"Your sorrow shall be turned into joy." St. John, 16:20.
This is the story about a boy who was born in a log cabin, who grew up to be president of the United States. No, it was not Abraham Lincoln.
This boy's first name was James. He had a hard time getting an education. There were very few books in his log cabin home. These he read and read again until he almost knew them by heart. His mother was poor, so he chopped wood, plowed fields, drove mules, and worked in a lumber mill to help support his mother.
Finally he made enough to go to college, where he studied hard. When he was not studying he was working; he had to. Another boy in his class was also a good student, so good that he almost beat James. Late one night after Jim had finished studying and was about to go to bed, he saw a light in a window across the street.
"Ah," he said to himself, "my friend is still studying. If he can study this late, so will I. I better put in another hour at my books."
And he did, not just that night, but every night. As a result he graduated with high honors from Williams College. After graduation he set out to make his way in the world. Step by step he advanced, until in 1880 he was elected the twentieth president of the United States. Can anyone of you tell me his name?
Yes, it was James Arthur Garfield. Just twenty-five years before he moved into the White House he had seen that light in the window of his rival, and had decided to study just a little bit more. That is what made the big difference between President Garfield and the other young men of his time. He worked just a little harder than they did.
That is the way all great things are done. Great things are done by those who work just a little harder than others. Read the lives of all the wonderful men and women of our country. All of them put extra time and effort to their work.
1. Look at the two greatest Americans - Washington and Lincoln. When they were boys and young men they worked hard, they studied hard. They wasted no time, especially in school. They did not wait for any bell to ring or whistle to blow. They worked until their job was finished.
2. Look at our wonderful doctors. For years they study hard to help people get well and stay well. They learn all they can about the body and about medicine. The more a doctor knows, the better he will be. It is the same with a lawyer and a teacher.
3. The next time you go to a big store or factory look at the boss. You may think he has an easy job. Don't fool yourself. He often works harder than anybody else. Before he became boss he worked day and night to do the job better than anybody else.
4. You boys wish you could be a Johny Lujack and shoot passes for Notre Dame. You wish you could hit home runs like Ted Williams or Joe DiMaggio. Some of you would like to be a great musician or singer. It's fine to wish those things, but wishing alone will not get you there. You have to work and work hard to be a star in anything. You have to practice day after day for long hours. You have to cut out smoking and drinking, get to bed early, and eat things that are good for you, not just what you like.
You never see a great athlete stuffing himself with candy and cake; you see them eating things that will build muscles and a strong body. Anybody who wants to be extra good at anything, has to study and work extra hard. He has to see the 'light in the window'; he has to study and practice more than others.
5. This is especially true of the saints. We might say that the saints are star Catholics, champion Catholics. How did they become stars and champions for God? By praying a little more than other people; by receiving Holy Communion a little more often than others received; by doing more acts of charity; by studying their catechism more than others; by working extra hard to be saints.
Jesus tells us: "Your sorrow shall be turned into joy." When a boy or girl wants to be a great doctor or lawyer or writer or singer or actress or athlete or saint, that boy or girl has to work and study more than others. If you want to be president, you have to study like young James Garfield.
I hope that many of you want to be something, want to make something of yourself. Especially I hope that all of you want to become saints, that is, star and champion Catholics. Work at it. We need more Catholic doctors and lawyers and writers and great men and.women. How about it?
Now is the time, when you are in school, to start doing great things for God and for other men and women. Everything you learn will help you. Learn it well. Learn all you can. Study hard. Study extra hard.
It will be difficult, we all know. But after the work will come great success. After the sorrow of studying hard will come the joy of doing wonderful things - for God and the people of God. Amen.
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Adapted from Talks for Children
by Fr. Arthur Tonne, OFM (© 1948)
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