Reverend fathers, honorable deacons, dear parents, distinguished guests, parishioners, and most of all, today's graduates—

Congratulations! Today is a day of joy. We are gathered here to honor our children and youth who have graduated from various levels of education. Some of you have finished elementary school, some high school, and others have completed college, university, postgraduate, or vocational education.

Your ages differ, your paths differ, and your dreams differ. But today, one thing connects you: you finished what you started. Beginning can be easy, but finishing requires patience, diligence, and self-control. It requires continuing when the joy fades, and working when no one is applauding you. So today, be proud of yourselves. Respect the work you have done. But do not view graduation as the end of the journey; it is the day when a new responsibility begins.

Since we are gathered here in the parish, let me ask you a question that is more important than academic grades: What will you do with what has been given to you? The knowledge, the talent, the time, the opportunity, the education, the faith—what will you do with all of this? In our Christian faith, what we are given is not for ourselves alone. Blessing comes with responsibility. Knowledge comes with service. Talent comes with accountability. God expects us to grow what He gave us, use it, and bring forth good fruit.

The Sacrifice Behind Success

Dear graduates, today's success is the result of your efforts. But it is not your effort alone. Behind this success are people who prayed for you, advised you, corrected you, and encouraged you. There are those who stayed awake at night worrying for you.

Many of our parents started their lives from scratch when they came to this country. They left their professions in Ethiopia, left their families and friends, and started working without even knowing the language. They accepted jobs below their abilities, worked night shifts, and raised their children during the day. They worried themselves to keep you from worrying. Why? For you. So that you could have the opportunities they did not have. So that the doors that were shut for them would be open for you.

Therefore, let your success create not only pride, but also gratitude. And let gratitude give birth to responsibility. Use the opportunities you have been given to lift others up.

A Dual Belonging That Becomes a Strength

We now take a moment to think about the society in which our young people are building their future. You are heirs to an ancient Ethiopian history, a rich culture, and a deep Christian tradition. But your future is being built here, in Quebec and Canada.

This dual belonging should not become a source of confusion. It can become a strength. You can remain attached to your roots while participating fully in Quebec society. You can preserve your faith while respecting those who do not share it. You can be proud of your identity without isolating yourselves from others. You are not condemned to choose between your heritage and your future. You can carry both with maturity.

Learn the languages of your parents and grandparents whenever possible. Listen to their stories. Ask them questions. Understand where your family comes from. But do not live like permanent visitors in the country where you grow up either. Quebec is also your society. Canada is also your country. You have the right to take your place here, but you also have the responsibility to contribute to it.

Participate in public life. Vote. Engage in your schools, your neighborhoods, and your institutions. Enter the professions. Create businesses. Become teachers, scientists, artists, entrepreneurs, professionals, skilled workers, and public servants. If you have the calling, engage in politics. Speak up. Defend your ideas with courage, but also learn to listen. A democratic society cannot function if everyone considers anyone in disagreement as an enemy. We must know how to discuss without despising, defend convictions without losing our humanity, participate without seeking to dominate, and succeed without forgetting others. The question should not only be: "What can this society offer me?" It must also be: "What contribution can I bring to the society in which I live?" Your faith should not distance you from society. It should prepare you to serve it with honesty, compassion, and integrity.

Education, Character and Lifelong Learning

Now I want to speak directly to the graduates about the future you are entering. We Ethiopians take education very seriously. Sometimes—perhaps—a little too seriously. In some families, a child is born on Monday. By Tuesday, the parents have already decided that the child will become a doctor. The child cannot walk. The child cannot talk. But the career plan has already been approved. Then one day the child says, “I want to become an artist.” Suddenly, there is a family emergency! Relatives are called. An uncle in Ethiopia is consulted. And because this is a church community, someone may even ask the priest to pray for the child!

Parents, you know what I am talking about. But there is something serious behind the joke. For many of our parents, education meant protection. It meant dignity. It meant opportunity. A degree could open doors that had been closed to them.

But graduates, your diploma is important without being your identity. You can be educated without being wise. You can be intelligent without being humble. You can succeed professionally without becoming trustworthy. You can know a great deal about your field while knowing very little about how to live a meaningful life.

The world you are entering is changing quickly. Artificial intelligence is transforming professions. Technology is changing how people work. Some jobs will disappear. New jobs will emerge. The work you do twenty years from now may not exist today. So do not stop learning because you received a diploma. Read beyond your profession. Understand technology. Understand money. Learn how institutions work. Learn to communicate clearly. Learn to listen. Learn to disagree without hatred. Ask better questions. And most importantly, learn how to think.

Because we are Christians, we must add one more instruction: Learn how to serve. Knowledge without service can become pride. Success without gratitude can become selfishness. Ambition without moral direction can take a person very far—in the wrong direction. This is why our community does not only need successful graduates. We need builders. There is nothing wrong with personal success. Build a career. Support your family. Create wealth honestly. Enjoy the fruits of your work. But do not stop there. Ask yourself: Who is stronger because I succeeded? Who did I teach? Who did I mentor? Whose burden did I help carry? What problem did I help solve? What will remain after I am gone?

Our parish exists because people before us decided to build something. Someone prayed. Someone donated. Someone taught children. Someone cleaned. Someone cooked. Someone served on a committee. Someone carried a responsibility that almost nobody noticed. Someone stayed when things became difficult. We are now benefiting from sacrifices made by people who came before us. The question is: What will we leave for the people who come after us?

Graduates, you do not have to wait until you become rich or powerful. If you are finishing elementary school, help another child. If you are in high school, volunteer. Help during parish activities. Support younger children. If you are in CEGEP or university, mentor someone. Teach Sunday school. Help a newcomer. Use your skills to solve a problem in the parish. If you are beginning your professional life, open a door for the next person. Start small. But start. Faithfulness in small responsibilities prepares us for greater ones.

Message to Parents

Dear parents, we have worked hard for our children, prayed much, and paid a high price. We want them to succeed in their studies, have good careers and good lives. This is a noble desire.

But we are not called to raise our children in academic education alone. We must help them grow in faith, wisdom, humility, love, and service. We must guide them, advise them, and pray for them. But we must also listen to them. We must allow them to ask questions, to try new things, and sometimes to learn from their mistakes.

