A Thanksgiving Service for the Classes of 2020 and 2021

November 7, 2022
Salakot Chapel
Union Theological Seminary

PRELUDE

GATHERING Prof. Revelation E. Velunta

We have prepared the altar and our church, the Salakot Chapel
We have lit the candles; we have opened the Bible.
We have journeyed back to this sanctuary of life and learning that we call -
Union Theological Seminary, “The School of the Prophets.”
While your names have been called as graduates of the Classes of 2020 and
2021, we honor you again today, in the presence of loved ones, family, friends
and your sending churches.

WELCOME GREETINGS
Rev. Dr. Connie Semy P. Mella, Former Academic Dean
Rev. Dr. Eleazar S. Fernandez, President

†HYMN OF PRAISE        “Kadakilaan Mo”                  

Kadakilaan Mo, O Diyos sinasaysay

Ng bawa’t tanawing aking minamasdan,
Kapangyarihan Mo sa puso nakintal
Kaya magpupuri habang nabubuhay.

Sa hangin at bundok, satubig at lupa,

Sa dagat at batis, sa bawat nilikha
Kapangyarihan Mo doo’y nababadya,
Kaya’t kagalakan ang magpuri’ng kusa.

O Dios, dakila ka! Dakila kailanman!

Puso’y sumisigaw, di ko mapigilan,
Kaligayahan ko ang aking isaysay,
Kaluwalhatian Mo na di mapaparam.

Our hearts ascend to you singing worship unrestrained!

We offer thanks and praise for your eternal care.
We marvel at your love which never, ever fails,
And pledge ourselves to tell of you to all the world.
PRAYER OF THE GRADUATES

Pastors Mara Marquez Molina and Gilly Torres

God of joy and hope,

We thank you for this time of graduation.
Your spirit of wisdom has empowered our hard work and discipline in such a way
that our hunger for learning has been nourished with knowledge, discovery, cre-
ativity, and determination.
Let us walk in prayerful gratitude for the many blessings that have made this mo-
ment real and filled with great potential.

In gratitude, we pray for our families and the many who have sacrificed and
worked to see us to this hopeful moment.
In gratitude, we pray for the professors and administrators who have challenged,
cared, and accompanied us along this academic journey.
In gratitude, we pray for fellow students who have taught us more about solidar-
ity, collaboration, and sharing.

God, even as we have faced challenges and accomplished much, we understand

that our lives move into a new chapter where there will be more challenges to
face and more will be demanded of us in order to accomplish good things. May
your grace cover our anxieties and fears so that we may stay encouraged about
the future.

Give us patience and hope to energize our search for ministries and advocacies
that are just and make proper use of our gifts.
Give us courage to face the challenges of carving out a place in society where
we might live in peace, justice and service.
Give us strength to resist the temptations of greed, mediocrity, pride, and envy as
we strive to do and be our best.

May your spirit guide us as we unfold the next chapters of our lives. Help us to
enliven hope in the world and bring good things to Your Kingdom. And, may this
celebration be a reflection of the blessings that we find in knowing and loving
you. For this is the day that You have made.
We are glad and rejoice in it!

THE SABLAY RITUAL Rev. Hazel Joyce Salatan

(Each graduate will be called one by one, accompanied by their loved ones and
community. This is the time to put on the sablay and have photos taken.)
RESPONSES FROM THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CLASS OF 2020 AND
2021

BLESSING OF THE GRADUATES Rev. Eric P. Baldonado

Let us unite our hearts in prayerand entrust you, our graduates, in the hands of
the Lord.
May God who began this good work in you carry it through to completion, en-
abling you to use your talents to the fullest.
May God give you the grace to make wise choices and to be faithful to your com-
mitments, always confident in the support of those who love you.
May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial
relationships, so that you will live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of peo-
ple, so that you will work for justice, equality, and peace.
May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection,
starvation, and war, so that you will reach out your hand to comfort them and
change their pain into joy.
May God bless you with the foolishness to think that you can make a difference
in the world, so that you will do the things which others tell you cannot be done.
May your integrity be a gift to the world and may the Spirit of God be with you al-
ways. Amen.

(Fr. Michael Graham SJ, Offered at Baccalaureate Mass at Xavier University

2015)

SUNG BENEDICTION The Lord Bless You and Keep You

The Lord make his face to shine upon you

To shine upon you and be gracious
And be gracious, unto you
The Lord bless you and keep you
The Lord make his face to shine upon you
To shine upon you and be gracious
And be gracious, unto you
The Lord lift up the light
Of his countenance upon you
The Lord lift up the light
Of his countenance upon you
And give you peace… (4x)
Amen…