THE EMPTY EGG
"Jeremy was born with a twisted body and a slow mind. At the age of 12 he was still in second grade, seemingly unable to learn. His teacher, Doris Miller, often became exasperated with him. He would squirm in his seat, drool, and make grunting noises. At other times, he spoke clearly and distinctly, as if a spot of light had penetrated the darkness of his brain. Most of the time, however, Jeremy just irritated his teacher.
One day she called his parents and asked them to come in for a consultation. As the Forresters entered the empty classroom, Doris said to them, "Jeremy really belongs in a special school. It isn't fair to him to be with younger children who don't have learning problems. Why, there is a five year gap between his age and that of the other students."
Mrs. Forrester cried softly into a tissue, while her husband spoke. "Miss Miller," he said, "there is no school of that kind nearby. It would be a terrible shock for Jeremy if we had to take him out of this school. We know he really likes it here." Doris sat for a long time after they had left, staring at the snow outside the window. Its coldness seemed to seep into her soul. She wanted to sympathize with the Forresters. After all, their only child had a terminal illness. But it wasn't fair to keep him in her class. She had 18 other youngsters to teach, and Jeremy was a distraction. Furthermore, he would never learn to read and write. Why waste any more time trying?
As she pondered the situation, guilt washed over her. Here I am complaining when my problems are nothing compared to that poor family, she thought. Lord, please help me to be more patient with Jeremy. From that day on, she tried hard to ignore Jeremy's noises and his blank stares. Then one day, he limped to her desk, dragging his bad leg behind him.
"I love you, Miss Miller," he exclaimed, loud enough for the whole class to hear. The other students snickered, and Doris ' face turned red. She stammered, "Wh-why that's very nice, Jeremy. N-now please take your seat."
Spring came, and the children talked excitedly about the coming of Easter. Doris told them the story of Jesus, and then to emphasize the idea of new life springing forth, she gave each of the children a large plastic egg. "Now," she said to them, "I want you to take this home and bring it back tomorrow with something inside that shows new life. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Miss Miller," the children responded enthusiastically-all except for Jeremy. He listened intently; his eyes never left her face. He did not even make his usual noises. Had he understood what she had said about Jesus' death and resurrection? Did he understand the assignment? Perhaps she should call his parents and explain the project to them.
That evening, Doris ' kitchen sink stopped up. She called the landlord and waited an hour for him to come by and unclog it. After that, she still had to shop for groceries, iron a blouse, and prepare a vocabulary test for the next day. She completely forgot about phoning Jeremy's parents.
The next morning, 19 children came to school, laughing and talking as they placed their eggs in the large wicker basket on Miss Miller's desk. After they completed their math lesson, it was time to open the eggs. In the first egg, Doris found a flower. "Oh yes, a flower is certainly a sign of new life," she said. "When plants peek through the ground, we know that spring is here." A small girl in the first row waved her arm. "That's my egg, Miss Miller," she called out. The next egg contained a plastic butterfly, which looked very real. Doris held it up. "We all know that a caterpillar changes and grows into a beautiful butterfly. Yes, that's new life, too." Little Judy smiled proudly and said, "Miss Miller, that one is mine." Next, Doris found a rock with moss on it. She explained that moss, too, showed life. Billy spoke up from the back of the classroom, "My daddy helped me," he beamed.
Then Doris opened the fourth egg. She gasped. The egg was empty. Surely it must be Jeremy's she thought, and of course, he did not understand her instructions. If only she had not forgotten to phone his parents. Because she did not want to embarrass him, she quietly set the egg aside and reached for another. Suddenly, Jeremy spoke up. "Miss Miller, aren't you going to talk about my egg?" Flustered, Doris replied, "But Jeremy, your egg is empty." He looked into her eyes and said softly, "Yes, but Jesus' tomb was empty, too."
Time stopped. When she could speak again, Doris asked him, "Do you know why the tomb was empty?" "Oh, yes," Jeremy said, "Jesus was killed and put in there. Then His Father raised Him up."
