christ will be with us.
Surely the promise of Christ is being fulfilled in our midst,
Abundant blessing has been poured been poured into our lap
because of the graced commitment of these men.
May all of you, our solemnly professed, our jubilarians, confreres,
and guests,
have a joyous and blessed Feast of Benedict today.
Abbot John Klassen, OSB
July 11, 2003
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