Kobza's Komments

May is the month of Mary, a woman of not only grace and love, but also of patience and charity. Our virtue focus for May and June, Spiritual, is tied to Charity and asks us to follow the example Jesus taught us in the way we think, speak, and act.  What better example to look to than His mother, Mary? Her life was full of difficulties and uncertainty, but she bore them with patience and faith in God’s will.  She had to face her betrothed when she was found to be pregnant then, after Jesus was born, she fled to Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod. The fear of every mother is losing a child and Mary must have been anxious when Jesus went missing for three days and was then found in the Temple.  What must she have had to endure as she stood by the cross while Jesus was crucified?

The three fruits of Charity are joy, peace and mercy. Patience isn’t easy to practice as it involves the pursuit of peace. In practicing patience, we must resolve conflicts peacefully, without resorting to violence.  When you have a disagreement with a classmate try to resolve it peacefully by talking to one another. We can practice mercy by forgiving others. Holding grudges is not the way Jesus taught us to live so try your best to forgive others in the school community. Going to confession is another great way to ask God to forgive us for our trespasses. Probably the most difficult aspect is the fruit of joy: waiting without becoming upset or annoyed and continuing on in the face of difficulty.  There always seems to be one person in class who annoys you or gets under your skin, but try to follow Jesus’ command of “loving one another as I have loved you”.

Charity is about friendship and communion. This month, let us try to imitate and honor Mary who was the embodiment of patience and charity. Pope Francis tells us that “charity, patience and tenderness are very beautiful gifts.  If you have them, you want to share them with others”. Share your gifts by bearing your crosses without becoming upset or annoyed, forgive those who wrong you and solve your conflicts peacefully.