Ladies and gentlemen of the Class of 2024: I would like to start off by congratulating
all of you for successfully making it to this achievement today. I'm sure your
high school graduation was not what you had imagined, and most likely, neither
was your first couple years of college.
By making it to this moment through all the
adversity thrown your way from COVID, I hope you learned the important lessons
that suffering in this life is only temporary. As a group, you witnessed
firsthand how bad leaders who don't stay in their lane can have a negative
impact on society. It is through this lens that I want to take stock of how we
got to where we are, and where we want to go as citizens and, yes, as
Catholics. One last thing before I begin, I want to be sure to thank President
Minnis and the board for their invitation to speak.
When President Minnis first reached out a couple
of months ago, I had originally said No. You see, last year I gave the
commencement address at my alma mater, Georgia Tech, and I felt that one
graduation speech was more than enough, especially for someone who isn't a
professional speaker. But of course, President Minnis used his gift of
persuasion. [Laughter] It spoke to the many challenges you all faced throughout
the COVID fiasco ,and how you missed out on so many milestones the rest of us
older people have taken for granted. While COVID might have played a large role
throughout your formative years, it is not unique. Bad policies and poor
leadership have negatively impacted major life issues. Things like abortion,
IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for degenerate
cultural values in media, all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder.
Our own nation is led by a man who publicly and
proudly proclaims his Catholic faith, but at the same time is delusional enough
to make the Sign of the Cross during a pro- abortion rally. He has been so
vocal in his support for the murder of innocent babies that I'm sure to many
people it appears that you can be both Catholic and pro-choice.
He is not alone. From the man behind the COVID
lockdowns to the people pushing dangerous gender ideologies onto the youth of
America, they all have a glaring thing in common. They are Catholic. This is an
important reminder that being Catholic alone doesn't cut it.
These are the sorts of things we are told in
polite society to not bring up. You know, the difficult and unpleasant things.
But if we are going to be men and women for this time in history, we need to
stop pretending that the "Church of Nice" is a winning proposition.
We must always speak and act in charity, but never mistake charity for
cowardice.
It is safe to say that over the past few years, I
have gained quite the reputation for speaking my mind. I never envisioned
myself, nor wanted, to have this sort of a platform, but God has given it to
me, so I have no other choice but to embrace it and preach more hard truths
about accepting your lane and staying in it.
As members of the Church founded by Jesus Christ,
it is our duty and ultimately privilege to be authentically and
unapologetically Catholic. Don't be mistaken, even within the Church, people in
polite Catholic circles will try to persuade you to remain silent. There even
was an award-winning film called Silence, made by a fellow Catholic, wherein one
of the main characters, a Jesuit priest, abandoned the Church, and as an
apostate when he died is seen grasping a crucifix, quiet and unknown to anyone
but God. As a friend of Benedictine College, His Excellency Bishop Robert
Barron, said in his review of the film, it was exactly what the cultural elite
want to see in Christianity -- private, hidden away, and harmless.
Our Catholic faith has always been
countercultural. Our Lord, along with countless followers, were all put to
death for their adherence to her teachings. The world around us says that we
should keep our beliefs to ourselves whenever they go against the tyranny of
diversity, equity, and inclusion. We fear speaking truth, because now,
unfortunately, truth is in the minority. Congress just passed a bill where
stating something as basic as the biblical teaching of who killed Jesus could
land you in jail.
But make no mistake, before we even attempt to fix
any of the issues plaguing society, we must first get our own house in order,
and it starts with our leaders. The bishops and priests appointed by God as our
spiritual fathers must be rightly ordered. There is not enough time today for
me to list all the stories of priests and bishops misleading their flocks, but
none of us can blame ignorance anymore and just blindly proclaim that “That's
what Father said.” Because sadly, many priests we are looking to for leadership
are the same ones who prioritize their hobbies or even photos with their dogs
and matching outfits for the parish directory.
