Friday, April 14, 2006

From UC to the MC's

I was recently asked by the Provincial for the Contemplative Order of the Missionaries of Charity in Plainfield, NJ, Sr. Assunta MC, to help teach the Sister's Scripture and to lead them in a study of St. Paul's letter to the Romans. She had asked me after my wife and two and a half year old daughter went to their humble house in a poorer section of Plainfield for Adoration, Rosary and evening prayer. The service was, and is, beautiful in it's simplicity as we continue to make it over their on a weekly basis. I find it both a privilege and somewhat amusing that I have found myself teaching such Holy and committed Religious sisters. I currently teach at Assumption College for Sisters on Mondays and find myself in a classroom teaching Sisters from Africa, mostly Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood, and they and the Sisters of Christian Charity are wonderful. In the midst of teaching these Holy women I find my ‘real’ job is teaching at a Catholic High School where I’ve been for 20 years. It has caused me to reflect on the Holiness of my students and what a privilege it is to be able to share the good news with them as well. While it is an honor to be of some help to the Sisters it is equally an honor to try to impact young men and women who will go out into the world and hopefully take the message of Christ into the workplace and more importantly into their families. While the questions are a little different from high school students and they may be at a different place in their lives in contrast to the Religious Sisters, they are equally loved by God and deserve the best I can offer.