“This is what Yahweh asks of you—only this—
to act justly, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with your God.”
Beautiful, simple, direct words—words that we as educators can easily say “yes” to. We want to dedicate ourselves not only to acting justly, but to helping others to do what is right and to love what is good. Even as we say “yes”, we know that there is still a deeper question: “What does it mean to act justly in the daily situations of our life?”
Caught up in constant activity, demands, change, noise, our homes and places of work often are places where justice is overlooked in the urgency of “getting things done.” We may forget to give each person the special time needed to meet his/her needs. Doing justice is giving what rightfully belongs to someone. As the people of God, we need to give all those we meet the attention they deserve, the help they need. We need to treat each other with a respect that is genuine and sincere.
What does it mean to love tenderly? If we act justly, we are well on the way to loving tenderly. Loving is the natural follow-up to justice. It entails giving MORE than is required. Most people, especially at this time of year, are feeling pressured and harried. We may be counting down the shopping days much as children do, waiting for Christmas. Instead we are called to open our eyes to each person in need. We are called to love tenderly by helping out a friend who is stressed, by reaching out to another who is sad, by showing interest in someone who is not ordinarily a chosen companion.
What does it mean to walk humbly with our God? None of us is perfect; all of us need God. We are called to acknowledge our weaknesses and limitations, to be aware that we do not have all the answers, and that we are in need of each other’s gifts and talents, prayers and support.
In this time of Advent, we wait. We wait for many things, but most importantly we wait for a renewed awareness of God’s life active in our own. We wait for the simplicity of a child to be reborn in us. We wait to receive the gift of generosity shown by gentle shepherds and faith-filled wise men. We wait for the goodness and provident care of God to be revealed in our daily lives.
We pray for all of our needs and intentions through Mary’s intercession. She teaches us above all what it means to act justly, to love tenderly, to walk humbly and to wait patiently. . .
Sr. Marie Paul Grech
In the Hands of the Potter 
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