It's easy for us laymen and women to think that in
order for us to be holy, that we must be active in our parish and try to fix
it. Yes, we absolutely should be involved in supporting our parishes, but we
cannot be the source for our parish priests to lean on to help with their
problems. Just as we look at the relationship between a father and his son, so
too should we look at the relationship between a priest and his people. It
would not be appropriate for me to always be looking to my son for help when it
is my job as his father to lead him.
St. Josemaría Escrivá states that priests are
ordained to serve, and should not yield to temptation to imitate laypeople, but
to be priests through and through. Tragically, so many priests revolve much of
their happiness from the adulation they receive from their parishioners, and in
searching for this, they let their guard down and become overly familiar. This
undue familiarity will prove to be problematic every time, because as my
teammate's girlfriend says, familiarity breeds contempt. [Laughter]
Saint Josemaría continues that some want to see
the priest as just another man. That is not so. They want to find in the priest
those virtues proper to every Christian, and indeed every honorable man: understanding, justice, a life of work —
priestly work, in this instance — and good manners. It is not prudent as the
laity for us to consume ourselves in becoming amateur theologians so that we
can decipher this or that theological teaching — unless, of course, you are a
theology major. We must be intentional with our focus on our state in life and
our own vocation. And for most of us, that's as married men and women. Still,
we have so many great resources at our fingertips that it doesn't take long to
find traditional and timeless teachings that haven't been ambiguously reworded
for our times. Plus, there are still many good and holy priests, and it's up to
us to seek them out.
The chaos of the world is unfortunately reflected
in the chaos in our parishes, and sadly, in our cathedrals too. As we saw
during the pandemic, too many bishops were not leaders at all. They were
motivated by fear, fear of being sued, fear of being removed, fear of being
disliked. They showed by their actions, intentional or unintentional, that the
sacraments don't actually matter. Because of this, countless people died alone,
without access to the sacraments, and it's a tragedy we must never forget. As
Catholics, we can look to so many examples of heroic shepherds who gave their
lives for their people, and ultimately, the Church. We cannot buy into the lie
that the things we experienced during COVID were appropriate. Over the
centuries, there have been great wars, great famines, and yes, even great
diseases, all that came with a level of lethality and danger. But in each of
those examples, Church leaders leaned into their vocations and ensured that
their people received the sacraments.
Great saints like St. Damien of Molokai, who knew
the dangers of his ministry, stayed for 11 years as a spiritual leader to the
leper colonies of Hawaii. His heroism is looked at today as something set apart
and unique, when ideally it should not be unique at all. For as a father loves
his child, so a shepherd should love his spiritual children, too.
That goes even more so for our bishops, these men
who are present-day apostles. Our bishops once had adoring crowds of people
kissing their rings and taking in their every word, but now relegate themselves
to a position of inconsequential existence. Now, when a bishop of a diocese or
the bishop's conference as a whole puts out an important document on this
matter or that, nobody even takes a moment to read it, let alone follow it.
No. Today, our shepherds are far more concerned
with keeping the doors open to the chancery than they are with saying the
difficult stuff out loud. It seems that the only time you hear from your
bishops is when it's time for the annual appeal, whereas we need our bishops to
be vocal about the teachings of the Church, setting aside their own personal comfort
and embracing their cross. Our bishops are not politicians but shepherds, so
instead of fitting in the world by going along to get along, they too need to
stay in their lane and lead.
I say all of this not from a place of anger, as we
get the leaders we deserve. But this does make me reflect on staying in my lane
and focusing on my own vocation and how I can be a better father and husband
and live in the world but not be of it. Focusing on my vocation while praying
and fasting for these men will do more for the Church than me complaining about
her leaders.
