Remember Who You Are
May is full of commencement speeches. Strange word, really. We call them commencements because they mark a beginning, though they often feel like endings. Parents let go. Teachers let go. Friends say goodbye. Scripture this week is full of farewell speeches as well. Paul speaks to the community he loves. Jesus, in John’s Gospel, prays for those entrusted to him, those he loves enough to lay down his life for.
What strikes me is how different Jesus’ farewell sounds. There is surprisingly little warning and much more about relationship. Less “be careful” and more “they are yours, as I am yours.” Less anxiety about what lies ahead and more trust in what has already been given.
Most commencement speeches tell us to go out and become something: change the world, achieve great things, make a difference. Jesus seems to say something quieter: before you go out into the world, remember who you already are.
A Black friend once shared with me an experience of being confronted by someone who called her many things, many hurtful things. Then she said to me, “Jim, he called me everything in the book except a child of God.”
That stayed with me.
Because when we go out into the world and stand for what is right, when we try to live the Gospel with honesty and compassion, we may be called many things. We may be misunderstood, criticized, dismissed, or labeled.
Jesus’ prayer reminds us that before anything else, we already belong.
No matter what others call us—or perhaps even what we call ourselves on our harder days—we are children of God.
This reflection also comes at an unusual time for me, as it will be my last reflection before beginning a sabbatical. I certainly cannot say, like Jesus, that I have accomplished all that was entrusted to me. I have not always had answers. I have simply tried to walk honestly with you through questions, struggles, joys, and faith.
The answer was never me. The answer has always been Jesus.
Perhaps the question was never whether we had all the answers.
Perhaps it is whether we have remembered who we are.
Rev. Jim Caime, SJ
My email link is now correct.
I have lived and worked in thirteen states, as well as in Europe, Latin America, and East Asia, traveling around the world for work. I tend to approach life with a global perspective—yet always with a keen awareness of the local and the individual.
One of the most powerful meditations for me in the Spiritual Exercises is the meditation on the Incarnation, where the Trinity looks upon the world and sees the need to “be made flesh” in our lives. This deeply shapes my understanding of faith and presence.
Math, science, and hard data help us understand our lives and circumstances, but without the arts—poetry, music, and beauty—we would lack the language to express the inexpressible. I am drawn to Ignatian spirituality because it affirms that God is present in all things, always seeking to communicate with us, personally and profoundly.
I am a dreamer, deeply desiring to see the world as God does—with all its possibilities—while never turning away from its pain. And, thankfully, I also have a wicked sense of humor, which helps me (and hopefully others) navigate the world’s darkness with a bit more light.
At the same time, I hold close the wisdom of the prayer attributed to St. Oscar Romero, which reminds us that “we are merely laborers and not the Master Builder.” We are never the be-all and end-all—that is God’s place. This truth keeps me both humble and hopeful. Also, I am a sinner, always in need of God’s love, mercy and grace.
It is a privilege to contribute to this ministry. God’s Word is alive and active, and I hope my reflections offer you meaningful thoughts for your own prayer.
