From the first reading of the fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time: “And the Lord said to [Moses] . . . I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin, and I will put my words into his mouth; he shall tell them all that I command him.'"

From De La Salle’s Meditations: “[The students] must also be convinced that they are a letter that Jesus Christ dictates to you, which you write each day in their heart, not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, who acts in you and by you through the power of Jesus Christ." (195.2)

I have been listening to Super Bowl pre-game programming on ESPN Radio today, and an ad about working at home that has run several times got stuck in my head. The opening line is: “Are you tired of commuting to a job that makes somebody else rich?" I kept answering the question: “Doesn’t apply – I work for a non-profit!" A little while ago, it dawned on me that my answer was completely wrong. If I listen to God’s Word to me – if we all listen to the Word shared with us – and share it with our students, then our students do indeed grow rich! Looking at it this way, I will never grow tired of my 35 minute one way commute. Ever.

In our prayer this week, let us ask for the renewal of our baptismal and vocational call to be prophets, the openness and wisdom to hear and see the words, the truth, the beauty, and the love that God is sharing with us for the benefit of our students, and the fortitude to ensure that these same riches are written into their hearts.