A Cloud of Witnesses

"Community is at the heart of Christian education not simply as a concept to be taught but as a reality to be lived. Through education, (people) must be moved to build community in all areas of life; they can do this best if they have learned the meaning of community by experiencing it" (National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1972, #23). 

Any organization is only as strong as the relationships between and among the members of that group. 

Teams. Work groups. Schools. Communities. Nations. Churches. Families. Friendships. Any group is as strong as the weakest relationship link within it. 

United we stand. Divided we fall. 

This does not mean that group members must be homogenous. Nor does it imply that those in an organization always agree with one another or that differences of opinions, thoughts, or behaviors are nonexistent. 

Rather, it means that the group has established a loop of safety and vulnerability. Members acknowledge a shared future with one another which creates safety. This increases the likelihood that members will be vulnerable with one another. When vulnerability is reciprocal, the level of safety goes up, and the loop continues. 

Vulnerable sharing. Enhanced safety. Enhanced safety. Vulnerable sharing. 

And, the centripetal force holding this loop together and keeping it in motion is a collective purpose. This sense of purpose might be in the form of a mission statement. It might be a set of root beliefs held by members of the group. Maybe this purpose is a commitment to a particular cause, a clear WHY that articulates the overarching goal of the group. 

In his book, The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups (2018), Daniel Coyle covers all three of these components of a strong culture in vivid detail. All three, Coyle argues, contribute to the strength of a group. 

Build safety. Share vulnerability. Establish purpose. 

According to a study by John Kotter and James Heskett, the difference between a strong and a weak culture is a shocking. In business terms, the difference is apparent in monetary ways:

From: https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkotter/2011/02/10/does-corporate-culture-drive-financial-performance/?sh=54dbc557e9e9 

Strong, "performance-enhancing" cultures, according to Kotter and Heskett, "highly value employees, customers, and owners and that those cultures encourage leadership from everyone in the firm" (https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkotter/2011/02/10/does-corporate-culture-drive-financial-performance/?sh=54dbc557e9e9). The effect these cultures have on performance is that it is enhanced.  

Companies without "performance-enhancing" culture fared much worse, by comparison, than their strong culture counterparts. 

It is worth considering that a similar difference can be experienced in other metrics of success as well. In the realm of education, this can signal higher test scores, lower instances of discipline, and enhanced graduation/college acceptance rates. Numerous studies support this focus on community and/or culture to enhance the performance of students in schools (from Deal and Petersen's Shaping School Culture, 2016): 

• Rutter, Maughan, Morrtimore, Ouston, and Smith (1979) found that school "ethos" contributed to academic achievement
• Bryk, Lee, and Holland (1993) discovered that a sense of community played a vital role in creating a culture of excellence in private schools - teachers were more satisfied in their work, students were less likely to misbehave, less likely to drop out, and had higher achievement in math than their public school counterparts
• Waters, Marzano and McNulty (2004) argued that "student achievement was related to a shared set of core beliefs, a clear sense of purpose, recognition of staff members and student accomplishments, intellectual engagement, and celebrations of success" (Deal & Petersen, 2016, p. 12). 

With this said, how might Catholic schools leverage this power of culture to enhance students' overall development and growth? 

First, a theology of education based upon the foundational belief in the mystery of the Trinity - our God is three Persons in one - should permeate our schools. Relationships between and among leaders, teachers, parents, families, students and community members carry sacred significance and time spent building relationships should be prioritized. 

Second, this should, in turn, impact our policies, procedures, programs and behaviors within our schools. Everything from admissions policies to tuition collection to discipline to formation to instruction to evaluation to support to prayer and worship should acknowledge the theological underpinning of the education in our schools and respond accordingly. 

If we are to help people "(t)hrough education...to build community in all areas of life" we must give all members of our Catholic schools an experience of the type of communities that will help to establish the kingdom of God here on earth (National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1972, #23). 

Our Catholic schools must create the "cloud of witnesses" described in the letter to the Hebrews (12:1-2) that allows us to "rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith."  

Animated by the belief that we are made for each other in the image and likeness of our Triune God, let us surround the members of our Catholic school communities with support, love, and mercy. 