Because there seems to be so much confusion coming
from our leaders, there needs to be concrete examples for people to look to in
places like Benedictine, a little Kansas college built high on a bluff above
the Missouri River, are showing the world how an ordered, Christ-centered
existence is the recipe for success. You need to look no further than the
examples all around this campus, where over the past 20 years, enrollment has
doubled, construction and revitalization are a constant part of life, and
people, the students, the faculty and staff, are thriving. This didn't happen
by chance. In a deliberate movement to embrace traditional Catholic values,
Benedictine has gone from just another liberal arts school with nothing to set
it apart to a thriving beacon of light and a reminder to us all that when you
embrace tradition, success — worldly and spiritual — will follow.
I am certain the reporters at the AP could not
have imagined that their attempt to rebuke and embarrass places and people like
those here at Benedictine wouldn't be met with anger, but instead met with
excitement and pride. Not the deadly sin sort of pride that has an entire month
dedicated to it, but the true God-centered pride that is cooperating with the
Holy Ghost to glorify him. Reading that article now shared all over the world,
we see that in the complete surrender of self and a turning towards Christ, you
will find happiness. Right here in a little town in Kansas, we find many inspiring
laypeople using their talents.
President Minnis, Dr. [Andrew] Swafford, and Dr.
[Jared] Zimmerer are a few great examples right here on this very campus that
will keep the light of Christ burning bright for generations to come. Being
locked in with your vocation and staying in your lane is going to be the surest
way for you to find true happiness and peace in this life.
It is essential that we focus on our own state in
life, whether that be as a layperson, a priest, or religious. Ladies and
gentlemen of the class of 2024, you are sitting at the edge of the rest of your
lives. Each of you has the potential to leave a legacy that transcends
yourselves and this era of human existence. In the small ways, by living out
your vocation, you will ensure that God's Church continues and the world is
enlightened by your example.
For the ladies present today, congratulations on
an amazing accomplishment. You should be proud of all that you have achieved to
this point in your young lives. I want to speak directly to you briefly because
I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to
you. How many of you are sitting here now about to cross this stage and are
thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your
career? Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I
would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your
marriage and the children you will bring into this world.
I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle,
would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her
vocation as a wife and as a mother. I'm on the stage today and able to be the
man I am because I have a wife who leans into her vocation. I'm beyond blessed
with the many talents God has given me, but it cannot be overstated that all of
my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle
school would convert to the faith, become my wife, and embrace one of the most
important titles of all: homemaker.
[Applause lasting 18
seconds]
She is a primary educator to our children. She is
the one who ensures I never let football or my business become a distraction
from that of a husband and father. She is the person that knows me best at my
core, and it is through our marriage that, Lord willing, we will both attain
salvation.
I say all of this to you because I have seen it
firsthand how much happier someone can be when they disregard the outside noise
and move closer and closer to God's will in their life. Isabelle's dream of
having a career might not have come true, but if you asked her today if she has
any regrets on her decision, she would laugh out loud, without hesitation, and
say, “Heck, No.”
As a man who gets a lot of praise and has been
given a platform to speak to audiences like this one today, I pray that I
always use my voice for God and not for myself. Everything I am saying to you
is not from a place of wisdom, but rather a place of experience. I am hopeful
that these words will be seen as those from a man, not much older than you, who
feels it is imperative that this class, this generation, and this time in our
society must stop pretending that the things we see around us are normal.
Heterodox ideas abound even within Catholic
circles. But let's be honest, there is nothing good about playing God with
having children — whether that be your ideal number or the perfect time to
conceive. No matter how you spin it, there is nothing natural about Catholic
birth control.
It is only in the past few years that I have grown
encouraged to speak more boldly and directly because, as I mentioned earlier, I
have leaned into my vocation as a husband and father, and as a man.
To the gentlemen here today: Part of what plagues
our society is this lie that has been told to you that men are not necessary in
the home or in our communities. As men, we set the tone of the culture, and
when that is absent, disorder, dysfunction, and chaos set in. This absence of
men in the home is what plays a large role in the violence we see all around
the nation. Other countries do not have nearly the same absentee father rates
as we find here in the U.S., and a correlation could be made in their
drastically lower violence rates, as well.
