Do Good!

Full Circle House

After another fantastic school year (my 35th as an educator), I'm on a West Coast family getaway to recharge and re-energize. We are enjoying the beauty of Santa Barbara County, and currently staying at Presqu'ile Winery in Santa Maria just relaxing amidst hundreds of acres of all kinds of grapes, berries, avocados, and the San Rafael Mountains. 

I look for opportunities to attend Mass when visiting other cities. This morning, I attended Mass at St. Louis de Montfort in Santa Maria. During the first reading, Tobit 12:7 caught my attention. "Do good, and evil will not find its way to you."

Presqu'ile Winery

That verse should be memorized by all of us. It should be plastered on billboards, buses, buildings, subways, magazines, websites...but it isn't. It is hidden nice and neat in Tobit 12:7 where most people have no idea it even exists. How many people have ever read the Book of Tobit? How many Catholics know it is part of the Apocrypha? I'm not judging because I have read the Book of Tobit and had totally forgot that little verse until I heard it at Mass today.

"Do good, and evil will not find its way to you." So simple and easy to follow but only if we can remember to do so. I try to do good but sin is quick to follow. I try to do good but am sometimes selfish. I try to do good but often forget to help those most in need.

St. Louis de Montfort

I tend to forget that the rest of Tobit 12 deals with helping others who need help. It is about alms giving. It is about loving our neighbors. It is about Raphael, one of the seven angels, interceding to help us. Raphael interceded for Tobit because he did good. He did what he was supposed to do in helping others. So God sent Raphael to help Tobit. God will do the same for us if we can just remember to "Do Good!"

Aurs at Presqu'ile

Today's Mass reading was a great reminder to do good. I want Tobit 12:7 to be a constant reminder to everyone of us as we prepare for the 2023-24 school year. I need to start by making a poster out of this and hanging it at the school entrance and in the school office.

Hey Annmarie Ghio and Liz Wehmeyer! How about this being painted in the school hallway this summer? Maybe in the middle school hallway? Middle schoolers could sure use a lot of "Do Good" reminders.

God bless you and love,

Didier Aur