Build safety, share vulnerability, establish purpose, and instead of merely persevering in the race, our students can run it - with a cloud of witnesses cheering for them, supporting them, and ushering them across the finish line - so as to win (1 Corinthians 9:24).  

Teaching as Jesus Did: Orthodox, Relevant, Authentic

Jesus used stories known as parables to teach. The Gospels include 46 parables told by Jesus to His disciples, friends, family, enemies, and crowds to reveal to us the deepest truths about who God is. 

Jesus employed three different types of parables in His teaching: similitudes, parables, and exemplary stories (Boucher, 1998). All of them rely on the things of everyday life: what it is like to lose a coin or something precious, the difficulties of parenthood, farming, working, shepherding. In this way, Jesus masterfully used events and situations that were known by and relevant to His audience to teach about Truth. 

While Jesus admitted that not all of His parables are easily understood (Mt. 13:10-15), all of them used something relevant to teach something orthodox. What's more, the authenticity with which Jesus taught conveyed the power of His message in even more profound ways. When He taught about love, mercy, forgiveness or anything, He taught with the authority of embodying these actions perfectly. There was no gap between His practice and His preaching. 

To teach as Jesus did requires us to teach in orthodox, relevant and authentic ways. 

The 1972 document, To Teach As Jesus Did, written by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, the forerunner to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, focused on Christian educational ministry in a broad sense: adult education, higher education, campus ministry, catechetical programs, Catholic schools, and youth ministry. Citing the mandate the apostles and in turn the Church received from Jesus, the bishops wrote, “Within both the Christian community and the educational ministry the mission to teach as Jesus did is a dynamic mandate for Christians of all times, places, and conditions” (National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1972, #4).  

If we are to teach as Jesus did, we must balance relevance with orthodoxy. Our audience must encounter something relevant in order to encounter God's revelation. If our message fails to be accessible, even the most brilliant theological thought will go unabsorbed.  "The Church, too, must use contemporary methods and language to proclaim the message of Christ to men and women today. The proclamation of the message is therefore 'not a mere repetition of ancient doctrine' (General Catechetical Directory, 13)" (National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1972, #18).

Similarly, we must also ensure authenticity in our proclamation of truth. The inability of the herald of the Good News to practice what he/she preaches often results in a dismissal of the message. Sometimes the separation between what is said and what is done can cause irreparable harm. Unfortunately, our world has many wolves in sheep's clothing.  

This is why the Church views those of us who form the apostolate of Catholic educators as essential to the mission of Christ. Teachers must be the people who demonstrate to students of any age the successful integration of faith, culture, and life, "This integration of religious truth and values with the rest of life is brought about in the Catholic school not only by its unique curriculum but, more importantly, by the presence of teachers who express an integrated approach to learning and living in their private and professional lives” (National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1972, #104).

As St. Pope Paul VI stated and wrote, "Modern (hu)man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he(/she) does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses" (Pope Paul VI, 1975, #41). 

So, how do we teach like Jesus did? How do we balance relevance, orthodoxy and authenticity? How do we teach as witnesses? 

Simply: spend more time with Jesus. We become like the people with whom we spend the most time. Also, we can't teach about what, or Whom, we don't know. 

More specifically, try any or all of the following:

• Pray. There doesn't need to be a script or formula or program behind your time of prayer. Just dialogue with Jesus on a consistent basis.
• Talk to someone whose faith you admire. Don't be intimidated. A true disciple will be honored by your acknowledgement of their faith. And, disciples create disciples.   
• Read the scripture from the daily Mass, or at the very least the Gospel, where we can witness Jesus's life and words: https://bible.usccb.org. 
• Spend (more) time in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Adoration is being in the presence of someone you love. You don't need to say anything or do anything. You can just be. Even just for five minutes, just be with God. 
• Receive Holy Communion and/or Reconciliation more often than your current practice. 
• Pray the Rosary. Mary brought Jesus into the world; when we go to her, she can bring Her Son to us. Start small (consider praying one Rosary per month, or one Rosary a week, or a decade of the Rosary five days a week, or even just a heartfelt Hail Mary). And, do some research. These six minutes from Dr. Edward Sri are well worth the investment (24:35 - 30:15). 

