FEBRUARY 2017
LEARNING, FAITH & LEADERSHIP A Kennedy Catholic Lancer Publication
COMMUNI-K PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE The Sermon that Keeps on Giving
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Mike Prato - President
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Gospel of St. Matthew 5: 3-10
My father died ten years ago. His passing caused my world to change drastically. My mentor and the person who set an example for me as a father and husband, soon became a memory. Not a religious man by nature, I wondered how to honor his life while at the same time inviting others in? I discovered the Beatitudes, and in researching their underlying meaning, learned it was Jesus’ intent for these pronouncements to offer the promise of salvation - not in this world, but in the next. Perfect. I set about putting the Sermon on the Mount into Lawrence John Prato’s 84 years of life. Recently, the Sunday Gospel reading featured those very same Beatitudes I contemplated years ago. I found myself drifting back to my reflections and wondered how the Beatitudes might guide me in my life. I soon came to realize the Holy Spirit was preparing me for another family loss. Last weekend, I went to visit my dad’s sole surviving sibling, who was hospitalized and in ICU. The conversation would be my last with him. He slipped into a coma an hour after I left and passed away a day later. My prayer for him and over him was a plea for God to favor him for living the Beatitude life – and an additional prayer of my own: “Pursuing holiness isn’t complicated. The Sermon on the Mount gave us a way to behave.” After all, my Uncle (Unk as I called him) lived it. continued on page 16 Kennedy Catholic High School
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