On Empty

One of my Dad's maxims for me as a new driver was to never allow your gas level to get below a quarter of a tank. That marker on the fuel gauge acted as the alert that I should stop and put in even $5 worth of gas. 

It only took me getting stranded once before I consistently heeded this advice. While cars require many fluids in order to function, a car without gas - that is not an electric vehicle - will no longer move. 

It stops. 

As I listened to yesterday's Gospel in which the devil tempts Jesus in the desert, it struck me that these temptations come after Jesus has spent 40 days in the desert. These wiles come to Jesus after not eating anything and as a result of this fast, being hungry. 

It is in this moment, when Jesus is on empty, that He is able to withstand the temptations for bodily pleasure (food), earthly power (authority over vast amounts of people), and pride (instead of trusting God, make Him prove Himself).

Instead of stopping, Jesus moves forward out of this time of temptation in the desert and into His ministry. 

Unfortunately, I operate more like a car than like Jesus. When I'm in the desert and/or on empty, I stop. I give in to temptations for bodily comfort, easy authority, and prideful despair. 

But, since Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, those of us who call ourselves His disciples can follow His example, trust that this example won't fail, and find new wellsprings of life as a result.  

When we're empty, we have hands free to serve, hearts open to love, and minds ready to learn. 

When we're empty, we have more room for Him: “Humanity was created for greatness—for God himself; we were created to be filled by God. But our hearts are too small for the greatness to which they are destined. They must be stretched” (Pope Benedict XVI, 2007, para. 33) and/or emptied. 

When we're emptied of ourselves and filled by God, we can find encouragement in St. Paul's words, “'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.' I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). 

Maybe being on empty enables us to put aside our own desires in favor of God's desires for us and our schools. 

Maybe being on empty allows us to more easily give away the gifts we receive from God for His glory, so that our hands can be open to receive and give even more gifts to our communities. 

Maybe being on empty humbly places us in a position of trust in God that our Catholic schools are His schools and that He's working "all things work for good for those who love Him, who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).

For the Greatness of God

Since last Monday, the first reading at mass has come from the Book of Sirach. Part of the Wisdom Books, last Tuesday featured a poignant line from chapter 2, "(W)hen you come to serve the LORD, stand in justice and fear, prepare yourself for trials" (Sirach 2:1).

Prepare yourself for trials when you come to serve the Lord by:

• standing in justice: give God and neighbor their due;
• standing in fear: reverent awe of God's majesty and power. 

This line from Sirach has resonated with me ever since a colleague shared it over 10 years ago during a particularly trying time in my principalship. Similarly, it has stayed with me all week. 

I serve the Lord through the ministry of Catholic education. This service has consumed the entirety of my professional career. Whereas I will always be willing to follow wherever He leads me, I do not anticipate serving the Lord in any other capacity.

So, while I readily accept my service-oriented mission, I am not so quick to embrace the guaranteed trials that will accompany this ministry.  

Sacred Scripture contains God's messages to us. I would do well to take this to heart. 

Prepare myself for trials when serving the Lord. As Pope Benedict XVI encouraged in a 2005 address, "Christ did not promise an easy life. Those who desire comforts have dialed the wrong number. Rather, He shows us the way to great things, the good, towards an authentic human life."​

In addition to this forewarning, God also provides the prescription in order to properly prepare for these trials: 

• Stand in justice - do the right thing, in the right way, at the right time, in the best way possible. 
• Stand in fear -  worship God. 

First, stand in justice. The means that we use must live up to the noble ends we hope to accomplish. Ensuring that others will know we are Christian by our love demands great sacrifice. It requires heroic effort to to faithfully behave, speak, and interact in ways that make Christ manifest to others. The trials will come even when we stand in justice; they happen more frequently, however, when we cut corners, turn and look the other way, and/or act in self-serving ways. 

Second, stand in fear through proper worship of God. Yesterday, my oldest daughter participated in a retreat in preparation for her Confirmation. As part of the activities included lectio divina, my family and I watched a short overview about this form of prayer as a way to remind her what this entailed. 

Fr. Josh Johnson focused on Luke 10:38-42 where Mary and Martha argue about who had chosen the better part. I have heard this story countless times, but it wasn’t until yesterday and hearing Fr. Josh's reflection that God communicated to me that Mary chose the better part, not because being with the Lord is better than serving, but because being with the Lord should precede service.

Serving the Lord entails trials. We minister in enemy-occupied territory. 

But, the gates of the netherworld will not remain locked in the presence of the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Whether we need reminded of the mission, or inspired by the vision, or debriefed on the strategies, or connected to collaborators, or given wisdom in analysis, or just a quick breath to ensure our professionalism lives up to the call of a disciple of Christ, going to God before serving will empower us to stand firm while serving.

