The Wardrobe
One day last week I was reading a book in the comforts of my lounge chair at home. My wife Pam was opening the mail when suddenly I heard a loud, “Yes!”. I wondered what she may have found in the mail that caused such a reaction, and so I turned to her to listen to the news. She received a scratch off from Kohls Department store and when she scratched it off, it was a 30% off deal. I thought that was something to cheer about too, however, I kept my joy to myself.
She asked me if I needed anything from Kohls. I said no, but then proceeded to think about it. I changed my mind and decided that I should look for some new dress shirts. It had been awhile since I refreshed my wardrobe and at 30% off I could almost buy 3 for the cost of 1. I started looking at the deals online and found that I could actually stack some deals and I ended up getting a 5 for 1 deal by the time I was done. How about that? I ended up buying a new shirt for every day of the week!
Strangely enough, I started thinking about an old TV series called “Matlock”. Andy Griffith starred as Ben Matlock, a southern drawl speaking lawyer who was also a detective. He was kind of a hero on TV. He solved the best and worst cases while always getting into some kind of trouble. He helped the needy and those who were well off. He took care to treat others with respect, he was a great thinker, and he always wore a light blue suit. Every day, every episode, and every case he solved and defended involved him wearing that same blue suit. It turned out that his closet was full of blue suits and that kind of became his “Super Hero” outfit.
Now, as I think about our students and their school uniforms, I am thinking about the fact that they are putting on their super hero outfits every day when they come to school. Their school uniforms are special. They proclaim that they are coming to school to learn about God as well as reading, writing, arithmetic and everything STEM.
So, what does a super hero need besides a uniform? First and foremost, they need some special virtue that makes them extraordinary. The same is true with being a Catholic in today’s world, actually that is true for being a Catholic at any time. We are called to live a life of unending virtue. We are called to act with justice, to love one another and to rely on God’s grace and mercy each day. Our students are called to be superheroes in their own right. They are challenged to act as Christians every day.
I think kids are willing and excited to take on challenges. Look at them on the soccer field, the basketball court, at math meets or during robotics competitions. Time and time again, they gear up and get ready to take on the challenge of the competitions. They eat it up and strive to be their best.
How often though, do we strive to be the best version of ourselves? As students and parents alike, are we willing to put on our super hero outfit every day and live a life of unending virtue? How willing are we to go against the modern world and call things out that are wrong? Do you have the courage to stand up and love others as we love ourselves? What would it look like if you and your family did that day in and day out?
God has imprinted the Natural Law of what it means to live a life of love on our hearts. That imprint leaves us hungry for His grace. That grace leads us to live a moral life. The moral life welcomes mercy into our lives. Mercy and grace therefore, become our weapons and our armor. Are these in your wardrobe? Are you willing to put them on each day?
