The Legend of the Cap and Gown

Long ago, in ancient Greece, when formal education was for the very rich or the very determined, a wise old teacher was approached by a group of noblemen. “Our sons have completed their studies and it’s is time for them to return to their homes and live in the style befitting their station. Tomorrow we will present them at a great banquet. Be sure they are appropriately dressed in their finest robes.” The following day, the banquet hall was filled with royalty dressed in dazzling finery. The great moment came when the students entered the banquet hall with their beloved teacher. A cry of disappointment arose from the crowd, for behold their young men were dressed not in the garments of the noble but in simple robes of sackcloth, each carrying a mortarboard - the mark of a common workman! “What is the meaning of this?” cried the noblemen. “Our sons were to be dressed in their finest garments!” The wise teacher replied, “But they are! Your sons are dressed in the clothing of the mason, for their destiny is to build. Some, as architects, will build cities, some as teachers, will build lives; some as physicians, will restore bodies - but all will be builders on the solid foundation of knowledge.” And to this day all graduates wear a cap and gown - proudly symbolizing the value of education, and the fact that they are builders of their future and the future of our world. We cannot all be great and famous in the sense in which these two words are usually defined, but all of us can use what time and talents God has given us to help others. “There is no greater sermon than a sermon in shoes,” leaving a shining footprint for someone else to follow.