Dear Friends,
Today I break from my originally planned statement to talk about vandalism. The reason is simply this, last week in two separate instances Holy Family was hit with eggs and toilet paper. The paper is easy enough to clean, the eggs are not. Once dried they are very difficult to clean and we will probably have to spend a good deal of time and effort scrapping them off and trying not to damage the windows in the process. Whomever did this no doubt was acting out of a frustration or a sense of mischief. One doubts they did it maliciously, although that is possible. If in fact they did it out of anger, one also doubts that the parties who are affected are the ones they were mad at. As in so many cases what was done in a few moments will have a lasting effect. Perhaps this is the lesson we can learn from this event.
Sin, even private sin, affects others and the effects tend to go in places we don’t expect and repairing that damage can be very difficult. The great season of Lent reminds us of that. The examples are many and common, the student who cheats on a test messes up the grade distribution, the person who lies about another injures the reputation of an innocent party, and the person who steals a lunch, causes anther to go hungry. Worst of all, my bad habits are watched and imitated by my children and they will also suffer their ill effects. (Now that is a sobering thought if ever there was one!)
Romans reminds us “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” This includes whoever did the vandalism and all of us who have sinned. We can all be forgiven and God will show us how to make restitution. I once heard a preacher state that both Satan and Jesus reveal sin, but while Satan condemns, Jesus offers forgiveness. I for one would prefer forgiveness which I know must be shown to others; we are forgiven as we forgive.
Happy Lent,
Timothy Gallic
Principal, Holy Family High School
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