March 26, 2010

Who among us can we look at with honesty and truthfulness and say: “That person is a sacrament of mercy and compassion!” ?

Who would that be in your life?

The children at our school remind me daily that to be a person of mercy and compassion is the highest achievement one can reach at any given moment, on any given day. I’m not sure if I ever quite reach it, but the goal or the ideal is always before me. I was talking with some 7th graders this morning when a kinder student walked by. This kinder student is always smiling, a beautiful smile, a holy smile, a smile that says to me at least that she knows something about life and God that I don’t! She smiles and smiles. As she walked by, I called out her name, and as she turned around at the bottom of the steps, she looked up and smiled. I said to the 7th grade students, “See, you should do that! You should be smiling!” If you know 7th graders, they looked at me like I was from outer space, humored me for another minute, then went off. I was thinking as they left, maybe if I smile like that kinder student, then the folks around me will see God’s love, mercy, and compassion. Thank you students for keeping me on the path to holiness.