Going to God before serving will also embolden us to achieve the greatness for which we have been created, even when it's hard, "The ways of the Lord are not easy, but we were not created for an easy life, but for great things, for goodness" (Pope Benedict XVI, 2005).  

Prepare yourself for trials. Stand in justice and fear. Serve the Lord. 

For the greatness of God. 

Normalizing the Principles of the Gospel

Christ is the foundation of the whole educational enterprise in a Catholic school. His revelation gives new meaning to life and helps man to direct his thought, action and will according to the Gospel, making the beatitudes his norm of life. The fact that in their own individual ways all members of the school community share this Christian vision, makes the school "Catholic"; principles of the Gospel in this manner become the educational norms since the school then has them as its internal motivation and final goal.

-Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, 1977, para. 34

Maureen Hallinan (2005) posited that the normative culture of the school - the expected set of behaviors and operating procedures - has three main components: norms governing academic performance, norms for social behaviors, and norms regarding the morals and values of the school community. 

As Catholic school leaders, we must accept and assume the responsibility for ensuring that the normative behavior in each of these three areas leads to excellence in academics, personal development, and faith formation. 

More than just higher test scores and rigorous standards of conduct, our Catholic schools must design and implement ways of behaving and operating that allow all students to flourish holistically - mentally, personally, and spiritually. 

From our admissions and enrollment management processes to our recruitment, hiring, and development of faculty and staff to our behavior systems to our expectations for teaching and learning, the norms within our Catholic schools must advance the school's mission. Anything that detracts, distracts, and/or destroys these mission-aligned efforts should be rooted out. Similarly, we must streamline all aspects of our schools so that they flow into the larger river of the school's mission. 

In many ways, based upon the principles of the Gospel, these norms must be counter-cultural. Instead of discipline programs having a punitive flavor they must be geared toward formation. 

Instead of elite institutions that only service those students and families with academic, behavioral, and economic strength, we must find ways to make our schools more accessible and affordable. 

Guidance services must provide more than just academic and college/career support; they must include a vocational component - what is God calling you to do now and/or in the future? 

Instead of just having large school-wide liturgical celebrations, we must also consider ways to circle smaller groups of students, teachers, and families - Jesus preached to thousands while discipling twelve-ish. 

Instead of just saying that the school "is like a family" we can design intentional ways to support and strengthen the web of relationships between and among members of the school community. 

We must honor more than just the top grades, athletic achievements, and college acceptances, finding ways to recognize and value service, improvement, and charity. 

As stated by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (the precursor to the current USCCB - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) in 1972, "Community is at the heart of Christian education not simply as a concept to be taught but as a reality to be lived" (para. 23). These Gospel principles, therefore, become both the goal and the means by which the goal will be accomplished. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brooklyn_Museum_-_Jesus_Teaches_the_People_by_the_Sea_%28J%C3%A9sus_enseigne_le_peuple_pr%C3%A8s_de_la_mer%29_-_James_Tissot_-_overall.jpg

Like the Sermon on the Plain we have heard proclaimed the last two weeks at Mass (2/16 and 2/23), our Catholic schools must be places that operationalize Christ's radical love and forgiveness, and life-giving grace and service.   

When strategic Catholic school leaders lead with zeal, the devil isn't in the details; Christ is. 

Let us strategically design policies, programs, and procedures that making Christ incarnate, so that our means justify, lead to, and double as our end: fullness of life through a relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Seek Goodness, Continuously Improve

"Seek goodness everywhere, and when it is found, bring it out of its hiding place and let it be free and unashamed."

- William Saroyan

I first heard the quote above during the summer between my first and second year of teaching. Spoken at a retreat and used as the springboard for a reflection on seeing our students as children of God, I find myself returning to the heart of its message in moments of striving to continuously improve. 

It also popped into my head this morning after reading, "Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea" to my son last night. In this short story, Jellyfish identifies Narwhal's superpower as bringing the superpowers out of other people. 

Seek goodness everywhere. Find it. Bring it out of its hiding place. Let it be free and unashamed. 

In doing so, we unleash the greatness of others, enabling them to excel as well. 

Marianne Williamson phrased it in this way, "We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same."

So, let your light shine. Identify the light in others and call them to radiate in turn. Continue to find the next area in which to improve, the next step to take to achieve even higher levels of success. 

This isn't just about finding grand, sweeping innovations. It's about cultivating a mindset where we actively look for the "good" – the efficient process, the helpful suggestion, the spark of insight – in every corner of our work and lives.

In the Pixar movie Cars, Lightning McQueen's efforts to pave the main road of Radiator Springs inspire a city-wide clean-up effort. 

It's worth noting that his first attempt - half-hearted and hurried - had the opposite impact: maintenance of the mediocre status quo.

But, the new road highlighted the other areas in need of a refresh. 

