Today, our girls and I started back to the business of education and finishing up our school year. I love my eldest daughter for her love of planning and mapping out her school weeks as opposed to her younger sister, who despises the mere mention of planning. Anyway, after all our decisions, both girls set out to complete their daily assignments.
Lunch was next and then I decided to add an extra catechist moment. I used to receive the magazine "Catechist" which was full of ideas and teaching tips and resources on which to pass on the faith to the younger generation. I kept most of them in the same regards as I keep most of my "Southern Living" and "Sew Beautiful" magazines. These mags' seem to never go out of style. In the March 2000, Vol 33, No.6 issue of Catechist was the article "How to Be a Living Alleluia: Easter Lessons from Dorothy Kazel" What a story. I read it to my girls and found the most revealing, and at the same time, obvious message within this story of heroic and saintly service leading to martyrdom. It's this: Sr. Dorothy Kazel wrote in her journal, "The more you love Jesus and the more open you are with him - the more lovable and beautiful all the rest of mankind becomes." Oh gee, sounds simple, doesn't it? Yet, this is exactly how St. Mother Theresa loved the poor, sick, dirty and downtrodden. Not by looking at them directly, but through the love she had for Jesus. With this love, one can do anything!
Sr. Kazel, as well as Mother St. Theresa, lived alleluia lives. Alleluia, by the way, means: "Praise God" in Hebrew. Seeking out and finding God's gifts, love, and glory in all the people around them and mirroring it back to them at their time of dire need.
How, did I ask my girls (and myself quietly) can we be living alleluia people? One big way is to be more open to Jesus, talking to Him each and every day, seeking His advice and encouragement always in talking to Him frankly. Praying, talking, learning, and knowing Him more and more by reading the Bible, and being conscientious of His presence in, not only our own lives, but in others as well.
We are a process, so it takes time.......I am a little embarrassed to realize something so simplistic as the above lesson this far down the road of life, however.
3 comments:
Mom,I think that your blog is great!It realy puts emphesis [if it is spelled wrong please don't put it on my spelling test]on how great it is to learn with your kids. Love You
Rebecca.
On being an Alleluia person... it doesn't take a convert to see how hard this lesson is! It's something we learn day by day, moment by moment, with every choice we make. In fact, what you said in this blog was my basic answer to my 12 year old son yesterday when he admitted to feeling powerless after reading about the horrible Virginia Tech readings. It was a scary thing to read about, and he was looking for some logical response to explain it away, but there was none. However, I told him that every time we make the choice to be a little holier, we bring grace upon the entire world... we help others to say yes to God and no to such terrible violence. Even a child has power in the economy of God, where every "Yes, Mother", every time we choose to be the first one to correct an argument... every time we say Hi to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament as we drive or walk by, drives a little more grace on some unknown person who really needed it.
Blessings for your thoughts!
Caroline
Caroline, Oh as well as a "cradle" Catholic to learn these lessons!! My 12 year old shared her thoughts above yours (I will have to add emphasis along with really to her spelling list!). Like you said, every time we say 'Yes' to God we can make a change!
Thanks so much for your thought!!
Ebeth
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