And please—do not always compare your children with other children! Know your own child. See their unique talent. Strengthen their faith. Help them find their own calling. Do not try to live their lives for them, but stand by their side so they never walk alone.

Closing Message

Dear graduates, be ambitious. Work hard. Build beautiful careers. Care for your families. Participate fully in society. But do not stop at personal success. Help someone advance. Reinforce your parish. Create something that will outlive you. Use the talents you have been entrusted with.

Graduates, one day, I hope we will not measure your success only by your diploma, salary, profession, or house. I hope we will ask: Did you use what you were given? Did you serve others? Did you build something that remained after you?

May God lead your decisions. When you are confused, may He give you wisdom; when you succeed, humility; when you fall, the strength to rise again. May He give you hope in times of trouble. May He grant you the grace to use your education, talents, and opportunities for the benefit of others.

Stand firm in your faith. Serve others. Build something good that remains after you.

Congratulations! May God bless our graduates, their families, and our parish. Thank you.

የተከበሩ አባታችን፣ ክቡራን ዲያቆናት፣ ውድ ወላጆች፣ ክቡራን እንግዶች፣ የደብራችን ምእመናን፣ ከሁሉም በላይ ደግሞ የዛሬዎቹ ተመራቂዎች—

እንኳን ደስ አላችሁ! ዛሬ የደስታ ቀን ነው። ከተለያዩ የትምህርት ደረጃዎች የተመረቃችሁትን ልጆቻችንና ወጣቶቻችንን ለማክበር እዚህ ተሰብስበናል። አንዳንዶቻችሁ የመጀመሪያ ደረጃን ጨርሳችኋል። አንዳንዶቻችሁ ሁለተኛ ደረጃን ጨርሳችኋል። ሌሎቻችሁ ኮሌጅ፣ ዩኒቨርሲቲ፣ የድኅረ ምረቃ ወይም የሙያ ትምህርት አጠናቅቃችኋል።

ዕድሜያችሁ ይለያያል። መንገዳችሁ ይለያያል። ህልማችሁም ይለያያል። ግን ዛሬ አንድ የሚያገናኛችሁ ነገር አለ። የጀመራችሁትን አጠናቅቃችኋል። መጀመር ቀላል ሊሆን ይችላል። መጨረስ ግን ትዕግሥትን፣ ትጋትንና ራስን መግዛትን ይጠይቃል። ደስታው ሲቀንስ መቀጠልን ይጠይቃል። ማንም ሳያጨበጭብላችሁ መሥራትን ይጠይቃል። ስለዚህ ዛሬ በራሳችሁ ኩሩ። የሠራችሁትን ሥራ አክብሩ። ግን ምረቃን የጉዞው መጨረሻ አድርጋችሁ አትመልከቱ። ምረቃ አዲስ ኃላፊነት የሚጀምርበት ቀን ነው።

እግዚአብሔር የሰጠንን እንድናሳድግ፣ እንድንጠቀምበትና ለመልካም ፍሬ እንድናውለው ይጠብቃል።

ከስኬቱ ጀርባ ያለው መሥዋዕትነት

ውድ ተመራቂዎች፣ የዛሬው ስኬት የእናንተ ጥረት ውጤት ነው። ግን የእናንተ ጥረት ብቻ አይደለም። ከዚህ ስኬት ጀርባ የጸለዩላችሁ ሰዎች አሉ። የመከሩአችሁ፣ የገሠጹአችሁና ያበረታቱአችሁ ሰዎች አሉ። ሌሊት ሳይተኙ የተጨነቁላችሁ አሉ።

ብዙ ወላጆች ወደዚህ አገር ሲመጡ ሕይወታቸውን ከአዲስ ጀምረዋል። በኢትዮጵያ የነበራቸውን ሙያ ትተዋል። ቤተሰብና ወዳጆቻቸውን ትተዋል። ቋንቋ ሳያውቁ ሥራ ጀምረዋል። ከችሎታቸው በታች የሆነ ሥራ ተቀበለዋል። ሌሊት ሠርተው ቀን ልጆቻቸውን አሳድገዋል። ራሳቸው ተጨንቀው እናንተ እንዳትጨነቁ ሞክረዋል።

ለምን? ለእናንተ። እነርሱ ያላገኙትን ዕድል እናንተ እንድታገኙ። እነርሱ የተዘጋባቸው በር ለእናንተ እንዲከፈት። ስለዚህ ስኬታችሁ ኩራትን ብቻ አይፍጠር። ምስጋናንም ይፍጠር። ምስጋና ደግሞ ኃላፊነትን ይውለድ። የተሰጣችሁን ዕድል ሌሎችን ለማንሳት ተጠቀሙበት።

ጥንካሬ የሚሆን ድርብ ማንነት

አሁን ወጣቶቻችን የወደፊት ሕይወታቸውን በሚገነቡበት ማኅበረሰብ ላይ ለማሰብ ጥቂት ጊዜ እንውሰድ። እናንተ የጥንታዊቷ ኢትዮጵያ ታሪክ፣ ባለጸጋ ባህልና ጥልቅ የክርስትና እምነት ወራሾች ናችሁ። ነገር ግን የወደፊት ሕይወታችሁ የሚገነባው እዚህ በኩቤክና በካናዳ ነው።

ይህ ባለ ሁለት ማንነት የመደናገሪያ ምንጭ መሆን የለበትም። ይልቁንም ጥንካሬ ሊሆን ይችላል። ከሥሮቻችሁ ጋር ተሳስራችሁ መኖር በኩቤክ ማኅበረሰብ ውስጥ ሙሉ በሙሉ ከመሳተፍ ጋር ሊጣጣም ይችላል። እምነታችሁን ጠብቃችሁ መኖር እምነታችሁን ለማያጋሩት ሰዎች ክብር ከመስጠት ጋር ሊጣጣም ይችላል። ማንነታችሁን ሳታጡ ከሌሎች ጋር ተቀላቅላችሁ መኖር ትችላላችሁ። በውርስ ባህላችሁና በወደፊት ሕይወታችሁ መካከል አንዱን እንድትመርጡ አልተገደዳችሁም። ሁለቱንም በብስለት መያዝ ትችላላችሁ።