As we embark on this journey of faith, we will start to orient our lives more and more in Christ-centered ways. We will start to see connections between something that Christ said and something said by a family member, friend, student or co-worker. We will start to notice the true, the good, and the beautiful more often in what we watch, listen to, and read. We will also start to adjust our lives to more authentically demonstrate how our faith informs our lives. 

 

As Catholic educators, it is imperative that we do so. “Faithful to the past and open to the future, we must accept the burden and welcome the opportunity of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ in our times. Where this is a summons to change, we must be willing to change. Where this is a call to stand firm, we must not yield" (National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1972, #41). 

If we want to teach more like Jesus did, we must set out to become more like Jesus, "who is at once the inspiration, the content, and the goal of Christian education: 'the way, and the truth, and the life'" (National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1972, #155).  

References:

Boucher, M. (1998, April). The Parables. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/jesus/parables.html

National Conference of Catholic Bishops. (1972, November). To Teach As Jesus Did: A Pastoral Message on Catholic Education. Retrieved from https://curate.nd.edu/downloads/xd07gq70w5z 

Pope Paul VI. (1975, December 8). Evangelii Nuntiandi. Retrieved from http://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_p-vi_exh_19751208_evangelii-nuntiandi.html

Fully Alive

The glory of God is a human being fully alive. 

-St. Irenaeus

My dad would often encourage me by saying, "You're a jack of all trades, master of none." While this might come across as defeatist, I always took it to heart and wore it as a badge of honor. 

I've never been amazing at anything, but I've been blessed to be pretty good at lots of things. My interests have always been varied and diverse: sports, music, writing. I've taught English, science, and math. I've been an Athletic Director, Principal and am currently a Professor. 

One constant in all of these various pursuits: my faith. 

And, as I've gotten older, I've seen how my faith enlivens my efforts in all aspects of my life. 

This started in a profound way upon my entry into high school at Benedictine in Cleveland, Ohio. Up to this point, I had attended public schools, with my faith being molded by once a week Mass attendance, participation in my parish PSR (Parish School of Religion), prayer before meals and my parents' noble attempts to bring me and my siblings up in the faith. 

With this said, my faith was strong. It was, however, compartmentalized and personal. I did not talk with my friends about my faith. We didn't pray before sporting events. Obviously, faith was not a subject I learned about in school. 

When I started Benedictine High School as a 9th grader, though, I stepped foot into an atmosphere that was different. While I can't say I remember being completely overwhelmed with the differences, I became more and more aware of them the more that I became a part of that community. 

Our Church teaches in various documents on Catholic education that the main task of a Catholic school is to demonstrate and bring about in students the synthesis between and among faith, culture and life (Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, 1977, #37). Catholic schools must be able to use culture - art, music, literature, science, athletics - to make relevant connections to an orthodox faith. Similarly, Catholic schools must model intentional and authentic apostolic boldness about being a disciple of Christ and form a similar assimilation in students. St. Benedict's motto, "ora et labora" or "prayer and work" permeates Benedictine High School's campus and modeled this synthesis for the entire community. 

Perhaps the most powerful expression of this synthesis of culture and faith, for me, came through the integration of sports and faith. Abbot Gary Hoover, then Fr. Gary, served as the chaplain for our athletic teams. For the first time in my life, faith was intertwined with sports: going to mass before pre-game meals, visiting the grotto before and after practices, praying decades of the Rosary as a team on our way to athletic competitions. Abbot Gary would also offer post-Mass pep talks that intentionally and purposefully used the Celebration of the Eucharist as a team, to bring us closer together to each other while also bringing us closer to God. 

Telling stories about famous athletes like Rocky Blier, or using the lyrics to the iconic, "Eye of the Tiger", Abbot Gary took something relevant to a group of high school boys - football and our pursuit of excellence in that area - and connected it to something more important - our faith. 

