I had the privilege of being selected as speaker for our graduating class this last week. This is a transcript of our presentation and how the journey has changed us. (Mike Cunningham)

Thank you Cardinal Sean, esteemed faculty, staff, guests, alumni, current students for this opportunity to give the presentation on behalf of the class of 2014!

Driving to Boston last weekend, on my way to the Franciscans at Arch Street I was interrupted by a spiritual message from an unexpected source. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Across the highway they proclaimed “when changing lanes Use Yah Blinkah”. A message that has since gone viral on Facebook and social media.

After almost changing lanes myself as I juggled coffee and laughter at high speed, I began to ponder. Perhaps this is intro to our class presentation.

After all we all seem to see meaning in everything since attending the seminary.

At least that’s what my wife says, I see meaning in everything; (housework excluded) but like my jokes, some need more work to understand them. (I often have to explain my humor)

But I digress, back to the Department of Transportation. Changing lanes … perhaps that what has happened to us over these past few years?

A friend of mine reminded me of a recent experience, AKA terror, that of teaching his teenage daughter to drive.

The scariest part of this process was learning to change lanes; resulting in increased heart rates, sounding of horns and various visual gesticulations from the occupants of surrounding vehicles. Like many other drivers, she immediately moved back into her lane and stayed there for the rest of the drive.

Perhaps some of us were in that lane before we made the decision to apply for the Master’s programs at St. John’s, some of us had similar worries, and we had been stuck in that lane and hadn’t moved out of our own spiritual or intellectual comfort zone. (Wow that’s deep!)

Some of us didn’t even know that this lane existed, so when presented with it, swerved into it and used “our Blinkah” later. Despite what we learnt about reconciliation it is sometimes better to ask for forgiveness in advance.

Whatever drove us forward we made a decision and now, years later here we are. Still driving along a spiritual highway, but somehow differently. In preparing this talk, class members shared their stories with me, (which should be the subject of a great expose in the National Enquirer next month!), no seriously, these journeys on their highways have been inspirational, and life altering.

However, unlike the passage through a purely intellectual journey, these make up how souls have been changed, prepared and changed by God for the work He has in mind for us.

Interestingly enough, even though we all put something on the application to say why we were interesting in joining the programs, almost everyone admits in their reflection, they often didn’t have a clue why, just they though it would do some good for them, their family or for God. However, encouragement from faculty played a part for many. Perhaps a faint call that most of us didn’t even recognize as a call at the time.

But now, everyone agrees, we all have changed lanes, we are different than we were at the beginning, and sad that this represents something of an end. Or at least a semi-colon.

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It is hard not to be reflective for all of us on a day like this, and in looking for a unifying theme to reflect our “sensus communis” (sense of community according to google translate) I found it in an unlikely place.

In the past weeks, my wife Sally invited me to join her every Wednesday evening for a retreat in prison. (She is such a romantic). Thirty Three Days to Morning Glory is a Marion retreat, probably known to many.

She assigned me the eight Spanish speaking retreatants, which has been wonderful, and would have been even more wonderful if I spoke any Spanish!

So relying on faith, hope, a translator and the Holy Spirit we reflected this week on Mother Theresa’s spiritualty. The words “I thirst” came to the fore of our discussion, and today they seem to speak to the spiritualty of the Class of 2014.

Class mates reflect on deep sense of awe and peace that this program has brought to their lives, and we “thirst for more”. We talk of gathering and building relationships with one another that strengthens our relationship with God.

Of moving with confidence in a direction God is leading us, even if we don’t even know where exactly that is; thirsting for more faith and self-reliance in God as we move forward. Wanting to replicate the warm, welcoming and supporting environment we have found together as a part of the Institute; in the rest of our lives.

Having been fed at a table of plenty both spiritually and intellectually, we don’t really want to leave, although we know we have to go out in the world and serve as we have been instructed.

While thirsting for growth, we also have learned the wisdom of being like a child, to let God into our lives in the most simple and innocent way.

That we really are priests, prophets and kings in our desire to do his work. We learned the importance of being invitational, an example shown to us by the staff and faculty in our first impressions, as we made it, at times gingerly, towards these lofty goals.

We also learned from one particular professor not to keep our light under a bushel basket, to quote a well-known member of this institution, “Catholics are a party people”. Not for us to stand on the street corner wailing “woe is me”, but rather being out there in the world, putting on the cloak God has given us, and trying to make someone’s life a little better because of meeting us. Or at least not making it worse!

It is surprising how often laughter enters those hallowed halls, and I am sure at times the Head Start kids and parents from Washington Street must wonder if they turned the wrong way when they came in the building, as the Catholics seem to be having all the fun! Or at least making the most noise!

Now the time has come for us to take all this knowledge and put it to good use. However, perhaps the most important grace we take out is that which has been poured in. We have said “I thirst” many times over many years, and we have been satisfied every time by God. We continue to seek … we are a class of seekers, as someone close by noted recently.

We can thirst, but others do also, and we need to be there for them. Filled up to the brim and overflowing with the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, pouring it out in every way, day and moment. There are no seconds to waste, or floors where His love cannot spill out uncontrollably. …. And God’s love, like water flows in its own direction.

All we have to do is to be there, as Mother Theresa says, we don’t have to be successful just faithful. …

Thank you all who helped us this far to make this special community; comprising individuals fused by a common spiritual journey and experience. We will do our best to be faithful to his promise and the love and commitment you have shown us.

Let us give St. Paul the last words closing with scripture which we believe reflects the spirituality of the class of 2014 on this special day.

“it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.”

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Thank you and Thank God.