SMS Principal Post

“It is not enough to love the young; they must know that they are loved.” — St. John Bosco

As we look to the readings for Mass this coming Sunday, the second reading jumps to mind. In Paul's Letter to the Romans, we see and hear the words:

"Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another;

for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

The commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery;

you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet,'

and whatever other commandment there may be,

are summed up in this saying, namely,

'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'

Love does no evil to the neighbor;

hence, love is the fulfillment of the law."

As I have tried to visit every class during the first hour of each school day, one of the common reminders I have shared with the students is part of having a good day requires us to treat others with respect and kindness. By rooting ourselves in love for our neighbor, we are called to deny ourselves and put others first. When our young people put others first, consider another's feelings before our own, and act to make others feel welcome, we are teaching them St. Thomas Aquinas' definition of love: "To love is to will the good of the other."

Put in action and grounded in the Church's teachings, we orient our will toward a selfless love that brings about true common good and unites us to the sacrificial love we witness at the Lord's altar.

-Dr. King

Do you have 10 minutes today? Watch the video above with your family for a stirring and beautiful summary of the salvation story! On a personal note, the Bible in a Year Podcast has been one of the most important factors in my own faith journey and understanding and deepening of my Catholic faith.

The Ground by Ola Gjeilo is one of my favorite living composers. Gjeilo writes in a blissfully serene style that often incorporates settings from the Mass with a modern, but utterly discernible harmonic language. He often taps into his influence of older composers such as Giovanni Pierluigi de Palestrina but also contemporary composers such as Eric Whitacre. He is also clearly influenced by cinematic music, especially in his instrumental compositions. I encourage you to watch, rather than just listen to, the above video so you can see the text and the written music!

Gjeilo writes:

The Ground is based on a chorale from the last movement of my Sunrise Mass (2008) for choir and string orchestra. The chorale, beginning at Pleni sunt caeli in that movement is the culmination of the Mass, and it’s called The Ground because I wanted to convey a sense of having ‘arrived’ at the end of the Mass; to have reached a kind of peace and grounded strength after the long journey of the Mass, having gone through a lot of different emotional landscapes.

I wanted to make a version that could be performed independent of the Mass and one that was also more accessible in terms of instrumentation, with a piano & optional string quartet accompaniment.

1606, oil on canvas

The Road to Emmaus, an encounter with Christ post-Crucifixion at the end of the Gospel of Luke (Luke 24:13-35), is viewed as one of the most important accounts in the Gospel to the importance and reality of the Eucharist. While the travelers have, what we might now refer to as, a Bible study that cause their hearts to be on fire, Jesus was only made known to the disciples in the breaking of the bread.

In the video above, Bishop Barron touches on one of the most important and relevant topics for parents: how do we keep our children engaged in their faith? I would encourage all of our parents, Catholic and non-Catholic alike, to listen to this interview with Bishop Barron for some great thoughts on parenting styles, the importance of modeling, and much more!

Praise, my soul, the King of heaven;

to his feet your tribute bring.

Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,

evermore his praises sing.

Alleluia, alleluia!

Praise the everlasting King!

Praise him for his grace and favor

to his people in distress.

Praise him, still the same as ever,

slow to chide, and swift to bless.

Alleluia, alleluia!

Glorious in his faithfulness!

Fatherlike he tends and spares us;

well our feeble frame he knows.

In his hand he gently bears us,

rescues us from all our foes.

Alleluia, alleluia!

Widely yet his mercy flows!

Angels, help us to adore him;

you behold him face to face.

Sun and moon, bow down before him,

dwellers all in time and space.

Alleluia, alleluia!

Praise with us the God of grace!