This Week from Mitch
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I hope and pray that you are well. As a child, I wonder, what are some of your favorite memories about the start of a new school year? For me, I remember two very distinct things. The first thing was back-to-school shopping with my mother, and getting new shoes. I remember trying to keep them clean for the first couple of days, but then a game of kickball or football would inevitably happen, and all of a sudden, my new shoes would be dirty like all the rest.
My second memory is this: while I would inevitably lose it or place it down somewhere or forget it in my locker, I loved looking down at a freshly packed brand-new pencil box filled with crayons and pencils. At this point in the year, it was clean, no shavings in the bottom, pencils long and sharp with their erasers still intact, and in the crayons, all the primary colors accounted for. Above anything, seeing these two things made me feel like there was an opportunity for a new start.
For me, these two reminders bring to mind two things: the first spiritual, the second practical. Spiritually, in our lives of faith, we are reminded that with sincere hearts and minds, focused on Jesus, we each receive a new start and we get the new start again and again and again. Chaff and wheat come from the same plant. When we turn to Jesus, we are refreshed, renewed, and rebuilt, all primary colors intact.
The Second thing is this. As a church, let's remember that not everyone gets the privilege of getting new school supplies each year. If you can support a teacher or a student, please do so. If you want to drop new pencils or crayons in the Harvest Hope wagons because you found them on sale, please do so! We can get them to the right spots. I realize now, as an adult, that my new school supplies were a privilege. As we invite our parish's educators and students up for the blessing of the backpacks this week, let's take time to pray for all children and all teachers, particularly those students who depend on support from outside of their homes and the teachers who strive to make a difference despite all odds.
In Christ,
Mitch