Welcome to a New Year of Grace

My wife and I were driving to Florida from Massachusetts.  I had made arrangements to stop in three different cities and stay overnight at hotels.  I had carefully chosen each hotel based on my online research.  After a long day of driving, I wanted to have a nice place to stop, enjoy the local area, and get a good night’s sleep.

 

When we stopped on our second night, it became apparent the online photos had been photoshopped to make an aging 1960s motel look much better than it did in person.  I hoped for the best, but it was not good.  The room was hardly larger than the bed, and my wife was less than impressed.  We were both glad to get back on the road the next day.

 

The next day, I could tell my wife’s confidence in my ability to find suitable lodging was in question.  The hotel was located in the downtown area of our final stop.  We wove through the city traffic and pulled up to a hotel that was painted pink in a historic district.  I began to worry.

 

We entered the lobby, and things began to improve.  This hotel had been renovated.  Not only had it been renovated, but it was quite palatial.  Admittedly, I began to worry what room we had because this hotel was much nicer than my budget typically could afford.  I feared we would be given a room in the basement or some other place with other budget-conscious customers.

 

“Hello, Mr. Thornburg.  We have your room all ready for you.  I hope you don’t mind, but we have upgraded you.”

 

We were escorted to a suite near the top floor, on the corner, with a wonderful view.  Our suite included a living room, a workspace, a bedroom, and an extra-large bathroom.  My wife was quite impressed, and I was most thankful.

 

We had been shown unmerited favor and given the gift of a place to stay beyond our expectations.  We had been shown grace.

 

The Bible talks about the grace we have received through Jesus Christ.  In Ephesians, we are told, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." 

 

This verse reminds me of an acronym that summarizes God’s grace in the verse – “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.”  We have been given the gift of forgiveness of sins and the fullness of a relationship with God through Christ’s death.

 

Our Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools (XBSS) also speak of a gift, or a special grace found within our schools. 

 

 

We have each been gifted with talents, abilities, and faith, and we are loved unconditionally by God.  These are the gifts each of us has been given, and our Xaverian charism (another word for special gift or grace) calls us to share our special gifts with others.  In other words, we are people of grace sharing the goodness of God.

 

Welcome to a year of grace at Malden Catholic!  My prayer is that this year is filled with our faculty, staff, families, and students sharing their gifts with each other.  Our theme this year is One Community, One Journey, For the One. We are encouraged to share our gifts because of “The One,” our Heavenly Father, with “The One,” those that need us.