Heal and Defend

Heal and Defend

June 25, 2012

Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

By Beth DeCristofaro

“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the Law and the Prophets.  (Matthew 7:12)

Piety

Thank you for noticing what I try so hard to hide.
Thank you for not condemning.
Thank you for saying words that defend and heal.
And thank you for saying it's blest.     Thank you.

 (Anonymous)  www.creighton.edu

Study

In high school I had the same teacher for geometry and then in the following year for algebra II.   He loved math!  He obviously enjoyed theorems, balanced equations, negative and prime numbers.  And he would loudly exclaim with delight when one of us had a moment of clarity.  In some ways he was strewing pearls before swine when it came to me understanding or for that matter caring in the least what he was trying to help me comprehend.  However, as a compassionate man, he would often (quite frequently, really) see that I was completely lost and slow down the lesson or stay after class just to help out. 

I am still monumentally awful at figuring.  Although his teaching did not soak through my denseness, his kindness did.  I will always remember the effort he made and that even when exasperated with me (“If you would take a few minutes and memorize these theorems, Mary,” he would admonish), he never pointed me out as slacker or stupid.   He did unto me as Jesus told his followers to do.  Even if I did not take best advantage of the pearls of knowledge he had to share, he cared.

Action

Are the pearls of God’s word and love ever wasted?  Perhaps some obtuse teenager or impenitent adult will “trample” through indifference, selfishness, pursuit of idols.  But God’s love and presence pervades all and is bigger than all.  Even if we are caught up in the trappings of the world, God    Sow love and let God reap