This morning, before I turned on my computer, I looked out my window and saw one of the Christian Spirituality students standing in the Jesuit gardens -- facing the sun, with arms folded, in a position of prayer.  Then I began to prepare for my thoughts on today’s readings.

Here is what I found in the first Reading:

“O Lord, God of Israel, enthroned upon the cherubim!  You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth.  You have made the heavens and the earth.  Incline your ear, O Lord, and listen!  Open your eyes, O Lord, and see!…”

The prayers of the Old Testament are our same prayers today….  I don’t know if the Christian Spirituality student had those prayers in her heart or not, but I know they are mine today.  “Incline your ear, listen, and see, O Lord…..” 

In the Gospel according to Matthew I found these words:

“Treat others the way you would have them treat you: this sums up the law and the prophets.”  Ah, here is the challenge for the day….

Let’s take a look and see what I have already experienced…..and what will probably come my way today.  I have a wonderful position at Creighton.  I am Assistant to the President so I work with many people in our community.

Here’s my measuring stick:  “Treat others the way you would have them treat you….”

As I came into the building, I met three young teenage girls from the National Youth Sports Program (NYSP) who were trying to find their room for class…….We got them pointed in the right direction.  (I know when I am seeking direction, I need help and hope someone is there with honest directions.)

I met one of our cleaning crew on the 2nd floor of the Administration Building.  Dinah was busy cleaning the glass doors to one of the offices.  Dinah has recently been in a car accident.  “How are you feeling today, Dinah?” I asked  “Pretty well, thank you,” she answered.  Then she told me a little about how she is healing.  How important it is to think about people as “people” and not just as the person who cleans the hallway. 

My mom, a wonderful Danish Lutheran woman, would often say to me:  “Don’t ask someone else to do what you don’t want to do.”  To her that meant: “Don’t ask someone else to clean toilets, unless you are willing to clean them too.”  She trained me well.

This afternoon I will be in meetings with the President and some Vice Presidents.  My job is to help consider challenges and opportunities and do follow-up on issues not handled by Vice Presidents.  Above all, my job is to be honest. 

When someone is honest with me, I consider that honesty to be a great gift.  Honesty is not always found in conversations or deliberations.  Most of the time you know who will give you honest answers and who won’t.  Honesty is a great treasure.  I would like to share that treasure with others.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the flavor of my thoughts to share with you today. 

“Incline your ear, O Lord, and listen!…Hear our prayer….Help us treat others as we wish to be treated ourselves.”