From yesterday's first reading: " As long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel had the better of the fight, but when he let his hands rest, Amalek had the better of the fight. Moses’s hands, however, grew tired; so they put a rock in place for him to sit on. Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other, so that his hands remained steady till sunset. And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword."

From yesterday's gospel: "Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, 'There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’ For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.' The Lord said, 'Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.'"

From De La Salle's Sixth Meditation for the Time of Retreat: "This is symbolized by the ladder that Jacob saw in a dream when he was going to Mesopotamia. Angels were going up and coming down the ladder. They were going up to God to make known to him the needs of those for whom he made them responsible and to receive his orders for them. They were coming down to teach those whom they were guiding the will of God concerning their salvation. You must do the same thing for the children entrusted to your care. It is your duty to go up to God every day in prayer to learn from him all that you must teach the children and then to come down to them by accommodating them at their level in order to instruct them about what God has communicated for them to you in your prayer, as well as in Holy Scripture, which contains the truths of religion and the maxims of the holy Gospel."

Jesus and De La Salle remind us that prayer is essential for our lives as teachers and as children of God. We are called to constantly go to God in prayer, not just to bring our needs, but to hear God's response. But De La Salle, as well as the first reading from Exodus, remind us that our prayer is not limited to our own needs. We must also present the needs of others, especially each other and the children entrusted to our care, asking that God will give us what we need to support and feed them as well, and we listen for what God shares with us in that regard. In our staff retreat at the end of July, you received a rock, symbolizing those whom you would carry with you during this school year on your Lasallian journey. Perhaps, as we recall our need for prayer for ourselves and others, this would be a good week to spend time holding or carrying your rock, and bring those whom the rock symbolizes to prayer with you.

Live, Jesus, in our hearts!