The presence of the monks on campus and in various ministries in the school served as living witnesses of an integration of faith and life. While these religious men, like all of us, were far from perfect, their example of humble service was imitated by faculty, staff and students alike. The late Coach Ron Alexander, a staff member who served as the school's wrestling and track coach was a shining example of a lay person who had adopted the Benedictine motto. He rattled off scripture passages applicable to almost any life situation. He ran a concession stand during lunch, after school and during home athletic events to go toward the athletic budget. He mopped the wrestling mats himself. He cooked wrestlers a post-weigh-in, pre-match meal of soup and bread. He mentored and helped countless young men, myself included, regardless of their background, status in the school, athletic capabilities, or involvement in a sport he coached. 

Simply, he prayed and worked. He worked and prayed. For Coach Alexander, you might be able to just say that he prayed, for all that he did was a manifestation of his faith. He had synthesized faith, culture, and life, and in so doing was able to bring others to fullness of life in Jesus Christ. 

In 1988, the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education wrote, "From the first moment that a student sets foot in a Catholic school, he or she ought to have the impression of entering a new environment, one illumined by the light of faith, and having its own unique characteristics" (#25). These unique characteristics, as taught to us by the Second Vatican Council, involve the Gospel spirit of freedom and charity and "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" (1965, #8). 

Faith, culture, and fullness of life. 

One of my proudest moments as a principal involved such a synthesis. After a monthlong focus on the Rosary as a school community, 300 PreK - 8th grade students, dressed in Halloween costumes, prayed the entire Rosary as a school community on Halloween. Teachers thought I was crazy. Parents saw it as a conservative tactic of a "religious zealot"; but, the reverence and engagement of an auditorium filled with superheroes and princesses and storybook characters battling the forces of darkness with the power of the Rosary was a grace-filled moment for our entire school. 

It was a synthesis and integration of faith, culture, and life. 

It was a way that I hope helped the school community come to greater fullness of life in Jesus Christ through this synthesis.

Many people see faith as a deterrent to a full life. Thanks to my parents and my time at Benedictine High School and other Catholic schools ever since stepping foot into that "new environment" I see it as the exact opposite. 

For me, my faith is the animating ingredient, it is the leaven that elevates, regulates and perfects all aspects of life (Pope Pius XI, 1929, #95): 

For precisely this reason, Christian education takes in the whole aggregate of human life, physical and spiritual, intellectual and moral, individual, domestic and social, not with a view of reducing it in any way, but in order to elevate, regulate and perfect it, in accordance with the example and teaching of Christ. 

The whole aggregate of human life. 

Faith, culture, and life. 

Prayer and work. 

The fullness of life stands at their synthesis. 

References:

Congregation for Catholic Education. (1988, April 7). The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School. Retrieved from http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_19880407_catholic-school_en.html 

Pope Pius XI. (1929, December 31). Divini Illius Magistri. Retrieved from https://w2.vatican.va/content/pius-xi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_31121929_divini-illius-magistri.html 

Vatican Council II. (1965, October 28). Gravissimum Educationis. Retrieved from http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decl_19651028_gravissimum-educationis_en.html  

The Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education. (1977, March 19). The Catholic School. Retrieved from http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_19770319_catholic-school_en.html

An Apostolate: A Message from Gravissimum Educationis (1965)

Gravissimum Educationis, the Declaration on Christian Education written in 1965, carries the highest teaching authority of any document published by our Church on Catholic education. One of 16 documents produced during the Second Vatican Council, Gravissimum Educationis offers many important messages about Catholic education. Perhaps the two most compelling are:

1. Catholic education is an incredibly vital ministry within the mission Jesus Christ handed on to His Church, "To fulfill the mandate she has received from her divine founder of proclaiming the mystery of salvation to all (people) and of restoring all things in Christ, Holy Mother the Church must be concerned with the whole of (a human's) life, even the secular part of it insofar as it has a bearing on (his/her) heavenly calling. (4) Therefore she has a role in the progress and development of education" (Vatican Council II, 1965, Introduction).
2. Catholic educators form an apostolate, "The work of these teachers, this sacred synod declares, is in the real sense of the word an apostolate most suited to and necessary for our times and at once a true service offered to society" (Vatican Council II, 1965, #8). In this way, the Church elevates the ministry of Catholic education to "(t)he work of an apostle, not only of the first followers of Christ but of all the faithful who carry on the original mission entrusted by the Savior to the twelve to 'make disciples of all nations' (Matthew 28:19)" (https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/dictionary/index.cfm?id=31898).

