+Lord, open our lips. And we shall praise your holy name.
We celebrate the memorial of your Death and Resurrection, Lord, and we offer you the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation. We give thanks that you have held us worthy to stand in your presence and minister to you.
At the Last Supper, you instructed us to take and eat the Bread of life and to drink from the Chalice of salvation. Blessed are we who are called to the supper of the Lamb.
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father.”
Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.
Reflection:
Lord, at the Last Supper, you instituted the Eucharist. You give us your Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the bread and the wine that we receive at Mass. We are so thankful for calling us to Your table. May we who receive the Eucharist become who we receive. May we who receive the Eucharist become more like You.
Closing Prayer:
Jesus, strengthen us to follow your instructions to receive our daily bread, the Bread of life, as we pray:
Our Father...
Lord, bless us, keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.+
+Lord, open our lips. And we shall praise your holy name.
We celebrate the memorial of your Death and Resurrection, Lord, and we offer you the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation. We give thanks that you have held us worthy to stand in your presence and minister to you.
May your Body and Blood make us one with you. May it make us into the people that you have created us to be.
Reading:
When he entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.”
He said to him, “I will come and cure him.”
The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven, but the children of the kingdom will be driven out into the outer darkness, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”
And Jesus said to the centurion, “You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.” And at that very hour [his] servant was healed.
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.
Reflection:
Jesus, we, too, are unworthy to have you enter under the roofs of our mouths and into the depths of our being. Yet, despite our unworthiness, you invite us to Your heavenly banquet to eat of the Bread of Life. May our partaking of Your Precious Body and Blood redeem us, restore us and bring us to everlasting life.
Closing Prayer:
Lord, please come to us in the Eucharist and heal us as you healed the centurion's servant; only say the word and our souls shall be healed. You are the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are we who are called to the supper of the Lamb:
Our Father...
Lord, bless us, keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.+
+Lord, open our lips. And we shall praise your holy name.
We celebrate the memorial of your Death and Resurrection, Lord, and we offer you the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation. We give thanks that you have held us worthy to stand in your presence and minister to you.
May this daily bread give us the strength to serve both you and others, bringing glory to your holy and precious name.
Before the feast of Passover,* Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end. The devil had already induced* Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over. So, during supper, fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God, he rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Master, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later.”
Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered him, “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.”
Simon Peter said to him, “Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.”
Jesus said to him, “Whoever has bathed* has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over; so you are clean, but not all.”
For he knew who would betray him; for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
So when he had washed their feet [and] put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.
Reflection:
Lord, at the Last Supper, in addition to instituting the Eucharist, you also issued a commission for your disciples to serve You through service to others. With nourishment from the Eucharist, may we follow the command given to us at the end of each Mass to "Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life" by washing the feet of others.
Closing Prayer:
Lord, may we have the courage to follow your model of service. In a spirit of humility, we pray:
Our Father...
Lord, bless us, keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.+
+Lord, open our lips. And we shall praise your holy name.
We celebrate the memorial of your Death and Resurrection, Lord, and we offer you the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation. We give thanks that you have held us worthy to stand in your presence and minister to you.
Stir our hearts so that they burn with love for you. Reveal yourself to us, like you did for the apostles, in the breaking of the bread at the Eucharistic table.
Now that very day two of them were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them, “What are you discussing as you walk along?” They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?”
And he replied to them, “What sort of things?”
They said to him, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive. Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see.”
And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures. As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. But they urged him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning [within us] while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?”
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them who were saying, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.
Reflection:
Lord, the disciples recognized you in the breaking of the bread. May we see your Real Presence in the Eucharist and may our hearts burn for this communion with you and with others. May we, like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, run to tell others of your infinite goodness.
Closing Prayer:
Jesus, your heart burns with love for us. We humbly pray that partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ can make our hearts burn with love for you and for others:
Our Father...
Lord, bless us, keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.+
+Lord, open our lips. And we shall praise your holy name.
We celebrate the memorial of your Death and Resurrection, Lord, and we offer you the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation. We give thanks that you have held us worthy to stand in your presence and minister to you.
Take the fruit of the earth and vine and the work of our human hands - this bread and wine - and transform them so that they may become the bread of life and our spiritual drink.
When Jesus heard of it, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.”
[Jesus] said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”
Then he said, “Bring them here to me,” and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking* the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over*—twelve wicker baskets full.
Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.
Reflection:
Jesus, please take our meager offering of bread and wine and transform them into your Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Eucharist. May we who eat at the Eucharistic table become who we receive, multiplying your presence in our lives and in our world.
Closing Prayer:
Jesus, with your grace, our efforts are multiplied into something beyond measure. With thankful hearts, we pray:
Our Father...
