this little light of mine

There’s an email story making its way through cyberspace about a boy helping a classmate with a stack of books – and the life-saving meaning of that simple act of kindness.

The email story ends with the statement:

“Never underestimate the power of your actions.

With one small gesture you can change a person's life.”

I’ve read the story before, but found myself pondering it from a new angle this week, mostly in light of the Boston bombings.

I received the email story through my friend Sr. Tess, whom I recently wrote about and who currently lives in Boston. In a personal note, Tess asked for prayers for her city—and for a friend who is nervous about the London Marathon taking place in her city this coming weekend.

In my reply, I asked Tess to also remember the people of Oklahoma City in her prayers. Not only is this Friday, April 19, the anniversary of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, but the OKC Memorial Marathon will also take place on Sunday.

Everyone is a bit on edge.

Not only can the acts of one person change irrevocably another person’s life, for good or for evil… it can also affect an entire global community.

Perhaps when evil acts hit close to home we pay more attention. But at daily Mass today I was reminded that we never stop being connected to the suffering Body of the Christ. We remain in communion with one another, in Christ who is our Light.

Nothing that I do is inconsequential. Everything that I do affects other people. I don’t have to be able to see it to believe it’s true.

As my friend Susan Stabile wrote today on her blog CREO EN DIOS!:

“…we don’t always feel brave or strong or inspiring. But we don’t need to “feel brave to be brave…. feel strong to be strong…or feel inspiring to inspire.” We need to remember that our star, however small, can light the way for others.

...in the midst of your ordinary lives

This morning as I sat listening to prayerful music outside with my sweet Siberian Husky Diego, I was suddenly startled by a familiar tune I’ve heard dozens of times, so I pressed stop and started the song over. Here are the words that jumped out at me:

Now is the time, in the midst of your ordinary lives.

Repent and believe in the gospel of Christ.

Cast all your worries like stones in the sea:

Come, follow me!

Now is the time—in the midst of your ordinary lives. How often do I imagine those scenes where Jesus calls each of the apostles to follow him as some sort of Hollywood setting, bright lights, neon signs, confident music playing in the background—as if they had a giant billboard assuring them what to do, one that is not available to me.

Needless to say, I've been pondering these words the rest of the day... 

If you’re not familiar with the music of Danielle Rose, you will be blown away by her lyrics. Rose, a musical missionary, graduated from the University of Notre Dame my son’s freshman year with a degree in music and theology.  As her official bio says:

"At the age of 17, she traveled to Delhi, India to volunteer with Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity. This experience gave her a desire to serve the poorest of the poor by offering her gift of music as a means of alleviating the spiritual poverty of America."

Here’s another piece from the lyrics of the song that blessed my day, “The Kingdom of God is at hand”:

 

The Kingdom of God is at hand - this is my Body.

The Kingdom of God is at hand - this is my Blood.

The Kingdom of God is at hand - the Body of Christ,

I believe, Amen.

Now the Kingdom is in your hands! 

Now is the time—in the midst of your ordinary lives.