NGUYEN: For graduates, the journey of faith must continue

May and June are the months of graduation — a time marked by celebration, reflection and transition.

On Sunday, May 4, like many campuses across the country, the Catholic community at the University of Houston gathered to celebrate a special Graduation Mass, honoring more than 20 of our students and their guests. Our celebration was a bittersweet one. While we were filled with pride in their accomplishments and hope for the journeys ahead, we also felt the weight of farewell. These brothers and sisters — who have prayed, worshiped, served and grown with us — are now being sent forth with our love and prayers.

Though their regular participation in our campus community may be coming to a close, the bonds formed in faith remain strong. Our graduates leave with our blessing and the hope that they will continue to seek and find Christ in every step of their professional and personal journey. 

We hope it is clear to our students — and to all of us — that the mission of evangelization does not end with graduation or the closing of a familiar chapter; it simply takes a new form. Isn’t this the rhythm of life for many of us? Change is constant. Yet, the call to live and share the good news of God endures through every shift in our circumstances.
The real question is this: Can we recognize the same Christ who once sent out the disciples now sending our graduates — and us — forth as missionary disciples? He is sending us to be salt of the earth, light of the world, and leaven in the midst of our daily lives. 

Carrying a missionary spirit after graduation doesn’t necessarily mean going overseas or working in formal ministry — though some are called to that path. At its core, it means continuing to live the Gospel wherever we are: in our workplaces, relationships, neighborhoods and communities. It sounds simple, but it is not always easy. It requires intention, effort and perseverance. It may include frustration, disappointment or heartache. And yet, the missionary spirit we are called to embody is one that chooses, again and again, to love, to serve, and to lead with faith, especially in an ordinary and often unseen way. 

Even as they leave the familiar rhythm of campus life, we hope our graduates continue to participate in the Church’s living mission — now expressed in a broader setting. To do so, we must remain rooted in prayer, active in faith, and courageous in witnessing to Christ in both word and deed. In doing this, we allow the seeds planted and nurtured in a faithful and caring community to bear lasting fruit in the world. 

May our graduates — and all of us — always remember this simple truth: God goes before us, walks beside us and strengthens us for the journey ahead. Their journey of faith continues. It is not just a path for them to walk — but a way through which Christ reaches others. In the world beyond the walls of campus, they now become His living presence. They are, and always will be, our co-workers in the vineyard of Christ. 

Father Quang Nguyen, SCJ, serves as chaplain-director at the University of Houston Catholic Newman Center.

(File photo by James Ramos/Herald)