Beyond the Classroom (continued)

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Where service and contemplation meet

In her own experience and as a support to others, Caroselli has found that balancing contemplation and service in the Christian life often isn’t easy, but that the endeavor is worth the effort. After all—as St. Gregory modeled in his own life—remembering the importance of loving one’s neighbor through service is very often a result of prayer and contemplation. And serving others in love frequently leads to spiritual contemplation and understanding. In a similar way, John Bechtold finds the cemetery to be “a place for quiet contemplation,” where his work regularly reminds him that time on earth is limited and that daily choices truly matter. “It causes you to think when you see the life span of a person on a gravestone,” he says. “I think about the families represented in the cemetery—including those I know from the Grantham and Messiah College communities—and the lives lived, both long and short. It’s a reminder that we need to number our days and not take them lightly.”