ከተቻለ የወላጆቻችሁንና የአያቶቻችሁን ቋንቋ ተማሩ። ታሪኮቻቸውን ስሙ። ጥያቄዎችን ጠይቁ። ቤተሰቦቻችሁ ከየት እንደመጡ ተረዱ። ነገር ግን በምታድጉበት አገር ውስጥ እንደ ዘላቂ እንግዳ ብቻ ሆናችሁ አትኑሩ። ኩቤክ የእናንተም ማኅበረሰብ ነው። ካናዳ የእናንተም አገር ናት። እዚህ የራሳችሁን ቦታ የመያዝ መብት አላችሁ፤ ነገር ግን አስተዋጽኦ የማድረግ ኃላፊነትም አለባችሁ።

በማኅበረሰቡ ውስጥ ሙሉ በሙሉ ተሳተፉ። በሕዝባዊ ሕይወት ውስጥ ተሳተፉ። ምረጡ። በትምህርት ቤቶቻችሁ، በሰፈራችሁና በተቋማቶቻችሁ ውስጥ ንቁ ተሳትፎ አድርጉ። ወደ ሙያ መስኮች ግቡ። የንግድ ሥራዎችን ፍጠሩ። መምህራን፣ ሳይንቲስቶች፣ አርቲስቶች፣ ሥራ ፈጣሪዎች፣ ባለሙያዎች፣ የቴክኒክ ሠራተኞችና የመንግሥት ሠራተኞች ሁኑ። ጥሪው ካላችሁ በፖለቲካ ውስጥም ተሳተፉ። ድምፃችሁን አሰሙ። ሃሳቦቻችሁን በድፍረት መግለጽንና ማክበርን ተማሩ፤ ነገር ግን ማዳመጥንም ተማሩ። እያንዳንዱ ሰው የተለየ ሃሳብ ያለውን እንደ ጠላት የሚቆጥር ከሆነ ዲሞክራሲያዊ ማኅበረሰብ ሊሠራ አይችልም። ሌላውን ሳንንቅ መወያየት፣ ሰብአዊነታችንን ሳናጣ እምነታችንን መከላከል፣ ሌላውን ለመጫን ሳንሞክር መሳተፍና ሌሎችን ሳንረሳ ስኬታማ መሆን አለብን። ጥያቄው "ይህ ማኅበረሰብ ምን ሊሰጠኝ ይችላል?" የሚለው ብቻ መሆን የለበትም። "እኔ በምኖርበት ማኅበረሰብ ውስጥ ምን አስተዋጽኦ ማበርከት እችላለሁ?" የሚለውም መሆን አለበት። እምነታችሁ ከማኅበረሰቡ እንዲያርቃችሁ መፍቀድ የለባችሁም። ይልቁንም በታማኝነት፣ በርኅራኄና በቅንነት ለማገልገል ሊያዘጋጃችሁ ይገባል።

ትምህርት፣ ስብዕና እና ቀጣይነት ያለው ትምህርት

አሁን በቀጥታ ወደ ተመራቂዎቻችን በመዞር ወደምትገቡበት የወደፊት ሕይወት ልናገር። እኛ ኢትዮጵያውያን ለትምህርት ትልቅ ቦታ እንሰጣለን። ምናልባትም አንዳንድ ጊዜ ከልክ በላይ እናስብበታለን። በአንዳንድ ቤተሰቦች ውስጥ ሰኞ የተወለደው ልጅ እስከ ማክሰኞ ሐኪም እንዲሆን ወላጆች ወስነዋል። ልጁ መራመድም መናገርም አይችልም። ነገር ግን የወደፊት የሥራ ዕቅዱ ተዘጋጅቶ ጸድቋል! ከዕለታት አንድ ቀን ልጁ "እኔ አርቲስት መሆን እፈልጋለሁ" ሲል በቤተሰቡ ውስጥ አስቸኳይ ስብሰባ ይዘጋጃል። ዘመዶች ይጠራሉ፣ በኢትዮጵያ ያለ አጎት አማካሪ ይሆናል፣ እናም ቤተክርስቲያን ስለሆነ ልጁ እንዲጸለይበት ወደ ቄሱ የሚሄድበትም ጊዜ አለ!

ወላጆች፣ የምናገረውን በደንብ ታውቃላችሁ። ከቀልዱ በስተጀርባ ግን ትልቅ እውነት አለ። ለብዙ ወላጆቻችን ትምህርት ማለት መከላከያ፣ ክብርና ዕድል ማለት ነው። ዲፕሎማ ለእነርሱ የተዘጉባቸውን በሮች ሊከፍትላቸው ይችላል።

ነገር ግን ተመራቂዎች፣ ዲፕሎማችሁ አስፈላጊ ቢሆንም የእናንተ መለያ ማንነት (identity) አይደለም። የተማራችሁ ሆናችሁ ግን ጥበብ የሌላችሁ ልትሆኑ ትችላላችሁ። ብልህ ሆናችሁ ግን ትሕትና የሌላችሁ ልትሆኑ ትችላላችሁ። በሙያችሁ ተሳክቶላችሁ ግን ታማኝነት የሌላችሁ ልትሆኑ ትችላላችሁ። ስለ ሙያችሁ ብዙ እያወቃችሁ ስለ ሕይወት ትርጉም ግን ምንም ላታውቁ ትችላላችሁ።

ወደምትገቡበት ዓለም በፍጥነት እየተለወጠ ነው። አርቴፊሻል ኢንተለጀንስ (AI) ሙያዎችን እየቀየረ ነው። ቴክኖሎጂ የሰዎችን አሠራር እየለወጠ ነው። አንዳንድ ሥራዎች ይጠፋሉ፣ አዳዲስ ሥራዎች ይፈጠራሉ። ከሃያ ዓመታት በኋላ የምትሠሩት ሥራ ዛሬ ላይ የሌለ ሊሆን ይችላል። ስለዚህ ዲፕሎማ ስላገኛችሁ ብቻ መማርን አታቁሙ። ከሙያችሁ ውጪ ያሉ መጻሕፍትን አንብቡ። ቴክኖሎጂን ተረዱ። ስለ ገንዘብ እወቁ። ተቋማት እንዴት እንደሚሠሩ ተረዱ። ሃሳባችሁን በግልጽ መግለጽን ተማሩ። ማዳመጥን ልመዱ። ያለ ጥላቻ መከራከርን ተማሩ። የተሻሉ ጥያቄዎችን ጠይቁ። ከሁሉም በላይ ደግሞ ማሰብን (እንዴት ማሰብ እንዳለባችሁ) ተማሩ።