As we go about our work as Catholic school leaders, may we take a similar approach. Find, create, and implement goodness in small yet powerful ways. As we do this, the new light will highlight other areas in need of polish. Follow the same cycle - find, create and implement that which is good, drawing it out of its hiding place and allowing it to shine. 

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father" (Matthew 5:14-16). 

Clear away the smudges. Polish. Ignite a spark. Light a flame. Build a fire. 

Let it shine. 

Seek goodness, continuously improve. 

Into Deep Water

"Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction." 

-Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est, 2005, para. 1

Yesterday's Gospel contained one of my favorite lines from Sacred Scripture. After getting into Peter's boat - uninvitedly and unexpectedly - Jesus instructs him, "Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch" (Luke 5:4). 

At this point, not only does Jesus act as an unwelcome passenger in Peter's boat, He offers Peter unsolicited and unwelcome advice. 

In response to Jesus's prompting, Peter retorts, "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing." But, Peter's response doesn't end there. 

He continues, perhaps reluctantly, "but at your command I will lower the nets."

The resulting catch of fish tears their nets and requires extra sets of hands. Peter acknowledges God's greatness and his own sinfulness before accepting a new mission: "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men."

The passage closes with the pairs of brothers - Peter and Andrew, James and John - leaving their nets behind and following Jesus (Luke 5:1-11). 

This sequence of events should act as a recipe for our operations as leaders of Catholic schools. 

First, bring our students into an encounter with Jesus. Put Jesus in our students' "boats" by baptizing their classes, lunch periods, athletic contests, and extra-curricular activities with the truth, way, and life of Jesus Christ. Offer students opportunities to encounter Christ through the Celebration of the Eucharist, Adoration, breaking open God's Word, praying the Rosary, performing service, and robust prayer and retreat experiences. 

Second, develop a vocational ethos by openly talking about our calls to faith and to our ministries in Catholic education. Push our faculty, staff, and administration to craft and readily share these stories of witness. Help students to see beyond the boundaries of college and career into the boundless horizons of following Christ. 

Third, provide opportunities for students to put out into deep water and lower their nets for a catch through vibrant and rigorous curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular programming. Proclaim scripture. Honor our schools' patrons. Align our policies, procedures, and programs to the foundational statements of our schools ensuring cohesion and consistency between and among what we believe, what we say, and what we do. 

Fourth, let us transparently communicate the greatness of our God and the ways in which we can improve through the collection and display of mission-focused data. Like the great catch of fish requiring the help of others, may we compellingly tell the stories of success across our school communities. Through the collection and display of qualitative and quantitative mission-driven data, may we proclaim the greatness of our God Who magnifies our efforts into something beyond which we could ask for or imagine. Similarly, like Peter's recognition of his own shortcomings, may we also transparently communicate the ways in which we commit to improving and then set out to close the gap between where we are and where we should be. 

Fifth, may we attract others to assist us in this eternal work. Much like Ernest Shackelton's job posting for an expedition to cross Antarctica in the early 1900s: 

Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success. (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ernest-shackletons-famous-job-ad-men-wanted-for-hazardous-journey-is-probably-a-myth-5552379/)  

may we stir the hearts of others to set out into the deep waters of Holy Spirit-inspired and -guided adventure - in pursuit of that which is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, gracious, excellent, and worthy of praise (Phil 4:8).

Finally, as we answer the call to become fishers of men and women may we bring others into a relationship with Jesus so that they can answer His call for their lives in turn. 

So that they can join us out in the deep waters of a life of discipleship of Jesus Christ. 

A life fully alive!

Duc in altum!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/fdctsevilla/42861536451

Systems Built by and for Love

"But its (the Catholic school's) proper function is to create for the school community a special atmosphere animated by the Gospel spirit of freedom and charity, to help youth grow according to the new creatures they were made through baptism as they develop their own personalities, and finally to order the whole of human culture to the news of salvation so that the knowledge the students gradually acquire of the world, life and humanity is illumined by faith."

- Second Vatican Council, 1965, para. 8

Today, at the end of Catholic Schools Week, we celebrate the feast of one of my Catholic educational heroes: St. John Bosco. 

As an early career educator, I spent four years in two different Salesian schools. Salesian priests and brothers served at the first; the second school embraced a Salesian charism as a group of lay cooperators. 

This spirit has remained with me ever since. 

Minister with joy and presence.

Serve those impacted by poverty and marginalization. 

Empower others with opportunities to showcase self-discipline while also doing all that you can to proactively prevent potential problems. 

Love what students love so that they will love Who I love. 

Love forms the basis and method of St. John Bosco’s Preventive System of reason, religion, and loving kindness. Based on the belief that young people can grow in virtue through an approach built upon relational presence, clear expectations, and developmentally appropriate levels of autonomy, the Preventive System forms students not through punitive discipline but rather through relational love. 

