It was the spring of 1961.
A classroom full of eighth grade students in Covington were reflecting
on the Last Supper of Jesus. To the question, “What did Jesus tell Peter?” a usually non-compliant boy responded, “If I
don’t wash your feet, you cannot hang out in my gang.” Not an Easter season goes by that I don’t smile
at his response and find it a source of reflection.
This year we are definitely in gangs—groups of individuals
working on the same task. The task is
staying free of the virus by trying to maintain an isolation from others. But
we still have “gangs”. Our gangs may be only one person, a family group or a
relatively large group such as a group residence, a jail, or a necessary work
place.
Can we define our “gang”?
For some it is required of us to be in more than one gang and of course
this is tricky. Are we an active member
of our particular gang(s)? Are we looking out for one another? Are we washing feet in our gang? Even a
gang of one requires care. Are we
looking out for ourselves that we may be a foot-washer for others? In our families, places of residence, work
environs, are we responding to the needs of others? Are we allowing others to look out for
us?
Being in a gang requires a
commitment. We ARE in it. Can we live up to it and its many stresses? Jesus had a motley crew for a gang. Let us ask him to help.
Sr. Mary Rabe, OSB
Dear sister thank you for this good word. gang and hang -- how Germanic these words are. Day by day at home we are reminding ourselves of the saints, both West and East, so many saints I do not know, and each saint teaches us a lesson, and preserves for us history to remember. How many saints there were among the early Germans, after the fall of Rome c. 400 and the advance of the different Germanic tribes, the establishment of Germanic kingdoms (such as the Franks in France, or the Anglo-Saxons and Danes in Britain), and the wholehearted assent to the Church given by the Germans, so that they were the ones spreading the faith in Poland and Scandinavia and coming into conflict with the East in the Balkans. It is good to remember early saints. How holy the early English were! Many of the royals became saints, and although the Normans built Salisbury and Ely, there are few saints on the throne. Henry II? The women on the throne have been exceptionally good in Britain. Do women use the language of gang and hang? Perhaps not. Happy Easter OSB Christos Anesti Christ is risen sicut dixit alleluia amen.
ReplyDeleteI like this reflection quite a lot, Sr. Mary Labe. Thank you for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteHappy to be in your gang!
ReplyDeleteHI
ReplyDeleteI never could seem to open this Blog before.. Glad I did.
Take care you lot. Think of you often. Some of the first Gang members I knew with colors.. Black and White. Love always. Kim
thank you. will bring enough tears for the footwashings. nice to see your face.
ReplyDelete