ክርስቲያኖች በመሆናችን አንድ ተጨማሪ ትእዛዝ ማከል አለብን፦ ማገልገልን ተማሩ። አገልግሎት የሌለው እውቀት ትዕቢትን ሊያመጣ ይችላል። ምስጋና የሌለው ስኬት ራስ ወዳድነትን ሊያመጣ ይችላል። የሥነ ምግባር አቅጣጫ የሌለው ምኞት ሰውን ወደ ተሳሳተ አቅጣጫ ሊወስደው ይችላል። ለዚህ ነው ማኅበረሰባችን ስኬታማ ተመራቂዎችን ብቻ ሳይሆን ገንቢዎችንም የሚፈልገው። በግል ስኬታማ መሆን ምንም ስህተት የለበትም። ሥራችሁን ገንቡ፣ ቤተሰቦቻችሁን ደግፉ፣ በታማኝነት ሀብት ፍጠሩ፣ የድካማችሁንም ፍሬ አጣጥሙ። ነገር ግን በዚያ ላይ አትቁሙ። እራሳችሁን ጠይቁ፦ እኔ በመሳካቴ ማን ጠነከረ? ማንን አስተማርኩ? ለማንስ መካሪ ሆንኩ? የማንን ሸክም አገዝኩ? ምን ዓይነት ችግርንስ ፈታሁ? እኔስ ካለፍኩ በኋላ ምን ይቀራል?

የእኛ ቤተክርስቲያን የቆመችው ከእኛ በፊት የነበሩት ሰዎች አንድ ነገር ለመገንባት ስለወሰኑ ነው። አንዳቸው ጸለዩ፣ አንዳቸው ሰጡ፣ አንዳቸው ልጆችን አስተማሩ፣ አንዳቸው አጸዱ፣ አንዳቸው ምግብ አዘጋጁ፣ አንዳቸው ደግሞ ማንም ሳያያቸው ኃላፊነትን ተሸከሙ። ከእኛ በፊት የነበሩት ሰዎች በከፈሉት መሥዋዕትነት እኛ ዛሬ እየተጠቀምን ነው። ጥያቄው ግን፦ እኛ ከእኛ በኋላ ለሚመጡት ሰዎች ምን እንተዋለን?

ተመራቂዎች፣ ሀብታም ወይም ኃያል እስክትሆኑ መጠበቅ የለባችሁም። የመጀመሪያ ደረጃን የምትጨርሱ ከሆነ ሌላውን ልጅ እርዱ። ሁለተኛ ደረጃ ላይ ካላችሁ በበጎ ፈቃድ አገልግሎት ተሳተፉ፣ በቤተክርስቲያን እንቅስቃሴዎች እገዛ አድርጉ። ዩኒቨርሲቲ ውስጥ ካላችሁ ሌላውን ምከሩ፣ ሰንበት ትምህርት ቤት አስተምሩ፣ አዲስ መጤዎችን ደግፉ። በሙያ ሕይወታችሁ መጀመሪያ ላይ ለሚቀጥለው ሰው በሩን ክፈቱ። በትንሽ ጀምሩ። ግን ጀምሩ። በትንሽ ነገር ላይ ታማኝ መሆን ለታላቅ ኃላፊነት ያዘጋጅልናልና።

መልእክት ለወላጆች

ውድ ወላጆች፣ ለልጆቻችን ብዙ ደክመናል። ብዙ ጸልየናል። ብዙ ከፍለናል። በትምህርታቸው እንዲሳኩ፣ ጥሩ ሥራና ጥሩ ኑሮ እንዲኖራቸው እንፈልጋለን። ይህ መልካም ፍላጎት ነው።

ግን ልጆቻችን በትምህርት ብቻ እንዲያድጉ አልተጠራንም። በእምነት፣ በጥበብ፣ በትሕትና፣ በፍቅርና በአገልግሎት እንዲያድጉ ልንረዳቸው ይገባል። መምራት፣ መምከርና መጸለይ አለብን። ግን መስማትም አለብን። እንዲጠይቁ፣ እንዲሞክሩና አንዳንድ ጊዜ ከስህተታቸው እንዲማሩ መፍቀድ አለብን።

እና እባካችሁ— ልጆቻችሁን ሁልጊዜ ከሌሎች ልጆች ጋር አታወዳድሩ! የራሳችሁን ልጅ እወቁ። ችሎታውን እዩ። እምነቱን አጠናክሩ። የራሱን ጥሪ እንዲያገኝ እርዱት። ሕይወቱን በእርሱ ፈንታ ለመኖር አትሞክሩ። ነገር ግን ብቻውን እንዳይሄድ አጠገቡ ቁሙ።

ማጠቃለያ መልእክት

ውድ ተመራቂዎች፣ ትልቅ ምኞት ይኑራችሁ። በትጋት ሥሩ። መልካም የሥራ መስክ ገንቡ። ቤተሰቦቻችሁን ተንከባከቡ። በማኅበረሰቡ ውስጥ ሙሉ በሙሉ ተሳተፉ። ነገር ግን በግል ስኬታማነት ላይ ብቻ አትቁሙ። ሌላው ሰው እንዲራመድ እርዱ። ደብራችሁን አጠናክሩ። ከእናንተ በኋላ የሚተርፍ ነገር ፍጠሩ። አደራ የተሰጣችሁን ተሰጥኦዎች ተጠቀሙባቸው።