Be unapologetic in your masculinity, fighting
against the cultural emasculation of men. Do hard things. Never settle for what
is easy. You might have a talent that you don't necessarily enjoy, but if it
glorifies God, maybe you should lean into that over something that you might
think suits you better. I speak from experience as an introvert who now finds
myself as an amateur public speaker and an entrepreneur, something I never
thought I'd be when I received my industrial engineering degree.
The road ahead is bright. Things are changing.
Society is shifting. And people, young and old, are embracing tradition. Not
only has it been my vocation that has helped me and those closest to me, but
not surprising to many of you, should be my outspoken embrace of the
traditional Latin Mass. I've been very vocal in my love and devotion to the TLM
and its necessity for our lives. But what I think gets misunderstood is that
people who attend the TLM do so out of pride or preference. I can speak to my
own experience, but for most people I have come across within these communities
this simply is not true. I do not attend the TLM because I think I am better
than others, or for the smells and bells, or even for the love of Latin. I
attend the TLM because I believe, just as the God of the Old Testament was
pretty particular in how he wanted to be worshipped, the same holds true for us
today. It is through the TLM that I encountered order, and began to pursue it
in my own life. Aside from the TLM itself, too many of our sacred traditions
have been relegated to things of the past, when in my parish, things such as ember
days, days when we fast and pray for vocations and for our priests, are still
adhered to. The TLM is so essential that I would challenge each of you to pick
a place to move where it is readily available.
A lot of people have complaints about the parish
or the community, but we should not sacrifice the Mass for community. I
prioritize the TLM even if the parish isn't beautiful, the priest isn't great,
or the community isn't amazing. I still go to the TLM because I believe the
holy sacrifice of the Mass is more important than anything else. I say this
knowing full well that when each of you rekindle your knowledge and adherence
to many of the church's greatest traditions, you will see how much more
colorful and alive your life can and should be.
As you move on from this place and enter into the
world, know that you will face many challenges. Sadly, I'm sure many of you
know of the countless stories of good and active members of this community who,
after graduation and moving away from the Benedictine bubble, have ended up
moving in with their boyfriend or girlfriend prior to marriage. Some even leave
the Church and abandon God. It is always heartbreaking to hear these stories,
and there is a desire to know what happened and what went wrong.
What you must remember is that life is about doing
the small things well, setting yourself up for success, and surrounding
yourself with people who continually push you to be the best version of you. I
say this all the time, that iron sharpens iron. It's a great reminder that
those closest to us should be making us better. If you are dating someone who
doesn't even share your faith, how do you expect that person to help you become
a saint? If your friend group is filled with people who only think about what
you're doing next weekend and are not willing to have those difficult
conversations, how can they help sharpen you?
As you prepare to enter into the workforce, it is
extremely important that you actually think about the places you are moving to.
Who is the bishop? What kind of parishes are there? Do they offer the TLM and
have priests who embrace their priestly vocation? Cost of living must not be
the only arbiter of your choices, for a life without God is not a life at all,
and the cost of salvation is worth more than any career.
I'm excited for the future, and I pray that
something I have said will resonate as you move on to the next chapter of your
life.
Never be afraid to profess the one holy, Catholic,
and apostolic Church, for this is the Church that Jesus Christ established,
through which we receive sanctifying grace.
I know that my message today had a little less
fluff than is expected for these speeches, but I believe that this audience and
this venue is the best place to speak openly and honestly about who we are and
where we all want to go, which is Heaven.
I thank God for Benedictine College and for the
example it provides the world. I thank God for men like President Minnis, who
are doing their part for the Kingdom. Come to find out you can have an
authentically Catholic college and a thriving football program. [Laughter and
applause]
Make no mistake: You are entering into mission
territory in a post-God world, but you were made for this. And with God by your
side and a constant striving for virtue within your vocation, you too can be a
saint.
Christ is King.
To the Heights.