Lord, bless us, keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.+
+Lord, open our lips. And we shall praise your holy name.
We celebrate the memorial of your Death and Resurrection, Lord, and we offer you the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation. We give thanks that you have held us worthy to stand in your presence and minister to you.
May the mingling of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive it.
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”
[And] Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons.
Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim.
Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it.
And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.”
Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.
After this, he and his mother, [his] brothers, and his disciples went down to Capernaum and stayed there only a few days.
Reflection:
Jesus, in your first act of public ministry, you turned water into wine. In the mystery of the Eucharist we believe that you transform water and wine into Your Precious Blood. Your love for us is poured out at the altar of salvation.
May we who are blessed to be called to the supper of the Lamb become who we receive. As we receive your Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Eucharist may you transform us into the people you created us to be.
Closing Prayer:
Jesus, your love for us overflows in abundance. With thankful hearts, we pray:
Our Father...
Lord, bless us, keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.+
+Lord, open our lips. And we shall praise your holy name.
We celebrate the memorial of your Death and Resurrection, Lord, and we offer you the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation. We give you thanks that you have held us worthy to stand in your presence and minister to you.
Please give us this day our daily bread, which is the Bread of Life come down to us from heaven. Amen.
Then the LORD said to Moses: I am going to rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion; thus will I test them, to see whether they follow my instructions or not.
On the sixth day, however, when they prepare what they bring in, let it be twice as much as they gather on the other days.
So Moses and Aaron told all the Israelites, “At evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt;
and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, when he hears your grumbling against him. But who are we that you should grumble against us?”
And Moses said, “When the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening and in the morning your fill of bread, and hears the grumbling you utter against him, who then are we? Your grumbling is not against us, but against the LORD.”
Then Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole Israelite community: Approach the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.”
But while Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they turned in the direction of the wilderness, and there the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud!
The LORD said to Moses:
I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them: In the evening twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will have your fill of bread, and then you will know that I, the LORD, am your God.
In the evening, quail came up and covered the camp. In the morning there was a layer of dew all about the camp, and when the layer of dew evaporated, fine flakes were on the surface of the wilderness, fine flakes like hoarfrost on the ground. On seeing it, the Israelites asked one another, “What is this?” for they did not know what it was.
But Moses told them, “It is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat."
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Reflection:
Jesus, you gave Moses and the Israelites manna while they waited in the wilderness to enter the Promised Land. Every morning the dew would evaporate and bread would be left behind, and the Israelites would eat until they were full. This bread satisfied the physical hunger of our spiritual ancestors and every day you would bless them in this way.
But, the daily bread that you give to us in the Eucharist is the eternal bread that has come down from heaven. It does not perish. Rather it is the source of all life.
Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of this daily bread. Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of the Bread of Life.
Closing Prayer:
Jesus, thank you for sending down like the dewfall your Spirit upon the gifts of bread and wine so that they may become your precious Body and Blood. With thankful hearts, we pray:
Our Father...
Lord, bless us, keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.+
+Lord, open our lips. And we shall praise your holy name.
At the Eucharist, we celebrate the memorial of your Death and Resurrection, Lord, and we offer you the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation. We give thanks that you have held us worthy to stand in your presence and minister to you.
Humbly we pray that, partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ, we may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.
You are the bread of life, Lord. Please give us this day our daily bread so that we might have life in You. Amen.
Reading:
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John. Glory to You, O Lord.
Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.”
So they said to him, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?”
Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”
So they said to him, “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
So they said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst."
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.
Reflection:
Jesus, you are the Bread of Life, which is the bread of God from heaven. Jesus, you are the Bread of Life, which gives life to the world. When we come to you, we will never hunger. When we believe in you we will not thirst. Thank you for this food that endures for eternal life.
Jesus, when you tell us that you are the Bread of Life, you mean what you say. The Bread of Life is not a symbol. The Bread of Life is not a metaphor. The Bread of Life is a person and that person is you! You give yourself to us in the bread and wine, your Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, in the Eucharist.
Thank you, Jesus, for giving us the Bread of Life.
Thank you, Jesus, for giving us yourself.
Closing Prayer:
Jesus, we believe that the Eucharist is your Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Thank you for calling us to join you in this feast and for the bread of God from heaven, which gives life to the world. With thankful hearts, we pray:
Our Father...
Lord, bless us, keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.+
Closing Song:
I Am The Bread Of Life
By: Suzanne Toolan, performed by the Notre Dame Folk Choir
I am the bread of life
You who comes to me shall not hunger
You who believes in me shall not thirst
No one can come to me
Unless the father beckons
And I will raise you up
And I will raise you up
And I will raise you up
On the last day.
