God Bless the Students

Sherry Hayes-Peirce considers specific ways to pray for children facing social, emotional, and academic challenges at school.

September ushers in new beginnings as the school year begins. Although I don’t have kids in school, there are many reminders for me. First of all, the parade of kids walking to school returns the normalcy of my daily routine of driving to work. It causes me to be more observant and to leave a little earlier as there are more cars on the road affecting my commute. 

The other day I noticed a little girl walking alone, and she appeared sad. She was dwarfed by the size of her backpack, and it looked so heavy for her tiny little body. Her eyes were focused on the ground, and the image tugged at my heart while I sat at the stop sign waiting for her to cross the street. 

At that moment I prayed to the Lord to bless this little girl today at school and at home when school is out. It also made me reflect on her backpack being a metaphor for the heaviness kids carry today. Attending a Catholic school was such a blessing for me and really helped to shape my faith. I think the little girl resonated with me because that is how I might have appeared to someone who saw me walking to school.

I loved to learn at school but was bullied by my fellow classmates. Unlike the little girl, no one would have ever described me as “little.” My size and race made me a target for bullies. My refuge was always sitting in our empty church at recess and after lunch to hide and pray. Their taunts “Sherry is scary,” “Sherry is hairy,” or “Mambo lips” still sting when I recall them. Maybe she is being bullied too!

The fear of bullying is real, and with so many school shootings there is such a need for prayer for safety at schools today. 

Then I thought about how the month of September is dedicated to the Sorrows of Mary and our Holy Father’s special intention this month is to pray for people living on the margins. Reflecting on the Sorrows of Mary there are analogies to reflect upon with the seven sorrows that mirror the fear and anxiety moms and students may feel:

• The Prophecy of Simeon foretells the future of the Lord Jesus. So many worry their child’s academic performance will affect their future success in life. With this in mind, maybe this child struggles to learn.
• The Flight into Egypt mirrors the experience of so many parents who are fleeing from different areas of the country placing kids in new environments or moving from public schools to homeschooling, creating fear and anxiety.
• The Loss of Jesus for Three Days reminds us of the loss of learning that so many kids experienced because of COVID; many are still playing catch-up.
• The Carrying of the Cross inspires us to consider the cross a parent or child will carry this year.
• The Crucifixion can serve to remind us that sometimes we must die to self to be filled with Christ.
• The Taking Down from the Cross serves as a reminder that Jesus is sometimes moved from the center of our lives and we lose focus on living a life that is centered on Christ.
• Jesus in the Tomb reminds us to remember He didn’t stay in that grave: He rose. As we experience things that may feel like death, that we too will rise.

Could the little girl be feeling one of the seven sorrows?

In terms of the pope’s intention to pray for the poor and those in the margins, could this child be from a family that is living in a car, cramped space or on the street? Did she have breakfast this morning, or is she exhausted from a lack of sleep? Maybe she carries more than her books in that backpack, because that is where she keeps personal belongings in addition to her school supplies.

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Could the sad little girl I saw walking to school be feeling one of the seven sorrows? #CatholicMom

Take time each morning to pray for and with your children before they head off to school. As you drive and see kids making their way to school, offer a prayer for them too. My prayer for the little girl that day was: 

Lord, help this little girl today to feel your presence.
Help her to learn her lessons well.
Send her a friend to play with.
Draw her eyes from down to the ground, so she looks up to heaven and around her world.
Keep her safe at school, on her journey home and with her family.
May she grow so that her backpack fits her body perfectly.
God bless students, teachers, and parents this year.

Copyright 2023 Sheri Hayes-Peirce
Images: Canva