Respecting Life

The Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Guardian Angels, Respect Life Sunday, a full agenda for this Sabbath Day.  And, at Central Catholic, we will host our first "Marist Prayer" for our students, based on Taize Prayer of Psalmody, Scripture and time for reflection, but in our case, focused on Mary and our Marist Heritage as well. 
We are all made in the image of God and as such not only deserve respect and recognition for that gift, but should receive from one another what we need to grow into that image.  In the classroom, it is easy to ignore the students who never raise their hands and applaud those who actively participate.  My exprience, however, has proved that when one of the "non-participants" is given a chance and then lauded for his or her response, that student then gains confidence and joins the hand-raisers.  When we look at each other, every person we meet, and see in them what God has put there...special gifts, including his own presence, and when we tell them in so many words and by our tone, that we see something special in them, they light up and allow their inner beauty to shine even more.  In this context, then, respect for life broadens from just concern about the right to life and a natural death, (both of which are under threat and attack these days), to a daily respect for all people and the gift of God's life in them that makes them who they are. Thus the "culture of LIFE" replaces the "culture of death" so aptly named by Blessed John Paul II. No wonder God has given each of us a guardian angel to protect and guide this precious life! The fruit of our prayer is the acknoweldgement of the common life we share with God and each other.  Lord, help me to see your face and beauty in everyone I meet today and treat them with the respect and love I would give to you if I saw you face to face.
Bro. Rene