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Life Lessons

Teaching Biology often includes Religion, Health, Latin, and Life lessons.  To make science vocabulary less daunting for my students, I give the Latin root of words, and this helps us discover meaning in the lessons to come.  I was giving the Latin for Kingdom Eubacteria that are found everywhere when one of my students asked if True is the root word, then what does Eucharist mean.  I am not a Googler for a quick answer but I allowed another student to look up and find thanksgiving as the meaning as I have heard before for Eucharist.  Then I broke the word down further: eu does mean true and charist is from charity.  So all day long I was able to also share in my Biology lesson on Bacteria that Eucharist means True Love!  The Life lesson was for the teacher today and for her to share this with others.  When we are in the presence of our Eucharistic Lord, we are before True Love!  Praying before the Blessed Sacrament, we experience True Love, given and received, the God Who is Love.  This may be a simple revelation, but it is a lesson I will not soon forget.  I am excited to continue learning Latin and Life, and I am full of thanksgiving for the meaning of our Lord's physical Presence on Earth, the Eucharist.  Let us gaze upon True Love!

- Sr. M. Benedicta, FSGM teaches at Alleman High School in Rock Island, IL.

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