The bread that I will give
Is my flesh for the life of the world
And if you eat of this bread
You shall live forever
You shall live forever
And I will raise you up
And I will raise you up
And I will raise you up
On the last day.
Unless you eat
Of the flesh of the Son of Man
And drink of his blood,
And drink of his blood,
You shall not have life within you.
And I will raise you up
And I will raise you up
And I will raise you up
On the last day.
And I will raise you up
And I will raise you up
And I will raise you up
On the last day.
A part of our Catholic faith tradition, praying novenas involves the following:
Nine days of public or private prayer for some special occasion or intention. Its (novena's) origin goes back to the nine days that the Disciples and Mary spent together in prayer between Ascension and Pentecost Sunday. Over the centuries many novenas have been highly indulgenced by the Church. In modern times the one before Pentecost was prescribed for parochial churches. (Etymology: Latin - novem, meaning nine.) (from: https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/dictionary/index.cfm?id=35169)
Incorporating novenas into my own faith life began about five years ago, coinciding with my participation in praying the Rosary. From employing novenas for large school events as a Catholic school principal, to praying them in anticipation of retreats, the start of semesters, and/or speaking opportunities in my current role as an assistant teaching professor at the University of Notre Dame, to praying novenas for a variety of personal reasons, devoting oneself to prayer in anticipation of an event or life moment can properly orient the impetus for the novena towards our Lord. Efficacy aside, novenas can adequately prepare our hearts and minds for important occurrences.
Spring often marks the season of Sacraments. From weddings to confirmations to first Holy Communions, the celebration of sacraments experiences an uptick in most dioceses during and after the season of Easter.
In searching for novenas to pray with my family in anticipation of my children's reception of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion, I have been underwhelmed with resources I have found.
They either seemed to be too childish and/or too watered down/not based upon scripture, teaching and tradition.
Being invited to the Supper of the Lamb and receiving the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ for the first time merits more than clip art, prayers about responsibility and kindness, and absolutely no connection to the Mass/Sacred Scripture/Church teaching.
So, I created my own.
Starting tomorrow and running for eight days thereafter, I will post what I believe is a novena truly worthy of the event (in this case First Holy Communion), the person receiving the Sacrament, and our Lord.
This isn't to say that our Lord cares about what we say, how we say it, or any of the trappings of external appearances.
"But the LORD said to Samuel: Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. God does not see as a mortal, who sees the appearance. The LORD looks into the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).
God desires our hearts - solely, completely, wholly, and holy.
But, the words we say, the images that we see, and the amount of time we spend on something can unveil what we treasure, "For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be" (Matthew 6:21). Similarly, giving the Lord and others our very best makes investments in our hearts to expand their capacities to know, love, and serve God.
Similarly, this is not to say that the Lord needs anything more than our meager offerings to perform miracles. He creates from nothing. He puts life back into things that are dead. He can take anything we give Him and work it for His purposes.
So, Lord Jesus, please take this novena and work it for your glory.
So, Lord Jesus, please take us and work us for your glory as well.
Fall on your knees in worship so that you might rise up in majesty.
Lift your hands and hearts in praise.
Move.
A line from the Gospel on Good Friday has stayed with me for a week in regard to movement.
So Judas got a band of soldiers and guards from the chief priests and the Pharisees and went there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen to him, went out and said to them, “Whom are you looking for?”
They answered him, “Jesus the Nazorean.”
He said to them, “I AM.”
Judas his betrayer was also with them. When he said to them, “I AM,” they turned away and fell to the ground. (John 18:3-6)
Upon His arrest, Jesus answers, "I AM," and the guard turned away and fell to the ground.
The power of the name of Jesus, the Word of God, moves. It creates. It heals. It inspires - literally breathing life into the dead. It brings people to their knees, either in fear or in reverence. It rolls away stones.
Jesus's name, words, and life move the world.
From His sorrowful passion to His Resurrection to the many encounters that He had with the disciples after conquering sin and death, Jesus's insertion into time and place has caused ripples that continue to emanate outward throughout the world and down through the centuries. Jesus has catalyzed the "missionary thrust" that continues to move in our ministry:
And so, now as in the past, the Catholic school must be able to speak for itself effectively and convincingly. It is not merely a question of adaptation, but of missionary thrust, the fundamental duty to evangelize, to go towards men and women wherever they are, so that they may receive the gift of salvation. (Congregation for Catholic Education, #3)
A short review of the Octave of Easter reveals more movement, more action:
Easter Vigil: Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome bring spices to anoint Christ's body. The stone "had been rolled back; it was very large." Mary Magdalene, Mary and Salome go and tell Peter and the disciples that Jesus will meet them in Galilee (Mark 16:1-7).
