By Jake H.
Wednesday morning chapel service, Catholic Mass, was run a little different this week due to Father Stephen’s absence. Terry McCarthy, a former student at a seminary, was instructed to lead the service. When Terry runs the service he tends to bring a more AA message in his teaching or focuses more on spirituality than the Catholic faith.
This morning Terry decided to start off with a simple counting meditation to calm, clear, and open up the students. He then proceeded to tell three stories in which each had a different message. The one that was the most striking was one he told about two monks. It went as follows: Two monks were walking through the countryside admiring the beauty. Soon the two monks approach a river next to which an old woman was sitting. Upon approach the woman said, “You two are monks, therefore you have to carry me across the river; so carry me.” The older of the two monks picked up the old lady and carried her across the river. Afterwards the two monks had traveled about five miles and the younger monk finally says, “What nerve that woman had! She did not ask, but she demanded that you carry her across the river and after you did she did not so much as thank you.” The older monk smiles and turns to the younger and says, “I carried the woman across the river; you, my friend, have been carrying her for five miles.”
In a school where resentment can easily run many people, stories like this can help students immensely if they will only let them.
