It’s National Catholic Schools Week in the United States and what a perfect Gospel reading to usher in the celebration.
I’ve written before on the prophetic nature of the Beatitudes—that greatest hits list of Christian hope. I’ve called it a “to do list” before, but in honor of the week perhaps we should call it a report card. I confess, I’m a mostly public school kid but one of the most profound gifts to our nation that our Church has given all Americans is our deep intellectual tradition. From the “Fighting Irish” to Fordham Law, our Catholic intellectual tradition is great.
But what makes a school Catholic? That’s a deeply complicated question and one we won’t solve here, but it seems it’s a journey we must embark on no matter how perilous. Are Catholic schools filled with Catholic students? Is that what makes them Catholic? Does a Catholic school teach theology everyday? Does that make them Catholic? The answers are as varied as our parishes, but a good place to start is with the Beatitudes. Back to that report card.
What makes our schools Catholic? Let’s see. . .Are we poor in spirit? As Pope Francis teaches, “one of God’s poor, suggesting lowliness, a sense of one’s limitations” (WYD Remarks, Palm Sunday Apr 13, 2014). Are we being merciful to our students, understanding that we are all sinners and knowing that inexcusable behavior is often understandable behavior? Are we keeping our hearts clean, are we handling problems with parents and faculty in the most professional way possible? Are we making tough decisions within our values? Are we taking on the challenge of being happy and joyful? Let the Beatitudes be the report card for our schools and let it be the hope of our hearts. It is our homework!
In Catholic schools we talk a lot about servant leadership. It is a phrase that mission directors like to invoke because it has obviously great marketing benefits, but it is a sincere goal for our students. Let us be leaders in service to model our first teacher Christ, “who came not to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:45). Have a great week, and get that homework done!
I’ll be seeing you,
Elliot