A little more than a week ago, a Catholic elementary school close to where I first began my teaching career caught fire, completely destroying the building. Thankfully, it happened during evening rush hour, so most of the students and staff were already gone for the day. No lives were lost, thank God, and the parish’s pastor said that they will rebuild. Certainly, good news to report when we know this story could have ended much differently.
What has been beautiful to witness through it all has been the response of the Catholic community to the disaster. Teachers and schools from our own diocese as well as quite a few others have offered to send supplies to those teachers who lost all their books and decorations. The neighboring Catholic parish in Springfield offered their school building to house the displaced students for as long as it may be needed. Other parishes have also offered Rosary nights and Masses for a community that is still grieving a significant loss to their community.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds his disciples that we must become servants to each other; it is not about becoming powerful or waited upon by others. Life shouldn’t revolve around my needs alone. An important question to ask as a society: are we forgetting that command of Christ: to lay down our lives for others?
As this recent school fire has demonstrated to so many, we daughters and sons of God – the Church – certainly seem to shine brightly when disaster strikes and others depend on us. But it need not only be in times of sorrow and tragedy. May we continue to seek ways to reach out to others with the love of God, using our time, talent and treasure to serve in His Name. He uses everything that we offer to Him for others. As Catholics, it’s who we are – and must continue to strive to be.