Easter Sunday: Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb early in the morning. The stone is removed and she runs to tell Peter and John. Peter and John run to the tomb, with John running faster than Peter. They go into the empty tomb (John 20:1-9).
Easter Monday: Mary Magdalene and Mary (the mother of James) leave the tomb and run to announce the news to Jesus's disciples. They approach Jesus, who encounters the Marys on their way to the disciples, embrace His feet, and do Him homage. They continue on their way to tell the disciples (Matthew 28:8-15).
Easter Tuesday: Mary Magdalene, after encountering the risen Jesus, goes and announces to the disciples all that Jesus had told her (John 20:11-18).
Easter Wednesday: The disciples on the road to Emmaus, after walking 7 miles to get there and enjoying an encounter and meal with the risen Jesus, "set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the Eleven...(and) the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread" (Luke 24:13-35). For those keeping score, that's 14 miles!
Easter Thursday: The disciples touch Jesus and give Him a piece of baked fish to eat (Luke 24:35-48).
Easter Friday: The disciples, upon the suggestion of Jesus, throw their nets to the right side of the boat and catch 153 fish. After recognizing Jesus, Peter tucks in his garnet, jumps out of his boat and swims ashore. The disciples eat bread and fish with Christ (John 21:1-14).
Easter Saturday: Mary Magdalene goes and tells the disciples that she has encountered the risen Jesus. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus return to tell the other disciples about their encounter with Jesus. Jesus then appears to the disciples who were eating and says to them: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:9-15). See the Acts of the Apostles for the movement that this inspired.
Divine Mercy Sunday: Thomas touches the risen Christ and believes (John 20:19-31).
Movement.
Running. Telling. Announcing. Acting. Eating.
Believing.
Jesus is who He says He is. He conquered sin and death. He's inviting all of us into relationship with Him.
"Given the new and ever-widening range of resources available to educators today, some might advance the argument that schools require-albeit teachers may demand-better materials. All well and good, but buildings, stadia, desks, chalkboards, and even books do not a school make, for the teacher is the soul of the school."
-Bishop John Mussio
Today is the feast of the patron saint of teachers, St. John Baptist de La Salle. The Catholic faith has no shortage of holy women and men involved in Catholic education. From St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, to St. Katharine Drexel, to St. Frances Cabrini, to St. John Bosco, to Bl. Basil Moreau, our faith is filled with many heroes of Catholic schools.
Catholic educators also stand upon the shoulders of countless giants who paved the way for us today. From the religious sisters who staffed and supported our Church's schools in this country from our infancy through the golden age of Catholic education in mid 1900s, to the courageous lay women and men who have worked tirelessly and faithfully for their entire careers, Catholic school teachers deserve our honor and celebration.
While something that has improved yet remains an important effort among Catholic school leaders, Catholic school teachers have often sacrificially accepted more duties and less pay than public school counterparts. My dad would often joke with my mom, a 20-year veteran of Catholic schools, that her reward would be great in heaven.
While I think his exact words were "time off from purgatory" my mom's and all Catholic educator's eternal recompense would be worthwhile.
Again, while fighting for better wages for all employees within the Church is an important and necessary task of all Catholic leaders, there is something to be said for the redemptive work carried out by faithful Catholic educators every day.
The Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, in 1977, declared the following:
In this way the Catholic school performs "an authentic apostolate". To work, therefore, in this apostolate "means apostolate performing a unique and invaluable work for the Church". (The Catholic School, #63)
An apostolate is the work of the apostles. The apostles established Jesus Christ's one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church and carried out the work of the great commission to "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit,teaching them to observe all that (Christ has) commanded (us)" (Mt. 28:19-20).
Furthermore, and for what it's worth, the Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education praises teachers for their work:
The Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, to foster the full realisation of the aims of the Catholic school, extends once more its warmest and heartfelt encouragement to all who work in these schools. There can be no doubt whatever of the importance of the apostolate of teaching in the total saving mission of the Church. (The Catholic School, 1977, #88)
So, while new technologies and educational methodologies, especially during this time of hybridization, are important to adapt the apostolate of Catholic education to the current times, the teacher, as stated by Bishop Mussio in the 1950s, is still and will always be the soul of the school.
May today, on the feast of our patron, St. John Baptist de La Salle, and in the Octave of Easter (keep celebrating), all teachers in Catholic schools be filled with the power and hope and joy of the Holy Spirit so that Catholic schools can continue to add their "weight consciously and overtly, to the liberating power of grace, (so) that (they become) the Christian leaven in the world" (Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, 1977, #84).
Catholic school educators, in the words of another hero of our ministry, St. Julie Billiart (whose feast happens to be on April 8!), "There must be nothing little among us; we must have the hearts of Apostles."
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