Put more simply, the Second Vatican Council, a gathering of the Church that has only happened 21 times in its 2000 year existence, took the time and effort to issue teaching on Catholic education. Education is an essential component of the Church's mission:

Since, therefore, the Catholic school can be such an aid to the fulfillment of the mission of the People of God and to the fostering of the dialogue between the Church and (humankind), to the benefit of both, it retains even in our present circumstances the utmost importance. (Vatican Council II, 1965, #8)

Furthermore, in doing so, the Church declared that the work of Catholic educators forms an apostolate, carrying on the original mission that Jesus gave to the original apostles. The apostles, the first ordained ministers of our Church. The apostles, the people responsible for taking Christ's message and spreading it to the world. 

Catholic school teachers are viewed as people who carry on this apostolic mission. 

This conjures up, for me, two of my favorite quotes regarding the ministry of Catholic education. First, St. Julie Billiart, the smiling saint, boldly exhorts us, "There must be nothing little among us; we must have the hearts of apostles." We have inside of us the same measure of the Holy Spirit gifted to those who built our Church and spread the gift of faith. As members of the apostolate of Catholic education, we must harness this apostolic fervor and commitment. 

The second quote comes from Fr. Pedro Ribadeneira speaking to King Phillip II of Spain, "All the well-being of Christianity and of the whole world depends upon the proper education of youth" (O'Malley, 1993, p. 209). 

The world depends upon our success within Catholic education.

The sacred synod declares that all schools should accomplish the following tasks (#5):

• "develop with special care the intellectual faculties (of students)"
• "form (in students) the ability to judge rightly"
• "hand on the cultural legacy of previous generations"
• "foster a sense of values"
• "prepare for professional life"
• "promote friendly relations and foster a spirit of mutual understanding"
• "establish...a center whose work and progress must be shared together by families, teachers, associations of various types that foster cultural, civic, and religious life, as well as by civil society and the entire human community." 

Catholic schools, though, should also (#8):

• "create for the school community a special atmosphere animated by the Gospel spirit of freedom and charity"
• "help youth grow according to the new creatures they were made through baptism"
• "develop (students') own personalities"
• "order the whole of human culture to the news of salvation"
• ensure that "the knowledge students gradually acquire of the world, life and (humanity) is illumined by faith"
• "promote efficaciously the good of the earthly city"
• "prepare (students) for service in the spread of the Kingdom of God, so that by leading an exemplary apostolic life they become...a saving leaven in the human community."

This, then, is why Catholic school teachers are held in such high regard. The Second Ecumenical Council goes all in on the importance of teachers at various points throughout this text, "Beautiful indeed and of great importance is the vocation of all those who aid parents in fulfilling their duties and who, as representatives of the human community, undertake the task of education in schools" (#5). Additionally, Gravissimum states, "But let teachers recognize that the Catholic school depends upon them almost entirely for the accomplishment of its goals and programs" (#8).

The Council also encourages the pursuit of teaching as a profession for the best among us, "Whether in Catholic universities or others, young people of greater ability who seem suited for teaching or research should be specially helped and encouraged to undertake a teaching career" (#10). The Council reiterates this idea in the Conclusion "earnestly entreat(ing) young people themselves to become aware of the importance of the work of education and to prepare themselves accordingly to take it up."

Finally, the Church offers insights as to the training and preparation required of this noble apostolate of Catholic education. Teachers must possess "special qualities of mind and heart, very care preparation, and continuous readiness to renew and adapt" (#5). Catholic school teachers should be "very carefully prepared so that both in secular and religious knowledge they are equipped with suitable qualifications and also with a pedagogical skill that is in keeping with their findings of the contemporary world" (#8). 

Teachers should also be driven by charity, both for each other and their students (#8). "Endowed with an apostolic spirit" Catholic school teachers must "bear witness to Christ" in all that they do (#8). 

The Church closes Gravissimum Educationis, meaning the "heaviest education", with this rallying cry to Her teachers:

(P)ersevere generously in the work (you) have undertaken and, imbuing (your) students with the spirit of Christ, to strive to excel in pedagogy and the pursuit of knowledge in such a way that (you) not merely advance the internal renewal of the Church but preserve and enhance its beneficent influence upon today's world, especially the intellectual world. (Conclusion)

Catholic school teachers, the whole well-being of Christianity and the entire world depends upon you. 

