Years ago, when I was teaching in a middle school classroom, I told my students that if I was at a distance from them and they saw me engage the “ugly finder,” they were to stop what they were doing instantly. The “ugly finder” was a motion I made with my hand that pulsed my fingers in a cupping pattern. This worked like radar to detect any potential negative actions. I taught them this sign on the first day of school. Sometime later, the parochial vicar visited me at my classroom and asked if he could talk to me in the hallway. I positioned my body halfway in the hallway and halfway in the classroom. As our conversation continued, the volume of banter in the classroom increased. I stuck my hand in the classroom, did the “ugly finder” sign and the volume got noticeably quiet. My conversation with the priest continued. I employed the “ugly finder” two more times with the same effect. This intrigued the priest. He stepped into the classroom and did the sign. The students giggled at him. One called out, “Father, you don’t have the power!” Another, “You are not holy enough!” With that, the priest gave out a large, loud laugh that made the entire class giggle.
I am reminded of this story as I conclude my musings on the 7 Keys of Spiritual Wellness by Joseph Paprocki. In his book by the same title, the author states, “Christians have sought to live lives of holiness by entering into a relationship with the most authentic person in human history: Jesus Christ. … He is the real thing. He is authentic. And his love is authentic. We know this because he gave his life for us. Real love is unselfish and wants nothing in return. That’s the kind of love that God offers us. God’s love is selfless and unconditional. He wants only to give to us. That’s what it means to be holy. God invites us to be holy as He is holy. Holiness doesn’t mean that we have to be perfect. God is not calling us to be perfect; He calls us to be authentic. That means that we are called to love as God loves — unselfishly.1
Holiness is not mimicking the lives of the saints in our time and our day. It’s not about fasting and doing extreme penance. Holiness is all about living in our time and our day the life that God has called us to live; a life with and for him. That means we need to make a decision to put Him in the center of our very existence and live accordingly. To do this, we need to pray every single day, go to Mass at least on Sundays, and receive the sacraments, especially the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
This is the “power” that Christ gives to us at baptism, the power of being holy! Don’t let the “ugly finder” find you!
1Paprocki, Joe. 7 Keys to Spiritual Wellness: Enriching Your Faith by Strengthening the Health of Your Soul. Loyola Press, 2012. Pg. 110.
By Sister Geralyn Schmidt, SCC, Special to The Witness
