Let the Children Come to Me

Prayer is wonderful, it is the simplest of acts, but it can be the most difficult to accomplish. 
I tend to agree with St. Therese when she says,
For me prayer is a surge of the heart, it is a simple look towards Heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.

And with Matthew Kelly, when he says,
Prayer is like a great love. When you start dating the silence can be awkward, but as you grow to know each other you can sit in silence for hours and just being with each other is a great comfort.

Prayer, at first can seem very daunting but, it can lead to the most wonderful things.

I have been praying about what I'm going to do after high school, what I should major in at college, what I should do after college.  The Lord, when He answers my prayers, seems to do so through the words and actions of others.  I went to visit my elementary/middle school the other day with some friends.  It is a good Catholic school that I went to from 1st to 8th grade.  I loved my teachers, and enjoy visiting them from time to time.  While there, I was asked the usual questions teachers ask former students: "How is high school?" 

"How are your classes?"

"How are your grades?"

"Where do you want to go to college?"

"What do you want to major in?"

"What do you want to do with your life?"

All of which I was pleased to answer, but, the last two questions, stumped me.  I know I would love to major in Theology, but where would I go after that? I sent up a silent prayer for understanding, and for an answer.

While in my old religion classroom with my friends, I looked at one of the walls, decoratively covered with vocabulary only a Catholic would know, and among my friends, five out of seven of which are Catholic (but all seven of us took this class), only I knew most of these words.

As I tried to explain what each meant, one friend jokingly pointed out, "Same classroom, new teacher."

I laughed, but then I thought about it.  "Yes...yes," I thought, "Could this be it?"

I pictured teaching a classroom full of young people, hungry for something or someone to satisfy their longing for Truth. I pictured feeding their hungry minds and souls with the Faith, the Bread of Life.  I pictured witnessing to them, showing them the beauty of Catholicism. I pictured helping them, laughing with them, struggling with them, as they tried to grasp concepts.

They would be my children. Regardless of whether or not I become a mother, or stay single, or enter the religious life, these would be my children.  These, would be the children I was charged with bringing to Christ. "Let the children come to me."

I will continue to pray about it, a lot.  But I am beginning to seriously consider adding a teaching degree to my major in Theology. :)

"Do you want to do a good deed?  Teach the young!

Do you want to perform a holy act? Teach the young!
Do you want to do a holy thing? Teach the young!
Truly, now and for the future, among holy things, this is the holiest."
- Don Bosco