The 8th Graders at Incarnation Catholic School created a class book while in 2nd grade (during the 2005 - 06 school year) titled, "If I Had Magic Powers..." In it, each student was given a two page spread: one for their explanation of "magic" powers and the other for their accompanying drawing.
Many of the entries were typical of 2nd graders,
"If I had magic powers everything I touched would turn to gold and I would be President of the United States."
"If I had magic powers I would wish every day was Christmas. People would get lots of presents and see Santa and his reindeer."
"...I would fly away." "...my dog would fly with me." "...I could zap myself into my guineapigs size. Then no one would be able to see us. We would be able to sneak into Busch Gardens and go on all the rides." "...I could turn invisible and scare people on Halloween. I could scare my cousin on Halloween, too." "...I would turn people into frogs if they're mean to me." "...I would make Star Wars real."
"If I had magic powers I would go to the Milky Way and visit Planet Peace. The aliens there would be called Twonkeys."
Others, though, took on a much deeper slant:
"If I had magic powers I would make it rain money, so I could buy food for all people."
"If I had magic powers I would make sweets healthy for us. I would eat doughnuts, candy and ice cream all the time. They could only serve that in the cafeteria."
"If I had magic powers I would make everyone happy every day. And every day everybody would stop fighting and be nice to one another."
"...I could buy a bike and give it to a child who doesn't have one."
"...I would make kids smarter so they can pass all their tests."
"If I had magic powers I would make everyone stop fighting. And I would make war stop, too."
As products of a Catholic School, these 8th grade graduates may not possess magical powers with the abilities to visit the home of the Twokeys or even eradicate poverty, but they do possess gifts and talents to make our world a better place.
They may not have Midas's touch, they may not be able to defy gravity, and they may not be able to make the junk food that we put into our bodies any less unhealthy than we already have. But, because of the benefit of a Catholic education, they have have an education rooted in Christ, so they not only have knowledge but also a moral compass. Being formed as disciples of Jesus, they have been fitted into a Mold that won't allow the world to squeeze them into its own.
Some day they will pass policy that will provide food for all people. Some will figure out a way to establish and keep peace. They will impart knowledge. They will care for those who have less than they do. They will work to make people healthier. They will spread happiness.
They will take the world that they will inherit from us and do what they can to make it better than how we gave it to them.
Even as second graders they had a sense that the world was in need of fixing. That in some way, it was broken and that they were being called, by Jesus, to use their "magic powers" to make it better.
As products of a Catholic School, they may not have magic powers, but they do have heavenly ones - and those are about as magical as you can get.
Congrats, ICS Class of 2012. Good luck and God bless.
