Where there is righteousness in the heart, there is harmony in the house; when there is harmony in the house, there is order in the nation; when there is order in the nation, there is peace in the world. - A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Last week as 5th grade read about Jesus being baptized they shared some thoughts. Alex observed that Jesus led by example and by being baptized he wanted to teach us what to do. Aiden saw that Jesus did it out of love. At his Angelus last week Pope Francis spoke about why Jesus was baptized and it was nice to see our 5th graders were on to something.
Pope Francis saw through the eyes of justice when Jesus said to John the Baptist, “Let it be so for now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” (Mt 3:15) in response to why he wanted to be baptized. Jesus is revealing God’s justice: By having himself baptized, Jesus reveals God’s justice, that justice He came to bring into the world. Very often we have a limited idea of justice, and think that it means: those who do wrong pay, and in this way compensate for the wrong they have done. But God’s justice, as the Scripture teaches, is much greater: it does not have as its end the condemnation of the guilty, but their salvation and rebirth, making them righteous: from unjust to just. It is a justice that comes from love, from the depths of compassion and mercy that are the very heart of God...God’s justice...is not intended to distribute penalties and punishments but rather...it consists of making us, his children, righteous (cf. Rm 3:22-31), freeing us from the snares of evil, healing us, raising us up again. The Lord is always there, not ready to punish us, but with his hand outstretched to help us rise up. And so, we understand that, on the banks of the Jordan, Jesus reveals to us the meaning of his mission: He came to fulfill divine justice, which is that of saving sinners; he came to take on his own shoulders the sin of the world and to descend into the waters of the abyss, death...He shows us today that the true justice of God is the mercy that saves...God is mercy, because his justice is indeed the mercy that saves, it is the love that shares our human condition, that makes itself close, in solidarity with our suffering, entering into our darkness to restore light.
Showcasing SHA talent: Charlie in 1st shows us Jesus many years before his baptism.
God bless,
Mrs. Alhadef
Campus Minister
4th Grade Aide
Jr. High ELA Aide