Faith Learned, Faith Lived: Love is Christ's Lesson Plan

The Year of Faith is a celebration of our calling to follow Christ and how we can come to know Jesus in our commitment to the ACE community and Catholic Schools. Our prayer is that we can learn to find Jesus in the ordinary and routine things of our lives.

We have just completed the week called the Octave of Easter, which gives us the opportunity to discover the variety of ways the Risen Lord was present to the disciples and the early Christian Community. The Resurrection is so special, we are invited to linger and spend time pondering what all of this means in our lives.

Take a moment and reflect on Acts 3: 1- 10. This is the story of Peter and John going to the Temple for prayer and their encounter with a crippled man who is begging by the gate of the temple. The man asks for alms, and Peter responds to him with these words:

“I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk.”

I love this reading because it shows us how the Resurrection transformed Peter and John and inspired them to share Christ’s love. Easter is a reminder to us to see where love enters into our lives. Observe acts of love and notice the perspectives of people loving God and their neighbor as themselves.

Here are two ways that I have recently seen love.

There is a picture taken on Easter Sunday of Pope Francis embracing a boy who has cerebral palsy. The boy’s mother said that, after the Holy Father blessed her son, a woman nearby said to her, “Your son’s vocation is to show us how to love.”

You may have seen the pictures of the basketball player who broke his leg in a basketball game. His teammate leaned over him, let him know he was not alone and prayed with him. He said later, “I didn’t know what to say or do, and the only thing I could do was let Kevin know I loved him and that he was not alone.”

Teachers walk into a classroom every day and do not know if what they are doing matters for their students. If they remember they are called to be Christ the Teacher, teachers’ vocation is to love their students. Teachers may not know what to say or do; but like Peter and John, they can give Christ to students.

You can let them know that their life has value and that they are loved. Teachers give Christ’s love by showing up every day and taking an interest in each student. They are willing to listen and learn the unique story of their students. You need to know that you have been invited by Jesus to be Christ the Teacher and this can make a huge difference in the lives of students as well as your own.

Remember, you have been given the gift of the love of God, and you are called to give it away.