ተመራቂዎች፣ አንድ ቀን ስኬታችሁን በዲፕሎማችሁ፣ በደመወዛችሁ፣ በሙያችሁ ወይም በቤታችሁ ብቻ እንዳንለካው ተስፋ አደርጋለሁ። ይልቁንም፦ የተሰጣችሁን ተጠቀማችሁበት? ሌሎችን አገላገላችሁ? ከእናንተ በኋላ የሚቆይ ነገር ገንባችኋል? ብለን እንድንጠይቅ ተስፋ አደርጋለሁ።

እግዚአብሔር በውሳኔያችሁ ይምራችሁ። ግራ በምትጋቡበት ጊዜ ጥበብን፣ ስትሳኩ ትሕትናን፣ ስትወድቁ እንደገና ለመነሳት ብርታትን ይስጣችሁ። በችግር ጊዜ ተስፋን ይስጣችሁ። የተሰጣችሁን ትምህርት፣ ችሎታና ዕድል ለሌሎች ጥቅም እንድታውሉ ጸጋውን ይስጣችሁ።

በእምነታችሁ ጽኑ። ለሌሎች አገልግሉ። ከእናንተ በኋላ የሚቀር መልካም ነገር ገንቡ። ታማኞች ሁኑ፣ ሌሎችን አገልግሉ፣ እናም ገንቢዎች ሁኑ። የተሰጣችሁን ተጠቀሙበት። ሌሎችን አገልግሉ። ገንቢዎች ሁኑ።

እንኳን ደስ አላችሁ! እግዚአብሔር ተመራቂዎቻችንን፣ ቤተሰቦቻቸውንና ደብራችንን ይባርክ። አመሰግናለሁ።

Révérends pères, honorables diacres, chers parents, distingués invités, paroissiens et surtout, diplômés d'aujourd'hui—

Félicitations ! Aujourd'hui est un jour de joie. Nous sommes réunis ici pour honorer nos enfants et nos jeunes qui ont obtenu leur diplôme à différents niveaux d'études. Certains ont terminé le primaire, d'autres le secondaire, et d'autres encore ont achevé leurs études collégiales, universitaires, postuniversitaires ou professionnelles.

Vos âges diffèrent, vos parcours diffèrent, vos rêves diffèrent. Mais aujourd'hui, une chose vous unit : vous avez terminé ce que vous avez commencé. Commencer peut être facile, mais finir exige de la patience, de l'assiduité et de la maîtrise de soi. Cela demande de continuer quand la joie s'estompe et de travailler quand personne ne vous applaudit. Alors aujourd'hui, soyez fiers de vous. Respectez le travail que vous avez accompli. Mais ne considérez pas la remise des diplômes comme la fin du voyage ; c'est le jour où commence une nouvelle responsabilité.

Puisque nous sommes réunis ici dans la paroisse, laissez-moi poser une question plus importante que les notes académiques : Que ferez-vous de ce qui vous a été donné ? Les connaissances, les talents, le temps, les opportunités, l'éducation, la foi — que ferez-vous de tout cela ? Dans notre foi chrétienne, ce qui nous est donné n'est pas pour nous seuls. La bénédiction s'accompagne de responsabilités. La connaissance s'accompagne de service. Le talent s'accompagne de reddition de comptes. Dieu s'attend à ce que nous fassions fructifier ce qu'Il nous a donné, que nous l'utilisions et que nous portions de bons fruits.

Le sacrifice derrière le succès

Chers diplômés, le succès d'aujourd'hui est le résultat de vos efforts. Mais il n'est pas le vôtre uniquement. Derrière ce succès, il y a des personnes qui ont prié pour vous, qui vous ont conseillés, corrigés et encouragés. Il y en a qui sont restés éveillés la nuit à s'inquiéter pour vous.

De nombreux parents ont recommencé leur vie à zéro en arrivant dans ce pays. Ils ont abandonné leur profession en Éthiopie, ont quitté leur famille et leurs amis, et ont commencé à travailler sans même connaître la langue. Ils ont accepté des emplois inférieurs à leurs capacités, ont travaillé de nuit et ont élevé leurs enfants le jour. Ils se sont inquiétés eux-mêmes pour vous éviter de vous inquiéter. Pourquoi ? Pour vous. Pour que vous ayez les opportunités qu'ils n'ont pas eues. Pour que les portes qui leur étaient fermées vous soient ouvertes.

Par conséquent, que votre succès ne suscite pas seulement de la fierté, mais aussi de la gratitude. Et que la gratitude engendre la responsabilité. Utilisez les opportunités qui vous ont été données pour élever les autres.

Une double appartenance qui devient une force

Nous prenons maintenant un moment pour penser à la société dans laquelle nos jeunes construisent leur avenir. Vous êtes héritiers d’une histoire éthiopienne ancienne, d’une culture riche et d’une tradition chrétienne profonde. Mais votre avenir se construit ici, au Québec et au Canada.

Cette double appartenance ne devrait pas devenir une source de confusion. Elle peut devenir une force. Vous pouvez rester attachés à vos racines tout en participant pleinement à la société québécoise. Vous pouvez préserver votre foi tout en respectant ceux qui ne la partagent pas. Vous pouvez être fiers de votre identité sans vous isoler des autres. Vous n’êtes pas condamnés à choisir entre votre héritage et votre avenir. Vous pouvez porter les deux avec maturité.

Apprenez les langues de vos parents et de vos grands-parents lorsque cela est possible. Écoutez leurs histoires. Posez-leur des questions. Comprenez d’où vient votre famille. Mais ne vivez pas non plus comme des visiteurs permanents dans le pays où vous grandissez. Le Québec est aussi votre société. Le Canada est aussi votre pays. Vous avez le droit d’y prendre votre place, mais vous avez également la responsabilité d’y contribuer.

Participez pleinement à la société. Participez à la vie publique. Votez. Engagez-vous dans vos écoles, vos quartiers et vos institutions. Entrez dans les professions. Créez des entreprises. Devenez enseignants, scientifiques, artistes, entrepreneurs, professionnels, travailleurs spécialisés et fonctionnaires. Si vous en avez la vocation, engagez-vous en politique. Prenez la parole. Défendez vos idées avec courage. Mais apprenez aussi à écouter. Une société démocratique ne peut pas fonctionner si chacun considère toute personne en désaccord comme un ennemi. Il faut savoir discuter sans mépriser, défendre ses convictions sans perdre son humanité, participer sans chercher à dominer et réussir sans oublier les autres. La question ne doit pas seulement être : « Qu’est-ce que cette société peut m’offrir? » Elle doit également être : « Quelle contribution puis-je apporter à la société dans laquelle je vis? » Votre foi ne devrait pas vous éloigner de la société. Elle devrait vous préparer à la servir avec honnêteté, compassion et intégrité.