Let there be nothing little about you.

You have the heart, and the apostolate, of an apostle.

References:

O'Malley, J. (1993). The First Jesuits. Retrieved from  https://academics.lmu.edu/media/lmuacademics/centerforteachingexcellence/documents/The%20Schools%20-%20Rhetorical%20Arts.pdf 

Vatican Council II. (1965, October 28). Gravissimum Educationis. Retrieved from http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decl_19651028_gravissimum-educationis_en.html   

Relentless Curiosity

When I think of relentless curiosity, I think of my kids. Relentless curiosity, they have taught me, involves the following three components: learning, creating, and connecting. 

In the span of about ten minutes one day, my three-year-old son, Gabriel, asked the following:

"Daddy, why are these called pretzels?"

"Daddy, why do cars have trunks?"

"Daddy, who's the strongest superhero? Hulk? Spider-Man? Batman? What about Iron Man when he wears that special suit?" 

Relentless curiosity motivates us to learn. My kids’ insatiable and innate thirst for knowledge, invites them to embrace new experiences, people, skills, and understandings. It emboldens them to press buttons on devices that lead to new discoveries, like how to make Siri sound Irish and what the format setting on a camera does. Pro-tip: the "format" setting on a camera will cause it to revert back to its factory settings. Their curiosity motivated them to ask my 96-year-old grandfather, "What's your favorite candy?" Thanks to them, he got Paydays for his birthday this year. 

Relentless curiosity impels us to create. My kids create relentlessly: pictures, crafts, forts, food, music, dances, jokes, games, stories, noise, messes. I want to draw a car with a spoiler so it can go super fast. Can I make a card for grandma? Can we bake cookies? Can we build a castle? I wrote a poem. I made up a song. Check out this dance move. Listen to what I can play on the piano. Can I make a dress for my doll? I have a story to tell. 

Relentless curiosity, because of its educative and creative characteristics, invites us to connect. The acts of learning and creating, my kids constantly remind me, are communal. 

In pursuit of knowledge and understanding, my kids constantly ask questions. In turn, they constantly share what they’ve learned. 

Similarly, they constantly invite others into their creative ideas. They also constantly share their musings and masterpieces.

Relentless curiosity drives learning and creativity, and both create connections. 

When considering this disposition from our Catholic worldview, relentless curiosity leads to holiness. God gifted us with an intellect and a corresponding restlessness intended to lead us to an encounter with Him. Since God is in all things, everything and everyone bears His imprint. In the words of Gerard Manly Hopkins, "The world is charged with the grandeur of God." Therefore, when we learn about something or someone, we tap into this charge and we receive a spark of the divine. 

That same divine spark is present in creating something. St. Pope Paul VI writes in Populorum Progressio: 

Fashioned in the image of (our) Creator, "(we) must cooperate with Him in completing the work of creation and engraving on the earth the spiritual imprint which (we ourselves have) received." God gave (humans) intelligence, sensitivity and the power of thought—tools with which to finish and perfect the work He began. (Pope Paul VI, 1967, #27) 

We know that relationships supply divine sparks, too. Because we are made in the image and likeness of our Triune God, relationships are pathways to holiness. Educative and creative efforts pave these paths. St. Pope Paul VI continues, "Further, when work is done in common—when hope, hardship, ambition and joy are shared—it brings together and firmly unites the wills, minds and hearts of (humans). In its accomplishment, (we) find (ourselves) to be brothers (and sisters)" (#27). 

Our current realities present numerous opportunities to harness relentless curiosity. From navigating whatever new educational model your school has adopted to helping students process racial and political tensions, may your relentless curiosity abound.   

With childlike wonder and excitement, keep carrying the divine spark of learning, creativity, and connection inside of you, and go out into the world to ignite that spark - the charge of God’s grandeur - in others. 

Keep leading with relentless curiosity. 

