Dear Parents, Guardians and Friends of OLMC School,

Happy first day of Spring! We are winding down at School for a well-deserved break for students, families, teachers and staff. It is a time when we are pushing to finish many projects, complete our "to do" lists, wrap up our agendas for the month, and make preparations for vacations. We do well to remember in the midst of our busy-ness that "all time belongs to God" as is prayed in the great Easter Vigil Liturgy on Holy Saturday night. Often we become so focused on our own plans that we tune out the agenda God has prepared for us today, the way that God planned for us to use these 24 hours. Perhaps on God's agenda for you today is "Help (insert your name) to grow in the virtue of patience." This will require that you experience a few trials, frustrations, and difficulties so that you can exercise that virtue which brings patience with repeated good acts. Or, perhaps on God's agenda for you today is "Help (insert your name) to bear wrongs patiently." This is a spiritual work of mercy, that will require that you experience an injustice which you may not be able to prevent, and against which you are not supposed to fight. Can any Christian look at the cross and say that Jesus did not bear wrongs patiently? If He is our model, then surely He will give us opportunity to imitate Him, even in these things that are unpleasant on one level, but which develop our spirituality, virtue, and holiness on the more important level. We need to convert our minds so that we can view our lives, and the events of our day, from God's perspective. He deliberately allows trials, injustices, pains and sorrows to weave in and out of our day, just as He provides times of joy, friendship, and triumphs. All of these help us to become who God made us to be. As a Father, He knows what He is doing. When we convert to seeing our lives from His perspective, we are so thankful for all He does to draw us closer to Him. But if we go through our day as "practical atheists" not paying attention to God's plan for us, then the trials and injustices are things to be avoided, removed, amputated, and if we can't overcome them that way, then we anesthetize ourselves with an addiction of choice - gossiping, drinking, shopping...

Rather than this, let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus! In the second passage that will be used for our upcoming Faith Day, Jesus invites Peter to walk on the water to come to Him. We know the passage well. The disciples are in the boat alone, being tossed by the stormy winds and waves. Jesus comes walking on the water in the wee hours of the morning, and the disciples fear it is a ghost. In reply to Jesus revealing Himself, Peter wants to walk toward Jesus on the stormy water. What courage he musters in the presence of God! Peter does, in fact, walk on the water. The Scripture next reveals an important detail, "Peter noticed the winds and the waves." He took his eyes off of Jesus. He noticed the power of things around him that he was powerless to control - winds, waves, storms - all things over which he had no control. When his eyes were on Jesus, when he was completely focused and oriented toward Jesus, these things, though still very much out of his control, did not even register on his radar as things to be feared or combated. Yet, when he took his eyes off of Jesus, he gave more power to the waves and the winds. What things are out of our control? Difficult people with whom we live or work? A loved one suffering from sickness? Unemployment? A broken promise? A betrayal? There is much that is out of our control, but Jesus promises His peace, even in the midst of this. At the end of this Scripture passage, Jesus gets into the boat with the disciples, and immediately the storm was calm. The presence of, and union with Jesus, the acceptance of His plan at every moment of our day, is our true peace. Let's practice this today and in the final days leading to break and to the great celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

With prayers for your families,

Sister Dominic

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Out of uniform opportunity coming the week after break.  See column about guest speaker below for information.