Secret Agents

Yesterday Duquesne University Newsroom issued a press release about "a secret agent of sorts" who works in the University's history department. The announcement says, in part, that Laura Miller, a double alumna of Duquesne, "takes Duquesne’s principle of serving others seriously enough to start a 'secret mission' of her own. She literally became an agent for change as Secret Agent L, All-Around Swell Chick. Last July, she was planning to send a friend a birthday present, but the friend declined. 'Go do a random act of kindness in my name.' So began Miller’s mantra: Be kind. No exceptions."

More details about this chick and her mission can be found in the news release on the newsroom's Web site. Additionally, Miller has been keeping a blog on her random acts of kindness, which I look forward to exploring at my leisure. Miller is encouraging visitors to her blog to become "affiliated agents." Wouldn't it be grand and glorious if we all were secret agents of kindness? What a welcome revolution that would be!

Now I have a confession to make. I'm a secret agent, too. I've been one for so long that I can't even remember how it all began. I just recall that at some point in the early 70s, my dear and good friend Alice Spelman and I realized that we had both been called to be UABVMs -- Undercover Agents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Our mission was to spread the joy of being in love with Mary's beloved Son Jesus and to do it in our ordinary, everyday lives more by how we lived than by what we did or said. We would be like Our Lady, whose entire life magnified the Lord. Commissioned by the Mother of God, we set out, hearts full of her Son's love, to evangelize the evangelized, those people with whom we lived and worked day and night. It was so exhilarating and gratifying to be a UABVM -- and it still is! Details to follow in a future post. Duty is calling me now and I must get busy with another exciting day!

Be the living expression of God's kindness kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile. ~Blessed Mother Teresa