Éducation, caractère et apprentissage continu

Maintenant, je m'adresse directement aux diplômés au sujet de l'avenir dans lequel vous entrez. Nous, Éthiopiens, prenons l'éducation très au sérieux. Parfois, peut-être, un peu trop au sérieux. Dans certaines familles, un enfant naît le lundi. Le mardi, les parents ont déjà décidé qu'il deviendra médecin. L'enfant ne sait ni marcher ni parler, mais le plan de carrière est déjà approuvé. Puis, un jour, l'enfant dit : « Je veux devenir artiste. » Soudain, c'est l'urgence familiale ! On appelle les proches, on consulte un oncle en Éthiopie, et comme nous sommes dans une communauté ecclésiale, on demande même au prêtre de prier pour l'enfant !

Parents, vous voyez très bien de quoi je parle. Mais il y a un message sérieux derrière cette plaisanterie. Pour beaucoup de nos parents, l'éducation signifiait protection, dignité, opportunité. Un diplôme pouvait ouvrir des portes qui leur étaient restées fermées.

Mais diplômés, votre diplôme est important sans être votre identité. Vous pouvez être instruits sans être sages. Vous pouvez être intelligents sans être humbles. Vous pouvez réussir professionnellement sans devenir dignes de confiance. Vous pouvez en savoir beaucoup sur votre domaine tout en sachant très peu de choses sur la façon de mener une vie pleine de sens.

Le monde dans lequel vous entrez change rapidement. L'intelligence artificielle transforme les professions. La technologie modifie notre façon de travailler. Certains emplois disparaîtront. De nouveaux apparaîtront. Le travail que vous ferez dans vingt ans n'existe peut-être pas aujourd'hui. Ne cessez donc pas d'apprendre sous prétexte que vous avez reçu un diplôme. Lisez au-delà de votre profession. Comprenez la technologie. Comprenez l'argent. Apprenez comment fonctionnent les institutions. Apprenez à communiquer clairement. Apprenez à écouter. Apprenez à être en désaccord sans haine. Posez de meilleures questions. Et surtout, apprenez à penser.

Parce que nous sommes chrétiens, nous devons ajouter une consigne supplémentaire : apprenez à servir. Le savoir sans le service peut devenir de la fierté. Le succès sans la gratitude peut devenir de l'égoïsme. L'ambition sans direction morale peut mener très loin — dans la mauvaise direction. C'est pourquoi notre communauté n'a pas seulement besoin de diplômés qui réussissent. Nous avons besoin de bâtisseurs. Il n'y a rien de mal à réussir personnellement. Bâtissez une carrière. Soutenez votre famille. Créez de la richesse honnêtement. Profitez des fruits de votre travail. Mais ne vous arrêtez pas là. Demandez-vous : Qui est plus fort parce que j'ai réussi ? Qui ai-je instruit ? À qui ai-je servi de mentor ? Quel fardeau ai-je aidé à porter ? Quel problème ai-je aidé à résoudre ? Que restera-t-il après mon départ ?

Notre paroisse existe parce que des personnes avant nous ont décidé de bâtir quelque chose. Quelqu'un a prié. Quelqu'un a fait un don. Quelqu'un a enseigné aux enfants. Quelqu'un a nettoyé. Quelqu'un a cuisiné. Quelqu'un a siégé dans un comité. Quelqu'un a porté une responsabilité que presque personne n'a remarquée. Quelqu'un est resté quand les choses sont devenues difficiles. Nous bénéficions aujourd'hui des sacrifices faits par ceux qui nous ont précédés. La question est : que laisserons-nous pour ceux qui viendront après nous ?

Diplômés, vous n'avez pas besoin d'attendre d'être riches ou puissants. Si vous terminez l'école primaire, aidez un autre enfant. Si vous êtes au secondaire, faire du bénévolat, aidez lors des activités paroissiales, soutenez les plus jeunes. Si vous êtes au cégep ou à l'université, servez de mentor, enseignez à l'école du dimanche, aidez un nouvel arrivant. Si vous commencez votre vie professionnelle, ouvrez la porte à la personne suivante. Commencez petit. Mais commencez. La fidélité dans les petites responsabilités nous prépare à de plus grandes.

Message aux parents

Chers parents, nous avons travaillé dur pour nos enfants, nous avons beaucoup prié et nous avons payé un prix élevé. Nous voulons qu'ils réussissent leurs études, qu'ils aient de bonnes carrières et de bonnes vies. C'est un noble désir.

Mais nous ne sommes pas appelés à élever nos enfants uniquement par l'éducation académique. Nous devons les aider à grandir dans la foi, la sagesse, l'humilité, l'amour et le service. Nous devons les guider, les conseiller et prier pour eux. Mais nous devons aussi les écouter. Nous devons leur permettre de poser des questions, d'essayer de nouvelles choses et parfois d'apprendre de leurs erreurs.

Et s'il vous plaît — ne comparez pas toujours vos enfants avec d'autres enfants ! Connaissez votre propre enfant. Voyez son talent unique. Renforcez sa foi. Aidez-le à trouver sa propre vocation. N'essayez pas de vivre sa vie à sa place, mais tenez-vous à ses côtés pour qu'il ne marche jamais seul.

Message de clôture

Chers diplômés, soyez ambitieux. Travaillez avec sérieux. Bâtissez de belles carrières. Prenez soin de vos familles. Participez pleinement à la société. Mais ne vous arrêtez pas à votre réussite personnelle. Aidez quelqu’un à avancer. Renforcez votre paroisse. Créez quelque chose qui vous survivra. Utilisez les talents qui vous ont été confiés.