Reference:

Paul VI. (1967). Populorum Progressio [Encyclical letter]. Retrieved from http://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_26031967_populorum.html

The Debate, Archangels, and Mr. Rogers

Over the course of the first eight weeks of the Fall semester at the University of Notre Dame, President Fr. John Jenkins, C.S.C. has issued two apologies to the school community. 

Both have centered around lapses in adhering to the strict COVID-19 restrictions in place for members of Notre Dame. In both cases, I could see myself or anyone making a similar mistake. 

The first apology occurred after stopping to take a selfie with a group of students on one of the quads. All were in masks. Social distancing, though, was not maintained. 

The second apology took place more recently and under the watchful eye of the nation. At the White House for the nomination of a Notre Dame faculty member to the United States Supreme Court, Fr. Jenkins attended the ceremony without a mask and without maintaining social distancing. Attendees were supposedly tested for COVID-19 and only allowed in after testing negative. The event was outdoors and wearing a mask was not mandated. Regardless, Fr. Jenkins felt compelled to send a note of apology to the Notre Dame community and take appropriate precautions after having been potentially exposed to the virus. 

I find these admissions of falling short of the expectations in place for the University to be powerful examples of leading with humility. 

I also find that a bit of humility from people in positions of leadership - and from all of us - could go a long way right now. 

Last night's Presidential Debate was appalling in many ways. One of the many things I find shocking about the fallout from those 90 minutes is how much flack moderator Chris Wallace has taken for the way that the debate spiraled out of control. Was it his fault that humility and grace were in short measure? Was it his fault that the two people poised to be the President of the United States of America interrupted each other incessantly? What other tactics did he have at his disposal outside of the many that he tried? In Mr. Wallace's defense, I do not believe there is another person alive that could have made the atmosphere even remotely civil. 

What we need right now as a country is more heart and less attack. What we need is a large dose of humility. 

As I reflected on this idea, it was not lost on me that yesterday was the Feast of the Archangels, Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. These archangels are famous for defending, announcing, and healing, respectively. Their humility, in comparison to a fallen angel who's pride resulted in a rebellion against God, is worth imitating. 

Humility is a key ingredient in performing all three of these arch-angelic tasks. 

To defend, we must use our power not for ourselves, but for others. 

To announce, we must be willing to use our voice to proclaim the goodness of God and recognize that all good things come from Him - not us. 

To heal, we must acknowledge the hurt we have caused, and work toward making reparations. 

To round out this incredibly random post, in lieu of finishing the debate last night and instead putting it off until this morning to finish, my wife and I watched the documentary of Mr. Fred Rogers, "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" (2018). What an incredibly shocking contrast that Mr. Rogers was and still is, even posthumously, to the debacle debate last night. 

I was transported back to my 4-year old self as I watched clips of his shows and found myself mesmerized by his grace, his compassion, his intentionality, his humility, and his immense - albeit quiet and reserved - strength. To watch Mr. Rogers deliver testimony at a Senate hearing about funding public television was inspiring. To be reminded of the way that Mr. Rogers tackled issues of racism, death, loss, assassination, and tragedy was galvanizing. To hear the words that he uttered in a PSA after 9/11, "We all are called to be tikkun olam, repairers of creation. Thank you for whatever you do, wherever you are, to bring joy and light and hope and faith and pardon and love to your neighbor and to yourself" left me hoping and praying for our country and world.

Admit when you've done something wrong and hurt others. 

Defend truth and goodness. 

Announce that truth and goodness in others. 

Heal: repair the part of creation given to us to tend. 

Lead with humility.   

And, if it helps, think of these words from Mr. Rogers (or listen to it here: https://misterrogers.org/videos/what-to-you-do-with-the-mad-that-you-feel/), the next time you're mad:

What do you do with the mad that you feel, when you feel so mad you could bite?
When the whole wide world seems oh, so wrong...And nothing you do seems very right?

What do you do? Do you punch a bag? Do you pound some clay or some dough? 

Do you round up friends for a game of tag? Or see how fast you go? 

It's great to be able to stop when you've planned a thing that's wrong,
And be able to do something else instead and think this song:

I can stop when I want to
Can stop when I wish
I can stop, stop, stop any time.
And what a good feeling to feel like this
And know that the feeling is really mine.
Know that there's something deep inside
That helps us become what we can.
For a girl can be someday a woman
And a boy can be someday a man.

