What a Parent Will Do for a Child

(Prayer offered over the Public Address system for the entire La Salle Academy educational community on Tuesday morning, 31 January 2017—2nd day of Catholic Schools Week)

Let us remember we are in the holy presence of God

There were two neighboring tribes in the Andes: one that lived in the valley while the other lived high on a nearby mountain.  It was rumored that the two tribes long ago were one united tribe.  But when the wise old chief died, his two sons could not rule harmoniously. So, the two brothers separated and each took a portion of the tribe with him.

They left their forest home.  One brother went up the nearby mountain, where his people hunted game and built shelters made of timber and wood.  The other brother brought his people to the valley at the river’s edge, where they fished and grew crops.

After many generations, contact was lost between the two tribes.  Sure, there were stories told by the elders of the angry brothers who splintered the original tribe.  But no one was alive who had ever seen their kin folk from the other portion of the tribe.

After a bad winter that caused many deaths on the mountain, the mountain tribe blamed their misfortune on the valley tribe and decided to find them and attack them.

After days of searching they finally found their lost tribesmen from the past and attacked.  The aim of the mountain tribe was only to plunder provisions and retreat back up the mountain.  During the attack, one of tribal raiders took a baby from one of the valley families and carried the infant into the jungle and up into the mountains.

The valley tribe was determined to retrieve their stolen baby but didn’t know how to climb the mountain.  There were no trails that the mountain people used; they didn’t know how to track them in the steep terrain, or where to find the mountain tribe’s village.

Determined, they sent out a group of their strongest fishermen to climb the mountain and bring their baby home.  The men tried first one method of climbing and then another.    After several days of effort, they had climbed only several hundred feet.  Feeling hopeless and helpless, the fishermen decided that the cause was lost, and they prepared to return to their village below.

As they were packing their gear to prepare for the descent, they saw the baby’s mother walking toward them.  They realized that she was coming down the mountain that they had not figured out how to climb up.  Then they saw that she had the baby… strapped to her back.  They were shocked.  How could that be?

The leader of the group greeted her and said, “We are so glad that your baby is safe.  But how?  We couldn’t climb this mountain, no matter how hard we tried.  How did you do this… when we…the strongest and most able men in the village, could not?”

She looked in his eyes, gave him a smile that thanked him for their valiant efforts and softly said, “It wasn’t your baby.”

Never underestimate what a mother will do for her child.

Don’t underestimate how much your parents care for you or how much you are loved.    You may not know and you may never know the sacrifices and burdens that your parents have taken, are taking, and will continue to take for your benefit.   And, never, ever forget that you are a child of God.  And God loves you so much that he sent his only son so that you may prosper and have eternal life.

As a parent, Catholic education for my sons is very important.  We want to provide the best opportunities for our children, to give them a strong faith, a firm moral compass, a solid education and credible role models standing in front of the class.    For me, Catholic education satisfies those requirements and their enrollment in La Salle Academy truly is a blessing.

Let us pray: Tender God, Open our lips to praise your holy name. Cleanse our hearts and our minds of any worthless or distracting thoughts.   Grant us the wisdom and knowledge   to be attentive and respectful as we learn new wonders and dream new dreams.  Bless these studies to our use and us to your service.  Amen.

St Michael:    Pray for us.

St Joseph of Cupertino:    Pray for us.

St. John Baptist de La Salle:   Pray for us

Live Jesus in our Hearts:   Forever.

Deacon Scott Brown–Parent of Matthew (Class of 2017) and Jacob (Class of 2018)

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