Diplômés, un jour, j'espère que nous ne mesurerons pas votre succès uniquement à votre diplôme, votre salaire, votre profession ou votre maison. J'espère que nous demanderons : Avez-vous utilisé ce qui vous a été donné ? Avez-vous servi les autres ? Avez-vous construit quelque chose qui est resté après vous ?

Que Dieu guide vos décisions. Quand vous êtes confus, qu'Il vous donne la sagesse ; quand vous réussissez, l'humilité ; quand vous tombez, la force de vous relever. Qu'Il vous donne de l'espoir dans les moments difficiles. Qu'Il vous accorde la grâce d'utiliser votre éducation, vos talents et vos opportunités pour le bien des autres.

Demeurez fermes dans votre foi. Servez les autres. Bâtissez quelque chose de bien qui vous survive.

Félicitations ! Que Dieu bénisse nos diplômés, leurs familles et notre paroisse. Merci.

የተከበሩ አባታችን፣ ክቡራን ዲያቆናት፣ ውድ ወላጆች፣ ክቡራን እንግዶች፣ የደብራችን ምእመናን፣ ከሁሉም በላይ ደግሞ የዛሬዎቹ ተመራቂዎች—

እንኳን ደስ አላችሁ! ዛሬ የደስታ ቀን ነው። ከተለያዩ የትምህርት ደረጃዎች የተመረቃችሁትን ልጆቻችንና ወጣቶቻችንን ለማክበር እዚህ ተሰብስበናል። አንዳንዶቻችሁ የመጀመሪያ ደረጃን ጨርሳችኋል። አንዳንዶቻችሁ ሁለተኛ ደረጃን ጨርሳችኋል። ሌሎቻችሁ ኮሌጅ፣ ዩኒቨርሲቲ፣ የድኅረ ምረቃ ወይም የሙያ ትምህርት አጠናቅቃችኋል።

ዕድሜያችሁ ይለያያል። መንገዳችሁ ይለያያል። ህልማችሁም ይለያያል። ግን ዛሬ አንድ የሚያገናኛችሁ ነገር አለ። የጀመራችሁትን አጠናቅቃችኋል። መጀመር ቀላል ሊሆን ይችላል። መጨረስ ግን ትዕግሥትን፣ ትጋትንና ራስን መግዛትን ይጠይቃል። ደስታው ሲቀንስ መቀጠልን ይጠይቃል። ማንም ሳያጨበጭብላችሁ መሥራትን ይጠይቃል። ስለዚህ ዛሬ በራሳችሁ ኩሩ። የሠራችሁትን ሥራ አክብሩ። ግን ምረቃን የጉዞው መጨረሻ አድርጋችሁ አትመልከቱ። ምረቃ አዲስ ኃላፊነት የሚጀምርበት ቀን ነው።

እግዚአብሔር የሰጠንን እንድናሳድግ፣ እንድንጠቀምበትና ለመልካም ፍሬ እንድናውለው ይጠብቃል።

ከስኬቱ ጀርባ ያለው መሥዋዕትነት

ውድ ተመራቂዎች፣ የዛሬው ስኬት የእናንተ ጥረት ውጤት ነው። ግን የእናንተ ጥረት ብቻ አይደለም። ከዚህ ስኬት ጀርባ የጸለዩላችሁ ሰዎች አሉ። የመከሩአችሁ፣ የገሠጹአችሁና ያበረታቱአችሁ ሰዎች አሉ። ሌሊት ሳይተኙ የተጨነቁላችሁ አሉ።

ብዙ ወላጆች ወደዚህ አገር ሲመጡ ሕይወታቸውን ከአዲስ ጀምረዋል። በኢትዮጵያ የነበራቸውን ሙያ ትተዋል። ቤተሰብና ወዳጆቻቸውን ትተዋል። ቋንቋ ሳያውቁ ሥራ ጀምረዋል። ከችሎታቸው በታች የሆነ ሥራ ተቀበለዋል። ሌሊት ሠርተው ቀን ልጆቻቸውን አሳድገዋል። ራሳቸው ተጨንቀው እናንተ እንዳትጨነቁ ሞክረዋል።

ለምን? ለእናንተ። እነርሱ ያላገኙትን ዕድል እናንተ እንድታገኙ። እነርሱ የተዘጋባቸው በር ለእናንተ እንዲከፈት። ስለዚህ ስኬታችሁ ኩራትን ብቻ አይፍጠር። ምስጋናንም ይፍጠር። ምስጋና ደግሞ ኃላፊነትን ይውለድ። የተሰጣችሁን ዕድል ሌሎችን ለማንሳት ተጠቀሙበት።

Nous prenons maintenant un moment pour penser à la société dans laquelle nos jeunes construisent leur avenir. Vous êtes héritiers d’une histoire éthiopienne ancienne, d’une culture riche et d’une tradition chrétienne profonde. Mais votre avenir se construit ici, au Québec et au Canada.

Cette double appartenance ne devrait pas devenir une source de confusion. Elle peut devenir une force. Vous pouvez rester attachés à vos racines tout en participant pleinement à la société québécoise. Vous pouvez préserver votre foi tout en respectant ceux qui ne la partagent pas. Vous pouvez être fiers de votre identité sans vous isoler des autres. Vous n’êtes pas condamnés à choisir entre votre héritage et votre avenir. Vous pouvez porter les deux avec maturité.

Apprenez les langues de vos parents et de vos grands-parents lorsque cela est possible. Écoutez leurs histoires. Posez-leur des questions. Comprenez d’où vient votre famille. Mais ne vivez pas non plus comme des visiteurs permanents dans le pays où vous grandissez. Le Québec est aussi votre société. Le Canada est aussi votre pays. Vous avez le droit d’y prendre votre place, mais vous avez également la responsabilité d’y contribuer.

