A Student's Story (P) #1

Today I ran into P at a shop near the school. P, my student last year, is someone I've written about once before. He surely couldn't be here, yet by chance I was able to see him today at the shop where he often worked. P was packing up food at the shop as before. Walking past the shop where he worked, not even realizing it was P, I recognized him the moment I looked inside and he greeted me. He finished packing and came outside briefly to welcome me. Since he shouldn't have been here, I asked him how he'd ended up back here. He said that, as he'd told me, he'd worked under his uncle and saved up about 30 million won. But that 30 million, after he fell into gambling, at one moment exceeded 40 million and then soon dwindled to 10 million, he said. He said that incident snapped him to his senses. So he came back here, where he used to work, and he said that earlier, when I was walking past the shop, he'd seen and recognized me; and that after recognizing me, he'd contacted last year's classmates, and L said we should gather later, meet me, share a meal, and talk honestly. Watching P recount a story that unfolded in such a short time, I briefly recalled the many things that had happened with him, and then my own shameful points. Meanwhile I felt grateful to P, who still regards me kindly. He asked about my life these days, and I answered that I was fine. I added the stories of a few students who'd spent the same year in the same class with him. J went to the military earlier than expected; another P and C also went to the military, and P and C had even called him, he said. For a while I talked with P, who'd come out to talk with me, about the people who'd been briefly forgotten from my mind, and I quickly returned to last year's me, bringing out good memories and having an enjoyable time.

Since I happened to learn today that P works there, I thought that, if the chance comes, I'd like to buy something there and do something that could help him. I repent of having, in the past, briefly recalled him with ill feeling. I'll find and post a related Gospel passage. It's a Gospel about self-reflection.

Luke 6:27-38
At that time Jesus said to his disciples: 'But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the one who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend, expecting nothing back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.'