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Links for Learners by Lynn and Bob Gillen October 2000 Click here for a complete listing of Links for Learners About Links for Learners | Links Disclaimer | Feedback
Links for Learning Finding Curriculum Connections for High School Teachers and StudentsThis month’s Links for Learners will support high school curriculum in:
Look for connections for use in programs outside the classroom, such as:
Understanding Basic Terms in This Month’s Article Look for the key words and terms below as you read the article. Definitions or explanations can be researched from the article itself, or from the resource materials cited throughout the Links for Learners. You can also find a list of terms on the glossary page of AmericanCatholic Youth.
Blessing as an Art If we were print journalists about to write an article about blessings for our local newspaper, we'd start by asking ourselves the traditional questions: who, what, when, where, why? This month's author gives us the framework to answer those questions. Our own thoughts and experiences will fill out the framework. Who Can Bless? Anyone. Anyone can offer a blessing. A blessing has its roots in our own relationship with God, the source of all good. If blessings are to flow freely from our hearts, they will do so because we are close to God. Like a tree or plant waiting for spring, rooted in the good earth and nourished by rain and sun, ready to bless the world with flowers, foliage and fragrance, we too will bless the world when we are rooted in God. What is a Blessing? A blessing has the receiver's good in mind. Jesus gave us the Beatitudes. He blessed the persecuted, the poor, those without a voice. His vision for them is a world filled with blessing. We too want those who receive our blessings to prosper, to flourish, to enjoy relationship with God. Wishing the best for someone doesn't always translate easily into benefit. It takes work and help. Blessing a difficult family situation, for example, won't automatically result in a peace-filled home. But the blessing will encourage us to work at better family relations. When a blended family comes together, building unity among siblings and stepparents doesn't just happen, even with the best intentions. When and where? Anytime, under any circumstances. Opportunities for blessing abound. The author suggests some. We can add to the list of possibilities.
Why Do We Offer
Blessing? We bless because God blessed. Genesis
tells us that as soon as God saw the world he had created, he blessed
it. Our author discusses the importance of the "ritual of transfer"
for a blessing. A blessing is a form of sacrament. When we bless,
we make the invisible (God's love) visible to someone. Sacraments
are physical signs, tangible expressions of the love of God. Blessing others (and ourselves) can be a form of forgiveness. See Thomas Richstatter's Catholic Update article on the sacrament of reconciliation for a further discussion of forgiveness. The Catholic Update series contains numerous articles on the sacramental life of the Church. St. Francis of Assisi was famous for the way he blessed everyone—and everything—around him. Check out the St. Francis Feature for more. Blessing Is a Choice Our author calls on us to bless, not curse. Anger is a swift and easy response to many situations, such as the way others drive in traffic. Blessing is a conscious choice. In his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey talks of the personal victory that we achieve when we take responsibility for our own actions. Anger is simply reaction to stimulus. The act of blessing inserts a step between stimulus and reaction, a step based on values and principles. When we live as though we have a relationship with God, we take responsibility for anger, insert a pause before the hostile reaction and bless someone or some situation as our response. Living in faith is a choice. Living as a Christian, as one who believes in God, is a choice. Nourishing our relationship with God strengthens our ability to make these positive choices. The simple act of blessing ourselves in the morning, of uttering a brief prayer before the day starts, reminds us of the values that drive our lives. It is a reminder of relationship.
Further Reading For more information on moving beyond violence to peace, see the transcript of a radio interview with Colman McCarthy, the founder of The Center for Teaching Peace, a Washington, D.C.-based organization.
Research
Resources
Try accessing
some of these Internet sources for further reference. Be aware, however,
that some of these sites may charge for downloading articles contained
within the site’s archives.
Pathfinder
- Access site to a number of online news publications
People
magazine
The
Close Up Foundation – Washington, D.C.-based organization
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