There's something deep inside of all of us that can help us all become what we can. 

May we have the humility to recognize it in ourselves and our neighbors. 

We Are Stronger

This past January, I joined a men's basketball league through my church. Figuring that my window to do something like this shrinks with every passing day, and assuming that since I exercise with regularity I would be okay physically, I played. 

Before the first game I missed the chance to warm-up adequately or really even at all. "I'll be okay," I thought. 

And, throughout the game, I was. No injuries. No needing a sub out of exhaustion. No needing to sit out because I couldn't contribute. Playing the first game of semi-organized sports in over five years, I ended up playing a good amount of the game. 

I went home, stretched out, squeezed in a workout, got ready for bed and went to sleep. 

The next morning, however, I could barely walk. My calves burned. My thighs and hamstrings revolted and refused to bend much at all. I had to hold onto the railing of the stairwell at work. Well, actually I had to pull myself up by it to get up the stairs. Each step was a reminder of my age. 

It was also a reminder of the need to more adequately prepare.

It also made me realize that while I was in good or at least decent physical shape, I had fallen into the trap of working out to break a sweat. Over the course of time, I had stopped pushing myself. Seldom did I find myself out of breath while working out. Sore the day after a workout? Hardly, if ever. 

I had stopped pushing myself.

Throughout the course of the week after that first game, another realization hit me. For however old I was getting, my body started to heal. Even though it hurt, I could walk. By the end of the week, I was able to go for a run. 

My body was strong and it was made to get stronger in response to it being pushed to and beyond its limits.

The next week, despite being able to complete an appropriate warm-up, followed a similar progression. I made it through the game, albeit with game-time pain and soreness. Waking up the next morning, my legs once again resisted movement. 

I realized, however, that the pain didn't last as long. I was also inspired to work out with more fervor, pushing myself to exhaustion as a way to prep for the explosive nature of competitive basketball. 

The rest of the season brought about more typical day-after soreness, a strained groin, and a trip to urgent-care to get a gouge above my right eye repaired. 

Otherwise, with each game I could feel myself adapting more and more to the long-forgotten demands of competitive sports. I once again cherished the opportunity to push myself, whether in games or by myself in my basement, in my driveway, or out on a run. Out of breath. Exhausted. 

To, and over the edge of, my limits. All in. 

Two weeks before the end of the season, COVID-19 caused it to stop early. Despite this abrupt ending, the lessons gleaned from this experience have remained. 

So has the scar above my right eye. 

First, it is foolish to push beyond your limits if you haven't adequately prepared. Preparation is essential in all things. 

Excellence happens on purpose and as the result of intentional preparation. 

Second, it is equally foolish to not push to your limits and potentially past them if you have taken the time to get ready. While there might be reason to hold back at times, if you have put in the work, holding back prevents us and others from attaining the greatness for which we have been created and called and what the present moment needs. Ask the question. Make the statement. Stand up for your beliefs or get down on your knees for them. Or both. Offer the proposal. Sing with all that you have within you. Read with expression. Fire that pigskin. Take the risk. Go all in. We get out of something what we put into it. Focus on doing everything, even the small things like warming up, extraordinarily well. 

Excellence happens as the result of a whole bunch of hard work. 

And third, we are strong. Soreness - within reason - could be viewed as weakness leaving the body. We were made to function well under pressure and, when we prepare and push hard, we are capable of amazing things. Stress is your body's way of preparing you for the task ahead. You have more energy, you have more focus, you have an innate desire to connect with other people. We can see these effects of stress as negatives, or we can accept these responses as God's way of preparing us for the great works He has in store for us to do. 

Excellence happens because we were created to be excellent.  

2020 has been filled with countless pressure filled, stagnation inducing, painful events. More are most likely on the horizon. Sorry. 

Keep preparing as best you can. Push hard. Trust that you were created for greatness, built for holiness, and destined for sainthood. We are capable of so much more than what we think is possible. 

We can do hard things. Amazing things. Excellent things. 

Believe that perhaps we were put here for a time such as this (Esther 4:14). 

And, believe that for as hard as this time is, that we are stronger.