The Ants Go Marching

I used to really enjoy the start of the a new school year and the anticipation and excitement.

I still do.

I just grow weary right about now, when we have to prepare the classrooms, even though we cleaned and tidied at the end of the school year. This year, sensing my lack of enthusiasm for this particular task, Sister St. Aloysius decided to come along and pitch in. This means we have to bring Sister Mary Fiacre along, too, because we can't leave her home alone.

What a production!

Just getting there was a day's work. Then it seemed that wherever we parked her, was where we needed to be cleaning next.

What an opportunity to offer it up for the Souls in Purgatory! Heaven must be smiling on us with all the newly arrived saints.

Sister,
Please advise me of a saint or saints whose intercession would help me with the following on going (for years) problem with neighbours. Vindictive damage and attempted damage to property by the children, not to mention glaring, shouting abuse and general nuisance all brought on, as far as I know because we've spoken to the parents a couple of times about them throwing stones at the window and knocking on the door a few years back. Lately this has got worse as they had a visit from the police and I suspect they've decided it was us who called them (wrongly). We've just had to talk to the parents again about new damage, but they don't care at all and just deny it's their little angels and make excuses - e.g. "kids will be kids". To be honest this is affecting my whole well-being and causing no end of stress. I would love to move house because of this, but would feel a bit sad about having to, I had no desire to move before all this started years ago. We also can't afford to. Please don't tell me to just put up with it and stop whining - I've tried, unsuccessfully. Also, talking to the kids or their parents seems pointless. I really need some heavenly help with this!

You sure do!

Let me make sure I understand what you are asking. You are not asking how to make these people behave. Talking to the parents and the kids is pointless. The police can't stop them. You can't move.

You could try a very high fence on their side of the property.

But that isn't really what you're asking, it seems. It seems to me that you realize that if you don't have any options, you'll have to put up them with and stop whining, but you bring yourself to do that either.

Nonsense. If you're not going to move and you can't talk with them, you're only option is to put up with it.

In order to do that, you're going to have to change your outlook. You're going to have to do what Jesus asked us to do. It's just awful what He asks of us a lot of the time. It's easy when we just get to love people that we already love. It's easy when we get to love people who we don't even know, but who are doing us no harm, just existing on the planet with us.

The rubber meets the road when we are asked to love our enemies. Yes, He said enemies.

Just awful, isn't it? You can't even tolerate them, let alone love them.

Well, get on the bandwagon, sister. There is a very good chance, as we believe in a loving and forgiving God, that these folks will share eternity with you. You'll never get rid of them, not ever. You may as well start in loving them now.

Because everything that happens here is finite. But everything that happens later is infinite. Everything you do here is a preparation for what is going to happen to you there.

Apparently, since every avenue of relief is cut off from you, God gave you this cross to bear. So bear it the way God wants you to bear it, with love and with a smile.

I do have a saint for you. The ultimate "things could be worse" reminder of what it means to do what God asks of us.

St. Maximillian Kolbe. Your life is a picnic by comparison.

A happy, happy picnic with quite a number of ants in attendance.