The 5th Meditation

Fifth Meditation

What must be done to be true cooperators with Jesus Christ for the salvation of children

196.1 First Point

Thank God for the angels. They show us the goal of our lives, namely salvation and our deeply spiritual relationship with God. And the angels, free from the travails of our life, but existing only for God, can help us to see the tremendous hope that God holds out for us. He wants to much for us because he loves us so much.

Just as the angels help us, De La Salle reminds us that it is the case that we perform the same role for the students we teach. We work on minds of children too immature to fully realize the role of Jesus in their life. They must see this relationship made real for them through us. We are vehicles of God’s grace to our students.

Our role, in whatever our ministry is, becomes evident in the words of Saint Paul when we seek to set our minds on things above. How is it the role of faith can help those who suffer so much in the difficulties of life?

196.2 Second Point

For De La Salle, the guardian angels have a privileged place. These guardian angels provide our children with protection, while at the same time reminding us too that we are not alone. We are always under the protection of God, and so we should not be afraid. We are never alone.

We must do all we can to model all of this for our students. What does it mean to be in God’s protective care? How would De La Salle see the protection of God we need today as compared to his day?

196.3 The Third Point

In this section is the hardest of challenges. Can we make our words as spirit and life to those students we teach? Can we recognize that in all things we are being used by God for the life in full that He longs to give to all? Can we help our students to grow in faith?

By recognizing Jesus as the source of all we do, we can make the rightful distinction with the satisfaction our ministry can provide us, while at the same time recognizing our relationship with Jesus is what makes all this possible, and not only our own personal efforts.

For we live in an age where it can become easy to think that our actions are more important than the contemplative prayer that we are all called to do. As De La Salle reminds us, of the things we use, what is it that we have not been given? What talents do we develop without the help of others and the grace of God?

So important is the our role of removing obstacles to salvation, and so powerful the words of De La Salle, these words of his above are repeated here for emphasis.

“Ask God to be such good guides for them, through the light that you will procure for yourselves by turning to God and by the fidelity with which you do your work, that you will see clearly every obstacle to the good of their souls and keep away from the path of their salvation everything that could harm them. This is the principal care you must have for the children entrusted to you. It is the main reason why God has entrusted you with so holy a ministry, and it is on this that God will call you to give a very exact account on the day of judgment.”

Questions to Ponder

What are the most important ways you model for your students the wisdom you have gained in your life?

For De La Salle, the angels served an important role of perfection. How do you experience in your life, and how do you see in the lives of your students the ways God protects?

How is your ministry one of spirit and life?

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