“You are writing the story of your life”

The central theme of the invocation I delivered last Saturday to a graduating class of university students.

I was invited to write and deliver the invocation at this year’s DePaul University graduation ceremony for students in the College of Computing and Digital Media and The Theatre School. Here is that invocation in its entirety.

Welcome. As we gather in celebration today, I invite you take a breath, quiet your mind, and reflect on an idea: That each of you is writing the story of your life.

It is a story that began at the moment of your very first breath as you entered this world. The cry you exclaimed, although unrecognizable to most, was the prologue to your earth’s journey. You were saying: “I am here. This is my life. Let’s go.”

As the days, weeks, months, and years have gone by, you have authored a myriad of life choices, and yet providence has been ever-present, sometimes moments of seeming divine intervention, other times quiet introspection of a peace which passes all understanding.

Soon, the path you have been following will lead you across this stage and in that instant, you will end one chapter of your life, and begin writing another.

As you move forward with your story, we pray to God and offer these supplications that you lead a life worthy of Vincentian ideals.

May you be a lifelong learner, never flagging in your curiosity to seek out new experiences and gain knowledge and insight into the human condition.

May you practice inclusion, for every person is a stranger until they become a friend.

May you show compassion to those in need, and give rest to those who are weary and heavy-laden.

May you be a peacemaker who seeks to build community and reconcile hostilities.

May you have eyes to see and ears to hear that which must be done to contribute to the common good.

And may you follow your bliss. That most sacred aspect of who you are that enlivens you, inspires you, and offers you a sense of purpose and meaning. That God-given part of you which echoes your very first words: “I am here. This is my life. Let’s go.”

Therefore, go forth and continue to write the story of your life, and in so doing, inspire others in their own life-stories.

On behalf of all of DePaul University and in the name of God… blessings, peace, and grace be with you always. Amen.

Story as a metaphor for Life is a powerful one.

A story has a beginning, middle, and end. So, too, a life. This reminds us our journey on this Earth is a temporal one. Our time is limited and, therefore, precious. We do well by making the most of it.

A story has a Protagonist. Each of us is our own Protagonist. We experience the world through our own eyes and ears, our own unique world view, our sense of who we are and what we value as important.

A story has a central theme. It’s quite possible our life does as well … if we take the time to step back and ponder the twists and turns of our existence.

A story is about self-identity. Of all the mysteries we confront in our time of human existence, the greatest one of all is this question: Who am I?

Then there is this: A story represents both the product of a writer’s creative effort and their own journey of discovery in the writing of the narrative.

As human beings, each of us is on a journey of discovery. Each of us faces events which are seemingly beyond our control. Yet each of us has the free will to make choices which impact the trajectory of our future … and those with whom we intersect.

To the writers among you who may read this, I wish you the best in your creative adventure. But the supplications I invoked on behalf of those graduating students on Saturday … I encourage you to consider them as well.

For I truly believe a life filled with curiosity, generosity, kindness, empathy, and passion is one worth living.

May you write well the story of your life.