Participez pleinement à la société. Participez à la vie publique. Votez. Engagez-vous dans vos écoles, vos quartiers et vos institutions. Entrez dans les professions. Créez des entreprises. Devenez enseignants, scientifiques, artistes, entrepreneurs, professionnels, travailleurs spécialisés et fonctionnaires. Si vous en avez la vocation, engagez-vous en politique. Prenez la parole. Défendez vos idées avec courage. Mais apprenez aussi à écouter. Une société démocratique ne peut pas fonctionner si chacun considère toute personne en désaccord comme un ennemi. Il faut savoir discuter sans mépriser, défendre ses convictions sans perdre son humanité, participer sans chercher à dominer et réussir sans oublier les autres. La question ne doit pas seulement être : « Qu’est-ce que cette société peut m’offrir? » Elle doit également être : « Quelle contribution puis-je apporter à la société dans laquelle je vis? » Votre foi ne devrait pas vous éloigner de la société. Elle devrait vous préparer à la servir avec honnêteté, compassion et intégrité.

Now I want to speak directly to the graduates about the future you are entering. We Ethiopians take education very seriously. Sometimes—perhaps—a little too seriously. In some families, a child is born on Monday. By Tuesday, the parents have already decided that the child will become a doctor. The child cannot walk. The child cannot talk. But the career plan has already been approved. Then one day the child says, “I want to become an artist.” Suddenly, there is a family emergency. Relatives are called. An uncle in Ethiopia is consulted. And because this is a church community, someone may even ask the priest to pray for the child! Parents, you know what I am talking about. But there is something serious behind the joke. For many of our parents, education meant protection. It meant dignity. It meant opportunity. A degree could open doors that had been closed to them. But graduates, your diploma is important without being your identity. You can be educated without being wise. You can be intelligent without being humble. You can succeed professionally without becoming trustworthy. You can know a great deal about your field while knowing very little about how to live a meaningful life. The world you are entering is changing quickly. Artificial intelligence is transforming professions. Technology is changing how people work. Some jobs will disappear. New jobs will emerge. The work you do twenty years from now may not exist today. So do not stop learning because you received a diploma. Read beyond your profession. Understand technology. Understand money. Learn how institutions work. Learn to communicate clearly. Learn to listen. Learn to disagree without hatred. Ask better questions. And most importantly, learn how to think.

Learn how to serve. Because we are Christians, we must add one more instruction: Learn how to serve. Knowledge without service can become pride. Success without gratitude can become selfishness. Ambition without moral direction can take a person very far—in the wrong direction. This is why our community does not only need successful graduates. We need builders. There is nothing wrong with personal success. Build a career. Support your family. Create wealth honestly. Enjoy the fruits of your work. But do not stop there. Ask yourself: • Who is stronger because I succeeded? • Who did I teach? • Who did I mentor? • Whose burden did I help carry? • What problem did I help solve? • What will remain after I am gone?

Building the parish for the next generation. Our parish exists because people before us decided to build something. Someone prayed. Someone donated. Someone taught children. Someone cleaned. Someone cooked. Someone served on a committee. Someone carried a responsibility that almost nobody noticed. Someone stayed when things became difficult. We are now benefiting from sacrifices made by people who came before us. The question is: What will we leave for the people who come after us? Graduates, you do not have to wait until you become rich or powerful. If you are finishing elementary school, help another child. If you are in high school, volunteer. Help during parish activities. Support younger children. If you are in CEGEP or university, mentor someone. Teach Sunday school. Help a newcomer. Use your skills to solve a problem in the parish. If you are beginning your professional life, open a door for the next person. Start small. But start. Faithfulness in small responsibilities prepares us for greater ones.

መልእክት ለወላጆች

ውድ ወላጆች፣ ለልጆቻችን ብዙ ደክመናል። ብዙ ጸልየናል። ብዙ ከፍለናል። በትምህርታቸው እንዲሳኩ፣ ጥሩ ሥራና ጥሩ ኑሮ እንዲኖራቸው እንፈልጋለን። ይህ መልካም ፍላጎት ነው።

ግን ልጆቻችን በትምህርት ብቻ እንዲያድጉ አልተጠራንም። በእምነት፣ በጥበብ፣ በትሕትና፣ በፍቅርና በአገልግሎት እንዲያድጉ ልንረዳቸው ይገባል። መምራት፣ መምከርና መጸለይ አለብን። ግን መስማትም አለብን። እንዲጠይቁ፣ እንዲሞክሩና አንዳንድ ጊዜ ከስህተታቸው እንዲማሩ መፍቀድ አለብን።

እና እባካችሁ— ልጆቻችሁን ሁልጊዜ ከሌሎች ልጆች ጋር አታወዳድሩ! የራሳችሁን ልጅ እወቁ። ችሎታውን እዩ። እምነቱን አጠናክሩ። የራሱን ጥሪ እንዲያገኝ እርዱት። ሕይወቱን በእርሱ ፈንታ ለመኖር አትሞክሩ። ነገር ግን ብቻውን እንዳይሄድ አጠገቡ ቁሙ።

Chers diplômés, Soyez ambitieux. Travaillez avec sérieux. Bâtissez de belles carrières. Prenez soin de vos familles. Participez pleinement à la société. But do not stop at personal success. Aidez quelqu’un à avancer. Renforcez votre paroisse. Créez quelque chose qui vous survivra. Utilisez les talents qui vous ont été confiés.

Graduates, One day, I hope we will not measure your success only by your diploma, salary, profession, or house. I hope we will ask: Did you use what you were given? Did you serve others? Did you build something that remained after you?

እግዚአብሔር በውሳኔያችሁ ይምራችሁ። ግራ በምትጋቡበት ጊዜ ጥበብን፣ ስትሳኩ ትሕትናን፣ ስትወድቁ እንደገና ለመነሳት ብርታትን ይስጣችሁ። በችግር ጊዜ ተስፋን ይስጣችሁ። የተሰጣችሁን ትምህርት፣ ችሎታና ዕድል ለሌሎች ጥቅም እንድታውሉ ጸጋውን ይስጣችሁ።

በእምነታችሁ ጽኑ። ለሌሎች አገልግሉ። ከእናንተ በኋላ የሚቀር መልካም ነገር ገንቡ። Soyez fidèles, servez les autres et devenez des bâtisseurs. Use what you have been given. Serve others. Become builders.

እንኳን ደስ አላችሁ! Félicitations! Congratulations! እግዚአብሔር ተመራቂዎቻችንን፣ ቤተሰቦቻቸውንና ደብራችንን ይባርክ። Merci. Thank you. አመሰግናለሁ።