"There is nothing greater outside of Heaven than the act of reaching souls, strengthening, encouraging, enlightening and inspiring them so that they too become helpers, or at least draw closer to God in their struggles and difficulties. Whenever the Cross comes into our lives, be assured that it has come for a purpose."

~ A Sister of Notre Dame de Namur, A Book of Simple Words, imprimatur 1941.

We may have heard the story about the young monk who had trouble with saying unkind things about others. The prior told him to take a down pillow, rip it open, and scatter the feathers in the wind thoroughly. When the monk returned to the prior to tell him it was done, the prior said, "Now go collect every feather and bring it back to me." The young man's jaw fell. "But, but, Reverend Father, how could I possibly find every feather - they've scattered to the four winds!" 

The prior replied that this was exactly the way our uncharitable words scatter abroad. We repeat a bit of gossip or a slight against someone or a judgement on their character, and it is repeated, and carried on and on, until we could never gather back all those negative feathers.

But I'd like to offer the thought today that our positive efforts -- our encouragement of others, our strengthening words, our joy, our kindnesses -- also scatter to the four winds. We will never know how much good we may have done in this life, until Judgement Day, when all will be made clear! Scatter some kindness today!