Satisfy the Hungry Heart

St. Vincent Academy, Newark NJ

Students In Community Sending Forth Ceremony
March 23, 2012

Satisfy the Hungry Heart


When Sister Noreen told me that I was standing between you and early dismissal, I went back and shortened my comments. So, good news, everybody: I think I’ve gotten my talk down to just under an hour…

It’s a joy and a privilege to be back here at St. Vincent’s – and to meet all of you on this big day. SVA is very important to me because the years back in the early and mid ‘90’s I spent here as a teacher really helped to shape me as a person. Like you, I’ve learned so much from Sister June, Sister Margaret, Ms. Nolan, the Freshman Team, Sister Carol, Mr. Hogan, Ms. Palmer, Sister Noreen, Sister Connie, Ms. Francisco and many others.

Like you, I’ve learned from them a whole lot about living a life of faith, service and integrity.

I remember the day I interviewed with Sister June for the job as a history teacher – a job I really wanted and needed, by the way – and she told me something I’ve never forgotten and have tried to keep at the front of my mind and my heart both as a teacher and now as a priest. She told me that every student here is the most important thing in the world to somebody – to a parent, or a grandparent, or some other family member or friend.

She told me to make sure I remembered that, especially on those inevitable days when a student didn’t seem to be making her best effort, or when a girl acted out in class, or even if – and this was rare – there was a student I didn’t really like or, if you can imagine, didn’t like me!

My experience of St. Vincent’s was that most, if not all, of the girls knew that they were the most important thing in the world – were cherished and loved - by somebody.

I hope that all of you here today can feel that love, at least some of the time.

And, if by some horrible chance, you don’t feel like you’re loved by the people in your life, faith teaches us that God loves us unconditionally – now matter how much we mess up, no matter how many times we fail, no matter how many times we disappoint ourselves and others, God’s love for us is always here, in our hearts.

I really like the theme of this year’s SIC: Satisfy the Hungry Heart.

I like it because the words come right out of a very familiar hymn from my 1970s childhood.

I like it, because on one level it’s a hymn about communion – it’s a hymn we sing to God who satisfies the hungry heart with bread of the finest wheat – the holy bread that we receive when we come together in church.

It’s also a hymn about Jesus, who is the Bread of Life, broken and given to the world – broken and given to show us what God’s unconditional love really looks like.

But, it’s also a hymn about us – and a hymn about what you’re going to be up to during SIC – and, hopefully, what we’re all going to be up to during our whole lives.

The truth is that God wants us – even needs us – to be bread for the world – to be bread of finest wheat to satisfy the many, many hungry hearts out there in the world.

You probably know this already, but most of us carry a lot of heavy burdens around with us.

For some of us the heaviest burden is fear – fear that we’ll lose what we have or we’ll never achieve our greatest hopes. It could be the fear of illness for ourselves or for those we love.

For some of us the heaviest burden is regret – regret about bad decisions that we’ve made, regret that we didn’t try harder when we had the chance, regret that we didn’t tell someone that we loved before it was too late.

For some of us the heaviest burden is the high expectations that we place on ourselves or are placed on us by others.

For some of us the heaviest burden is sadness and grief – sadness that someone we loved is no longer with us, sadness and grief that there are so many suffering people around the world.

You could probably add a few more heavy burdens on to my list.

But, I’ve learned over the years, first as a teacher and now as a priest, that most people carry many heavy burdens.

Sometimes those burdens are obvious and close to the surface.

But, other times the burdens are hidden and kept close to the heart.

Maybe this has happened to you, but I’ve often been surprised when I’ve gotten to know someone who seems to have his or her act together and then I discover some huge burden that they’ve been carrying around for too long.

Many of the people you’re going to meet out at your placements are going to be carrying heavy burdens – some visible, and some not.

And carrying those heavy burdens makes people hungry. Of course, sometimes it’s physical hunger, but more often, in the words of the hymn and your theme, carrying those heavy burdens gives people hungry hearts.

Hungry hearts can be fed only by love.

And that’s where you come in.

When you’re out at your placements you may very well encounter someone who doesn’t seem to be making her or his best effort, or someone who acts out, or someone you don’t really like or, if you can imagine, doesn’t like you.

When that happens, try to remember Sister June’s words to me from back in the day. This person who is driving you bananas might be the most important thing to someone - maybe a parent or grandparent, or maybe a spouse, or a child, or a friend.

Sadly, sometimes that’s not true – there are people who are completely alone and unloved. But, even then, for sure this person who is driving you bananas is the most important thing in the world to God.

Please try to remember that this person who is driving you bananas is probably carrying some pretty heavy burdens and probably has a hungry heart.

So, feed them.

God wants us – even needs us – to be bread for the world – to be bread of finest wheat to satisfy – to feed - the many, many hungry hearts out there in the world.

Feed them with your interest, your care, your patience and maybe even your love.

And when you feed them even just by being there for them, God will use you to feed them with the love and grace that only God can give.

One last thing.

Most of us don’t like to admit it, but I know that it’s not just people out there who have hungry hearts – but all of us here, too.

I have my heavy burdens and I know that you carry heavy burdens, as do your teachers and administrators here at SVA. Some of the burdens are visible and some are hidden and kept close to the heart.

But, the great and amazing truth is that as you give of yourself, feeding and satisfying the hungry hearts out there, God will be at work sharing your burdens and satisfying your hungry heart.

If you’ve really been open to this experience, and have really given of yourself, at the end you’ll look back and discover that you’ve been fed at least as much as the people you’ve been serving.

I hope SIC is a wonderful experience for all of you. I will remember you in my prayers.