The Easter season features readings from the Acts of the Apostles. These tales of Jesus's disciples turned missionaries demonstrate the radical power of the Holy Spirit and the entrepreneurial approach to building the Church and extending the Kingdom of God on earth.
From healings to mass conversions to prison escapes to the ground shaking with the boldness of the apostles, these passages should encourage us as ministers and fellow missionary apostles.
In many ways, the work we have undertaken across Catholic education resembles the start-up mentality of these early Church heroes. Not to discount the hundreds of years of collective existence of our schools, we have been called to lead in times of transition and in ways that move from survival to thriving vitality.
These efforts require iterative drafts and models of policies, procedures, systems, and structures aimed at enhancing our work to live out the mission of our schools and carry out the vision for Catholic education of our Church
These starts and stops, revisions and edits, and successes and failures require apostolic leadership traits: missionary, visionary, strategic, collaborative, analytical, and professional.
We must balance and integrate origins and innovations. We must complement aspirational visions with concrete strategies. We must couple humble analysis with consistent professionalism. We must collaboratively bring others into these both-and approaches, inviting others into the important work of advancing the mission of Christ, His Catholic Church, and our schools.
Let us find inspiration in the acts of the apostles and boldly proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ so that the ground shakes. Let us imitate the first disciples and bring healing to a broken and wounded world so that the lame will rise up and dance. Let us walk in the footsteps of the giants that have gone before us - St. Mary, St. Peter, St. John the Evangelist, Pope Francis, and so many other holy women and men - so that others may come to know Christ through our words and actions.
“There must be nothing little among us; we must have the hearts of Apostles" (St. Julie Billiart).
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