The recess bell rang. While the children excitedly ran out to the school yard, Doris cried. The cold inside her melted completely away.
Three months later, Jeremy died. Those who paid their respects at the mortuary were surprised to see 19 eggs on top of his casket, all of them empty. "
Happy Easter!
-- Author Unknown
I love this picture because it has Johnny's smile as he watches his Godson, David, interacting with a loving and smiling little 10 month cousin, Augustine, and also because the 10th station of the cross is there too! It was where Susan/Hallel would kneel every morning in the darkened church for her Holy Hour, and then for Mass... Fr had given her a key so that she could come very early to spend time with HIM as she needed in her quest to listen to His Call! I asked her why she sat by the 10th station - the humility station - "It is the last pew with a kneeler, and that way people cannot see me cry." If you know my Susan, as I do, this was a very out of character thing for her to do! I am the emotional one along with my daughter, Nancy, and for Susan to be crying was a sure sign that she was in a state of dissappointment and turmoil in figuring out if the Lord was asking her to leave it all behind and follow HIM as his bride, or to get married and to have 10 kids! Mostly, I think, by this point she was quite sure that she was called to religious life, but where? She was like Mary Magdelene weeping outside of the tomb, and yearning to know where Jesus was for her...when the Community of the Lamb a few months later came and put down roots in Kansas City - it was her answer! Because her saying that she knew that the Lord wanted her to leave it all behind - including her family - I know that she wanted to have them at least in the U.S., so that with 7 hours of travel we could see her, if and when she comes back from France! We have been there twice now to share with her in her huge steps of formation - taking her habit and changing her name in August of 2009, and this past summer in taking her first vows!
The 10th station has a way of taking me back to times I was allowed to share prayer with Hallel, and I know that it continues to happen now! I know that she is deeply immersed in the readings of each day - most especially the Gospel. Pat and I have started reading the Gospel the night before as well as in the morning with our morning prayer... An excitement builds as we come to find what will become Christ for us with each day within our amazing Church! This morning did not disappoint! It is the amazing story of Mary outside the tomb - John 20-11-18
"Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" She thought that he was the gardener and said to him, "Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni," which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, "Stop holding onto me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am going to my Father and your Father, to My God and your God.' "
I was touched by the fact that Jesus is where we least expect him when I read the openning page of my Magnificat for these next two weeks of Easter Season! "We received a letter from a longtime subscriber who is a secret service agent. The subsciber writes:
'I will soon be retiring from the secret service after thirty years. You will be pleased that MAGNIFICAT came with me on all my assignments - Air Force One, and so much more.'
I was bowled over when I read that! But it is just like the risen Jesus - showing up in places where you would least expect to find him.
May your Easter Season be filled with every grace of the Resurrection. May our risen Lord draw close to you and with his love at times and in places you would never expect." Fr Peter Cameron OP
Lord, it is wondrous to find you in the many places that our lives take us... our work, our family, and our worship. Sometimes we do not recognize you, and feel sad and alone and confused... yet you are always there reaching your resurrected yet nailscarred hands out to touch us and to say our name - we see you then, and we hold onto your feet and fall on our knees - washing your feet with our tears and wiping them with our hair! We are so small and weak and helpless - we need you Lord! We long to find your path for us, and to hear your Call within our hearts and minds and spirits! We are yours and we are filled with your Spirit! May we fight to keep that Holy Place within us untarnished and shining with the beauty of God and Jewels - we are temples of the Holy Spirit! Jesus, we long to see you in the most unexepected places this day and always. WE worship and adore! Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Halleluia! Halleluia! Halleluia!
Bless-bless, Barb"This man - Jesus - was scourged, crucified, and killed; but an unspeakable love resurrected him from death and from infamy; it placed him in the glory of love that never weakens and that finds in him peace, honor and joy even to the point of ecstasy... This man is the only human being ever to have founded a kingdom of love on the earth; and this man is you, O Jesus Christ!"
Fr Lacordaire (1861)
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