(Prayer offered on the Public Address system for the entire La Salle Academy educational community on Wednesday morning, 26 April 2017)

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

Before we left for April break, I was visiting Jesus in the Meditation Chapel as I often do during the school day.  Three seniors sat on the couches outside while I was at prayer.   On this particular day, I noticed the Eucharistic candle was not lit.  As I walked out of the chapel I joked to the students,  “The candle in the chapel has gone out. Poor Jesus, sitting there all alone in the cold, dark chapel all by himself….Poor guy is in there bumping into walls and tripping over kneelers…can’t find his way out of the darkness without some light.”

One of the seniors looked to me and said with a slight humor, “But Mr. Ciccone, Jesus is the light.”  We laughed at this somewhat off-handed comment and I went on my way, but I couldn’t help but continue to think about what she had said long after the interaction.  This incredibly simple statement, in this relatively short exchange, was so utterly profound to me.  The words came out of her so naturally and without ulterior motivation.  It wasn’t just a joke nor was it overtly pious, but the sort of thing someone says as a matter of fact, a seemingly common sense answer to the problem of the candle-less chapel.

I can’t help but feel a great deal of pride when our La Salle students have such clarity and intimate knowledge of our faith.  I was touched by the sweet ease by which this student expressed the complex truth of our belief in Jesus Christ.  He is the light, he is the truth, he is the way out of the darkness, he is the life.  And sometimes the repetition of these ideals makes them seem stale or disingenuous.  But then there are times, like in this circumstance, where the words have such an authentic quality, a level of sincerity and honesty that make them feel so true, so close to my mind, my heart and my soul.

Here we are on the other side of Lent.  Forty days of sacrifice have come and gone.  I fear sometimes that with the season of Lent comes such discipline and intention that it is often difficult to sustain beyond Easter Sunday.  But today let us recall that Lent is the preparation for the rest of the liturgical year.  Lent is the journey through the darkness, and the resurrection is the coming into the light that is the grace of Jesus Christ.  Let us therefore recommit ourselves today: to our faith, to seek the light of Christ, and to be that light for others.

Let us Pray,

Dear Lord, everything I am today is a gift from you, guided by your light.  Everything I can be tomorrow is my gift to myself, a chance to be your light in the world.

Saint John Baptist de La Salle…Pray for us.

Live Jesus in our hearts…Forever.

Brian Ciccone–Assistant Director of Admissions