(Prayer offered on the Public Address system and the school wide intranet for the entire La Salle Academy educational community on Thursday morning, 22 March 2018)

Let us remember we are in the holy presence of a loving God …

Helen Keller once said:

“Blind people are just like seeing people in the dark.  The loss of sight does not impair the qualities of the mind and heart.”

I would like to introduce you to my friend Megan from Meeting Street.

Megan is not like all of the other friends in my life. She is blind and spends most of her time in a wheelchair. She sees life from a very different perspective and her magnifying glass through which to examine life is formed by the four senses she has been blessed with.  Walking into Megan’s classroom every week, I begin my visit with a joyful hello, informing Megan I have arrived and who I am.  As she recognizes the sound of my voice, she extends her arm, grabbing my hand and saying hello.  The softness in her grip and the calm in her voice remind me of how much Megan has to offer the world.  Her great compassion, sense of humor, intelligence and friendliness makes her a friend to all of the people that surround her.

My time spent with Megan has taught me that the people that matter the most in life are the ones that relate to you in the most unique ways.  When I am in the presence of this wonderful girl, our conversations are never ending. I could babble on about my day and she would sit there and listen, waiting to tell me a joke.  Our friendship is built on love, loyalty, and compassion for one another.  Of course, our physical appearances and boundaries may be different, along with our intellectual ability to obtain traditional or academic knowledge, but that does not prevent us from being true friends and sharing our opportunities with one another.

Like Helen Keller said, someone who is blind is not impaired in the mind and heart.  Today we celebrate Spread the Word to End the Word at La Salle Academy, where we will try to spread the mission to end the use of the derogatory R-word.  I encourage everyone to take the pledge, because in not just refusing to use the word yourself, but in educating others about why it is so hurtful,  you are committing to looking at people for their personalities and hearts, rather than their physical image or worse, their limitations.

Let us pray …

Lord, give us the power to see beyond the physical barriers of individuals and give them the opportunities we give everyone else around us.  Allow us to open our hearts and treat everyone equally.  Let us all spread the word to end the word.

Saint John Baptist de La Salle…. Pray for us

Live Jesus in our hearts….Forever

Courtney Caccia–Class of 2018