A noteworthy detail of this pedagogy centers on the fact that this approach - love - entails a system. Far from both rigidity and complacency, the Preventive System balances autonomy with guidance, differentiation of roles with integration of responsibilities, and co-generative collaboration with orchestrated coordination. 

In order to navigate the narrow ridge between these differences, clear, consistent, and coherent systems lovingly lead others so that they, and our organizations and world, might flourish.

A trusted colleague of mine would often quip during issues with personnel that offering clear expectations and objective feedback are two of the most loving things leaders can do for others. The Letter to the Hebrews offers a similar message of encouragement: “My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges” (Hebrews 12:5-6). 

Navigating this ridgeline between freedom and fixedness provides those whom we lead and serve with guardrails within which they can safely fumble through experiences while also being set up for success. Like a compass, these systems point us to true north while also allowing for flexibility in the path taken to get there. 

Systems built by love and for love consider the dignity of the other and, in a spirit of subsidiarity, delegate responsibility appropriately between and among the institutional, local, and individual levels. Loving systems provide space for voices to be heard and tweaks to be made within a framework that provides stability, strength, and security. 

These systems of love possess enough strength to stand firm and sufficient space to move, adapt, and change as necessary. 

In the Salesian spirit, may we continue to build such systems within our Catholic schools, systems built by and for love. 

The Mission Has Schools

Yesterday's Gospel offered a striking synopsis of Christ's mission. Reading from the prophet Isaiah, Christ proclaimed His purpose:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. (Luke 4:18-19, Isaiah 61:1)

By Divine Providence, this mission-focused message provides inspiration and direction as we begin Catholic Schools Week 2025. 

A mission acts as marching orders. A mission provides purpose and pathways. A mission involves movement and/or effort: the word originates from the Latin word for "send." A mission completes the sentence for everyone to whom it has been given: Go "fill-in-the-blank with the mission".

Theories abound about the importance of a mission for an organization. Daniel Coyle (2018) posits that strong organizations establish a clear sense of purpose (mission) in addition to sharing vulnerability and building safety. Similarly, Lowney (2003) cites the work of researchers from both Harvard and Stanford that arrive at the same conclusion: strong organizations have a timeless reason for existing (mission) while also remaining open to new ways of accomplishing this goal. 

Roots and wings. Consistency and adaptability. Mission and vision. 

In 2006, on an application for acceptance into a program to discern whether or not I might want to become a Catholic school principal, I wrote the following about the mission of Catholic schools:

If given a similar prompt today, almost 20 years later, I would offer a slightly nuanced version of my thoughts about the mission of Catholic schools.

I would distill the mission of Catholic schools as follows: 

The mission of Catholic schools is to bring students to fullness of life through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Using strategies rooted in the Catholic faith and intellectual traditions, Catholic schools develop "every capability of every student, enabling each one to attain an integral formation within a context that includes the Christian religious dimension and recognizes the help of grace" (Congregation for Catholic Education, 1988, para. 99). 

Furthermore, this integral formation will

form men and women who will be ready to take their place in society, preparing them in such a way that they will make the kind of social commitment which will enable them to work for the improvement of social structures, making these structures more conformed to the principles of the Gospel. Thus, they will form human beings who will make human society more peaceful, fraternal, and communitarian. (Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, 1982, para. 19) 

You'll notice a few key differences between these iterations of my idea about the mission of Catholic schools. 

First, it is shorter. Almost 20 years of Catholic school leadership in some capacity has sharpened my focus. 

Second, the mission of Catholic education aligns with the mission of the Church. Thanks to the mentorship of Fr. Ron Nuzzi, I understand and embrace this pithy truth, "Catholic schools do not have missions; the mission has schools."

The mission - Christ's mission - has schools. More specifically, Christ's mission has Catholic schools. 

The specific ways in which Catholic schools carry out this mission - academic, social-emotional, moral, physical, and spiritual formation; academic, faith-based, co-curricular, and extra-curricular programming; Classical, STEM, Humanities, International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement - provide particular schools with a specific identity and distinctness from other similar schools. 

The Church "establishes her own schools because she considers them as a privileged means of promoting the formation of the whole (person), since the school is a centre in which a specific concept of the world, of (humanity), and of history is developed and conveyed" (Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, 1977, para. 8). The Church does so to carry out its salvific mission: "proclaim the good news of salvation to all, generate new creatures in Christ through Baptism, and train them to live knowingly as children of God" (para. 7).

Advance the kingdom of God in heaven and establish it here on earth. 

Be filled with the Spirit of the Lord. Bring glad tidings to the poor. Proclaim liberty to captives. Recovery of sight to the blind. Let the oppressed go free.

This is our mission. These are our marching orders. 

Let us go. We have been sent.