FAREWELL PRAYER SERVICE

Farewell prayer service -

Introduction: we see the hope of new generation. What is hope? The well-known maxim, while there is life, there is hope, has a deeper meaning in the reverse, and while there is hope, there is life. Hope comes first, love follows. Hope gives power to life. It rouses life to continue to expand in love, to grow into responsible persons, to reach out to others and to go on. Hope sees a light where there is no any hope. Hope lights a candle in millions of despairing hearts. We see each one of you in the light of hope, growing in faith in God, encompassing others in your love, and reaching out to those who are hungry, hungry for LOVE, RESPECT and CARE, as you prepare to enter the new life.

          As you tread a path into the world outside the portals of your school, you will begin to realize that the skies in your life are not always blur and you won’t always walk on flower strewn pathways. We all know that our loving god has not promised us joy without sorrow and peace without pain. He has not told us that being his children we will have freedom from

Temptation, trouble and woe. But God with his infinite wisdom has promised us more important things-like strength for the day, light for the way, grace for the trials, help from above, unfailing

Sympathy and undying love. What more could anyone want? Hope wrote Alexander Pope, “Springs eternal in the human breast: and as long as it does in each of you will triumph as living witnesses of God’s love in your families, and in your apostolate as you move courageously forward into the new life.

Leader: As you move out you are sent to be the hope for the world, hope looks for the good in people instead of harping on the worst in them… hope opens the doors when despair closes them. Hope discovers what can be done instead of grumbling about what cannot be done. Hope lights a candle instead of cursing the darkness, hope regards problems, small or large as opportunities. Hope pushes ahead when it would be easy to quit. Hope cherishes no illusions, nor does it yield to cynicism, hope accepts misunderstanding as the price for serving the greater good of others.

This is what we are called to be the light of hope in this world of today. Are we ready to be the hope of the world? As a sign of our willingness to be rays of hope, each of us will move to the altar and light the candle in our hand from the one on the altar symbolizing the light of Christ. As we do this let’s ask God’s grace for all of us as we sing the hymn…. D-51

Dear sisters each of you are a blessing… a hope that nurtures….

                                                          …A light that guides….

                                                                   …A flower that blooms…

                                                                   …A trust that endures…

                                                                   …a faith that is pure….

                                                                   …a love beyond compare….

                                                                   …a wonder of wonders…

May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, may the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, God hold you in the palm of His hand.