|
Sr.
Mary Benedict |
From: Salem, Wisconsin
Mission: St. Matthew School,
Champaign, IL at Mary, Queen of the Universe Convent
I am currently on mission at St. Matthew Parish in
Champaign, IL. I teach two sections of third grade
religion, one section of fourth grade religion, and
one section of fourth grade math as well as help out
in the three kindergarten classrooms and one first
grade class. On the weekends, I teach RCIC for
children who are coming into the faith.
My mission experience has thus far been
great. I am learning to balance a life of prayer,
contemplation, sacrifice, religious study, apostolic
witness, and community involvement while at the same
time trying to give myself completely to the
students I serve in my active apostolate. Although
I have my specific duties, I also have a bit of
flexibility in my schedule on certain days of the
week which allows me to be of service to others at
school who may need some unexpected assistance. I
sometimes feel like St. Paul trying “to be all
things to all people” as I move quickly from
tutoring a first grader in reading to moving music
stands for band to recess duty to creating a
bulletin board to grading English papers. One of
the things that I love about being a Sister is that
people are never afraid to ask me for help because
they know that, unless I am on my way to pray, I am
available to serve them. I also love the Christian
view of the human person that allows me to serve so
many different people in so many different ways
because it has given me the habit of mind to see the
whole person, made in the image of God, to whom I am
ministering. It allows me to say that I need to be
more gentle or understanding with this person today
while it may require me to have a more firm hand to
serve the needs of another child. The fact that I
am a Sister, a visible sign of Christ and His Church
to both those I serve and myself, reminds me that I
am always called to supply the love of God to every
situation in which I find myself, and my Thuiner
Franciscan habit calls me to strive to show the
merciful aspect of that love first. It is a good
thing that prayer is the primary duty of a religious
because it would otherwise be an impossible task to
provide loving service day after day in an
apostolate. I must constantly receive love and the
strength to persevere directly from Christ in the
Eucharist to be effective. Once again, it is St.
Paul who comes to mind: “I can do all things through
Christ who strengthens me.” |
