“What Would Jesus Do?”

What follows is the homily, as prepared for delivery, given by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., at the Diocese of Trenton’s annual Catholic Schools Mass at St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, on Oct. 15.

Wristbands are popular things.  They come in all sizes and colors and always have something written on them.  A few years ago, I remember seeing a wristband worn by kids in school with the letters “WWJD.”  How many of you know what those letters stand for?  “What Would Jesus Do?”  These popular wristbands are reminders to the person wearing them and to everyone else who sees them of a message that people feel is very important.  For us as Catholics and Christians, the phrase “What Would Jesus Do” is a great reminder, a great message for all of us to ask every day in all the things we do.

Today, we gather from all over the Diocese, from its many parishes, to celebrate “Catholic Schools Day.”  We do that every year at Mass — the most important prayer of the Catholic Church — with our pastors, principals, teachers and classmates, organized by the Department of Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Trenton.  It is a very important day for me as your Bishop to pray with you and to offer you a message to take back to your school.

We hear a message in the Word of God, the readings from Scripture that are proclaimed.  We see a message in all our actions during Mass here in the Cathedral.  We remember the message of Jesus Christ who gave his life for us on the Cross.  If we were to ask ourselves today “What Would Jesus Do?” we find the answer here at Mass.  Jesus did, Jesus would, Jesus  continues to love us by giving us his Body and Blood as food and drink.  And he says, “Do this in memory of me.”

It is easy to ask the question “What Would Jesus Do” inside Church and at Mass.  But what about once we pass through the Church doors and head outside?  What about when we go home with our families?  Go to school?  Hang out in the neighborhood with our friends and peers?  That’s when the question gets a little harder to answer, to figure out?

How do we know “What Would Jesus Do?”  It’s something we have to be taught by others and something we have to learn.  Our parents are our first teachers – by word and by example.  As their children, we live what we learn from them.  They are the ones who first introduce us to Jesus, who teach us how to pray, to how to live with and treat others, when to say yes and when to say no, what is good and what is bad for us.  These are lessons we learn at home.

And then, we move on to Catholic school.  Here our teachers build upon what we learn from our parents.  Our teachers in Catholic school guide us and help shape our understanding of the world around us through history and science and language and literature.  But – and this is most important – Catholic schools helps us think about all these things and help us to see the world through Jesus’ eyes: that’s where religion comes in and pays such a big part of our Catholic education.  Catholic schools exist to help us answer the question “What Would Jesus Do?”

To be young women and men who always look for truth ad never lie; who respect others even if they are different and to respect ourselves and our own bodies; who respect the property of others and beyond that the good of creation; who do not cheat or steal or bully others or encourage them to do what is wrong.  Catholic schools show us all these things, why? Because that’s what Jesus would do.

And then there is the Church where we learn the Word of God; we hear it like we did today and the priest or deacon explains what it means so we can understand it.  Look around you today in this Cathedral, the main Church of the Diocese.  Look around at your parish this weekend and see all the things that are there: beautiful windows with pictures that tell a story; statutes of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary and great saints and heroes of the Church.

They were all like you at one time; go to sacraments, penance and communion.  Make it a point never to miss Mass.  Why?  Because that’s what God asks of us.  And what you see in Church you should ask your parents and your teachers in Catholic school about.  That’s how our Catholic faith grows.   That’s what we can share with one another.

When you go to Catholic school as we all do we learn “What Would Jesus Do” … it is the reason Catholic schools exist but more importantly it is what we should be asking now and throughout our lives.