Feast of Saint Gilbert of Sempringham

Good morning.  Today in the Gospel we read about Jesus curing a blind man.  In doing so, He asks the man “Do you see anything?” (Mk 8: 23).  If we were to turn that question about and direct it toward ourselves, we might ask ourselves where we see Christ in our lives.  And as parents we might ask ourselves where our children see Christ in their lives. As parents it is our obligation as the primary teachers of the faith for our children to provide them opportunities to discover Christ and to grow in a relationship with Him. One of the ways we are able to help our children come to see Jesus in their lives is through teaching them to be charitable. This begins by our modeling for our children what giving is about.  Teaching our children the virtue of charity and helping them learn how to incorporate it into their daily lives is one of the most important gifts we can offer our children.  The Saint we commemorate today, Saint Gilbert of Sempringham, helped form a religious community and one of the customs of this community was to set aside a plate at each meal for Jesus.  A portion of each meal was set aside and given to the poor.  This idea of setting aside a plate for Jesus is a very simple and meaningful way to help our children come to see and know Jesus by learning to set aside a portion of what God provides for those less fortunate.  Teaching our children to set aside a portion of what they and to give preferential consideration for the poor is a valuable lesson to teach our children.  In just a few short weeks we will be entering the season of Lent, a time we are called upon to make a special effort to respond to the needs of the poor.  Catholic Relief Services has a program called Operation Rice Bowl which helps those of us who have been materially blessed to share in the hunger and struggles with those who have not been so blessed.  Catholic Relief Services has a website that offers a variety of ways for families to incorporate teaching moments into their lives towards learning to see Jesus in the lives of the poor.  Make a great day!

Today we recall the good life, gifts and works of Saint Gilbert of Sempringham.