Good morning. My name is Heaven Lee from the Class of 2026. Today we are gathering to celebrate St. Martin de Porres, a great Dominican saint that exemplified the same gifts I will discuss with you today. St. Martin spent his life taking care of the poor, sick and marginalized, regardless of their status or race. In his life, he chose the things that were “honorable, pure and good”, and in doing so was able to reflect God’s love and compassion onto others.

In today’s first reading from Saint Paul’s letter to the Phillipians, we are reminded that the peace of God surpasses all understanding. In his letter, Saint Paul encourages them, and us, to not only recognize God’s peace and joy, but to rejoice in them. Paul calls us to rejoice in the Lord always - to find joy not just in the good times but in the bad as well.

To rejoice means “to feel or show great joy or delight.” At first, this may sound simple - just be happy, right? But Paul isn’t simply instructing us to smile through every situation or pretend like things are okay when they’re not. Paul is reminding us that true joy doesn’t depend on what’s going on around us. Rather, it comes from trusting that God is with us regardless of life’s circumstances.

Being a teenager is hard: balancing school, a social life, sports and faith, all while trying to plan a future can cause a great deal of anxiety and stress. At times, it can feel like everything is just moving too fast and it can feel impossible to just stop and be peaceful. Paul reminds us in the reading that peace isn’t something we have to go out and find for ourselves, and that true peace is given to us by God when we turn to Him.

When we pray instead of worrying, choose kindness instead of anger, and think about the things that are “honorable, pure, and good” we make room for the gift of peace that God will grant us. The peace that God provides us with isn’t the kind of peace that makes our problems vanish. It is the kind of peace you have in the middle of a bad storm that reminds you that it will eventually come to an end. It’s the kind of peace that assures us that despite our struggles, anxieties, mistakes, and failures, God is still with us through it all and that we are never alone.

St. Martin loved a world that often rejected him, yet he never responded with anger or resentment. Instead, he chose kindness, humility, and forgiveness. Rather than dwelling on what he lacked, St. Martin rejoiced in what he could give. He found peace in prayer, in service, and in the belief that God was always with him. His example challenges us to find peace and joy not in what the world gives, but in what God provides.

So, as we enter into the rest of the week, I would like to pose a challenge to all of us. I challenge us to rejoice - not because things will always be perfect, but because we are loved by a perfect God. In choosing God, especially during times of uncertainty or stress, we are granted the peace and security that we can only obtain through God. Through a relationship with God, we are granted the fruits of the Spirit - love, peace, joy and patience - that can get us through whatever challenges we may face. 

Rejoicing can look very different from person to person. This could look like including God in your busy day by updating Him about how you’re feeling, saying a short prayer when you feel overwhelmed, choosing to be kind when challenged with a hard situation, or just taking a second to give Him thanks. When we rejoice in this way, we invite God’s peace into our hearts and minds, a peace that surpasses anything we could imagine. 

May the peace of God surround us all and fill our hearts with joy. Thank you.