News & Notes: March 23, 2010

March 23, 2010

Dear Parents,

God’s peace!

“If you can’t say anything good about anybody, you just come over here and sit right next to me.” a paraphrase from the film, Steel Magnolias. An interesting quote that I believe rings very true for each of us. This past Sunday we read of the story of the woman caught in adultery. A story in which the powerful gift of forgiveness is shared not only with the woman, but with all those gathered to witness Christ’s response (including those of us who have heard this story told time and time again…)

Christ finds himself in a situation where the expectation is that he will respond according to the Mosaic law. That response is clearly expressed through the directive to stone anyone caught in the act of adultery. Jesus, however, chooses to respond to the deeper meaning which is found in what John Shea considers the experience of the in between. Jesus listens to those who accuse the woman of this sinful act. He then stoops down and writes in the sand. Shea sees this simple act as one similar to an experience found in the Old Testament. When Moses heard the revelry surrounding the worship of the golden calf, in utter disappointment he threw down the tablets and they broke into pieces. Before these commandments are restored, an interesting experience is introduced. God asks Moses to tuck himself in the cleft of a rock so that God can pass by. God instructs Moses to look only at the back of God as he passes, for it would be too much to look on the face of God in all its glory. John Shea highlights the importance of what happens in this “passing by” and how it is this in between experience that carries the meaning of God’s forgiving encounter with each one of us. God relates to Moses, “I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you broke.” God did not condemn the people…it was Moses who broke that which signified the covenant and it was the sinful Israelites who engaged in behavior that led to this broken relationship. God wrote the commandments twice…and it was what happened in between the breaking and restoring that was most significant: he showed himself to those who sinned; he did not turn away, he turned towards. He then directed Moses to return to the people to share with them the message that God was with them…even in their sinfulness…especially in their sinfulness.

Jesus stood in the midst of the adulterous woman as well as in the midst of his disciples, the accusing men, and all others who had been drawn to this moment. He stands in our midst as well. All of us are sinners… each of us are in need of hearing the words of forgiveness…of experiencing the mercy of God. If this is true…then why do we respond to others so often as the character in Steel Magnolias? Why do we find fault before we find ourselves in those with whom we find fault?

Perhaps we need to sit and ponder the overwhelming reality that we are forgiven, and each day we are given another chance to be better people, even as God knows we will fail in our attempts. Why, then, do I fail to offer this same experience to others?

I remember teaching a young boy some years ago. He was a challenge. He seemed to have an answer for every question posed, but the answers strayed far from the true intent of any question. He often became impatient with sitting longer than 10 mins and he rarely did homework. One day as I was walking around the classroom checking homework assignments, I stopped at his desk. His desk had nothing on it. When I asked where his homework was, he responded that he didn’t do it. After explaining to him all the reasons why homework needed to be completed and why this was necessary to his academic growth, and expounding on the studies that had shown a correlation between completing homework and lifelong success, he patiently waited for me to finish my rambling, looked up at me and said simply, “What do you expect?” I was engulfed in frustration. I walked to my desk, gave an assignment for the class to work on, and tried to recollect myself. I found myself mumbling… “What do you expect?” “WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?” After a time, I arrived at an answer to his question… What I expected was that he wouldn’t do his homework! Suddenly I realized that my expectation had been communicated to him and he was simply responding to my expectation. Had I encouraged him? Listened to him? Tried to find the source of his frustration? Apparently all I did was to tag him as a student who would do little… I expected no change…and in that way… he didn’t disappoint me.

I am grateful that Christ does not have these same expectations of me, for he forgives me my transgressions today, and the power of that mercy breathes new possibilities into my tomorrows.

Let us pray in gratitude for the undeserved grace of forgiveness that is ours. In turn, let us pray to offer this same forgiveness and mercy to all those we encounter. Let us speak good when we hear negativity… let us replace gossip with the hope that the other is more than my words have made him to be…let us expect the best from ourselves and others, and when we fall short…let us return to our loving God for another dose of forgiveness.

In prayer,

Sr. Maureen

We find ourselves in the midst of registration and have been blessed to welcome new families to our St. Rita School family. It is our hope, however, that all of our current families will return to us next year. If you find that financial challenges may keep you from registering, please apply for financial aid (applications will be available April 5, 2010) and please feel free to contact me to discuss what may keep you from registering. Good things continue to happen here at St. Rita School, and we want each of you to continue to be a part of our St. Rita School family.