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

The other night my daughters picked a book for their bedtime story that had been mother’s and
then mine as a kid. It’s nothing of great sentimental value but when rereading it, I realized I had
completely missed the point – as I had with countless other things – when I was a child.

The book, authored in the 1960s, is loosely based on Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter 9 in which Jesus
grants a man who is paralyzed the ability to walk. In this text, a wife calls on a group of her
husband’s friends to carry him to Jesus to be healed. They walk a considerable distance to find the
line is impossibly long, so they scale the house to the roof, hoist their friend up with ropes and then
cut a hole in the roof to lower him down to Jesus.

So what did I not get?

Well, as a child, I was pretty consumed with rules, and let me tell you, in this book they sure break
quite a few. Climb up a stranger’s house? Break the roof? Cut hundreds of people in line for access
to premium healing power??? I was appalled. And in response to all this behavior what does Jesus
say? “Your sins are forgiven.” And then he healed the man.

But when I read it to my girls, the oldest remarked, “That man has really good friends. And Jesus
was proud of them.”

Oh. Friendship. That’s the point.

This year – probably more than any other year – I have noticed deep loyalty in the friendships of
our students. I have seen them articulate in writing that friendship might just be one of the most
important bonds in life.

As you get older, the nature of friendship changes – contact isn’t as constant. Your geographical
locations and schedules, or passions and pursuits take far different tracks. But true friendships will
last. Take care of them.

Let us pray,

God, life is about what we do for others.
Grant us friends willing to carry us to you. Friends who will bring us along when we don’t have the
strength. And help us to be the friends willing to scale houses for the people we love.

Saint John Baptist de La Salle…Pray for Us

Live Jesus in our hearts…forever

Morning Prayer:  January 26, 2022

Mrs. Emily McLean, English Department Chairperson