Clearly, Again

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

-1 Corinthians 11:23-26

This past weekend, I had two opportunities to return to my alma mater, Benedictine High School, for celebratory events. Additionally, I edged my lawn for the second time in the past three weeks. Finally, yesterday's gospel reading, from Matthew 10, included a line from the gospel on the Feast of St. Barnabas, which took on special meaning during a meeting with leaders last Thursday (Mt. 10:5-8)

Jesus said to the Twelve: "As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give."

At first glance, these three occurrences have little in common. However, all three afforded opportunities for repetition. And, these repetitions allowed me to clearly remember my Benedictine formation, literally becoming a member again of the Benedictine way: ora et labora (prayer and work). These repetitions allowed me to more clearly define the limits of my yard and keep the sidewalk path clear from overgrowth of grass and earth. These repetitions clearly illuminated a message Jesus needed me to hear - I am an apostle sent out on mission to do His work. Go do it.

Repetition stands as the mother of all learning. Good readers re-read. Fluency with math facts results from repetitive drills. Nailing a speech happens after challenging ourselves to remember the order, flow, and main points. Musical performances, dance routines, hitting a baseball, creating a piece of art rise to new levels of excellence when we practice and practice and practice and practice and practice.

Repeating our efforts to clarify the identities of our organizations (similar to edging more frequently than I typically edge) helps to eliminate and keep away the creep of bad habits, loose policies, and ways in which our behaviors misalign from our mission and beliefs/pillars/values/charisms. Much like the impact of brushing and flossing our teeth daily as opposed to less frequently, clarifying and reclarifying and overcommunicating who we are and how we behave makes it more likely for our communities to remember what's expected. Edging a second time took significantly less time and effort than my first go and it looked significantly better. 

Finally, opportunities to remember our foundation - my time in Catholic education started in at Benedictine High School and I've been in Catholic education ever since - help us to become members again of those ideals and values. Reunions, halls of honor, and retelling the stories of our heroes and pivotal points of our schools' histories brings us back to these pivotal moments of our lives, clearly reminding us again what we value, what we believe, and why we do what we do.

As often as we need to, let us remember, clearly, again.

Human Flourishing Through Catholic Education

 "I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly."

-John 10:10

I recently learned that "authority" comes from the Latin word auctoritas which means to give growth, to augment, to help people flourish.

As people who have been given authority over Catholic schools, individually and collectively, we would do well to use this as our leadership frame: are those under our authority - faculty, staff, students, community members - better because of our leadership? Does our leadership help them to flourish?

In the podcast titled, Leaders in the Resistance, Rick Popp and Albert Faraj (from Acts XXIX) outline these three main tasks of leaders:

1. Impart identity
2. Speak with authority
3. Love unconditionally

Impart Identity

Imparting identity acts as the first task of a minister with authority - the responsibility to help others flourish. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the leader clearly communicates what gives the organization purpose and what makes it unique. From consistent declarations of the school's mission to explanations of what the various component parts mean (shared language AND shared understanding) the leader imparts identity by reminding the community exactly what has importance. The leader points members to the school's collective beliefs and values. These statements and their accompanying rationale provide the identity that proposes the school as unique: the manifestation of the school's charism(s), the inspiration and implications of school's patron saint, the school's stories, heroes, traditions and rituals that carry significant weight and meaning.

Through prayer, discernment and dialogue, the leader imparts identity by saying: this is who we are.

Speak with Authority

The leader, with the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit, must make decisions about how the organization will operate. Most often this occurs during moments of tension - a community member misaligning with the school's identity, a policy not followed, what to do when two goods conflict (i.e. we believe that collaboration is a force multiplier AND that leadership matters). The leader speaks with authority by declaring we will move forward in this way. From budgeting to personnel and admissions/enrollment decisions to programming, procedures, and policies, the leader speaks with authority when they decide and act - in sometimes unpopular ways - this is what we will do.

Love Unconditionally

Loving unconditionally reorients the leader to helping others to flourish. When we lead with the authority given to us by God, we follow in the loving and selfless footsteps and example of Jesus Christ. We lay down our lives in service to those we lead. This unconditional love inspires us to approach our ministries with a service-orientation: how can I make others - those I lead - better? How can my leadership help them to flourish? We love unconditionally by offering clear and objective feedback on performance, one of the most loving actions of a leader "for the Lord disciplines those who He loves" (Hebrews 12:6). We provide supports - resources, formation, training, coaching - and patience to help others improve. We see every person in our communities as a beloved child of God and act accordingly - offering respect without first receiving it, biting our tongues after/while getting bitten, and loving despite how unlovable others might act.

As a leader with authority - the responsibility to help others flourish - let us impart identity, speak with authority, and love unconditionally.

And as we do, may we point our communities to the One who imparts our identities, speaks authority into us, and loves us unconditionally, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Substance and Symbols

 “Well, if it’s just a symbol, to hell with it!”

-Flannery O'Connor

Flannery O'Connor famously said this while attending a gathering at which someone said that the Eucharist was a symbol. We should absorb some of Ms. O'Connor's zeal for the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Truly, if the Eucharist acts only as a symbol, it only holds the power that we give to it. If it is a symbol - and It is not - it works as a prop, gimmick, or even an idol - where the symbol becomes even more important than the substance it should represent.

As we near the end of the academic year and start the season of baccalaureate masses and graduation ceremonies, our schools become filled with symbols, rituals, and traditions that carry significant weight and meaning. From May Crownings to students giving flowers to parents/families to senior activities to caps and gowns to awards and recognitions, the symbolic abounds in our schools throughout these final weeks of the year.

Symbols play key roles in organizations. Mascots should embody the spirit of the community and evoke commitment and pride. We should adorn our hallways with symbolically relevant artifacts, messages, and images. The stories recounted at orientations, retreats, and in faculty meetings should inspire students, teachers, and community members to carry on the legacy of the school. Rituals act as conveyors of the school's culture - we slow down and gather together and devote time to things that matter.

In all of these cases, though, the substance underneath these symbols must remain known and continue to advance the school's mission. When they become defunct or self-serving or an appeasement to alums/donors or no longer appropriate, leaders must lead the community either back to the heart of the matter - the substance of the symbol - or in a new direction.

At times, this means we do away with the old. If the symbol lacks substance, we should lack the symbol. Doing something only "because we've always done it this way" is a great reason to no longer do it.

G.K. Chesterton, another famous Catholic author, gives us a way forward in this substance of the symbol discernment, "(W)e must try to recover the candour and wonder of the child...we must try at least to shake off the cloud of mere custom and see the thing as new, if only by seeing it as unnatural" (1925). Put more plainly, we should look at the familiar - the symbols across our schools - so that it becomes unfamiliar again.

This unfamiliarity should lead us to reclaim and proclaim again the symbol's substance - wow, that is why we do that! Or, these new eyes should allow us to see we've allowed the symbol to also be the substance.

And unless it's the Eucharist, it's just a symbol.

Tell the Story

"There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written."

-John 21:25

During the end of the Lenten season and throughout these first weeks of Easter, I have been thinking a lot about why the Gospel writers included what they did regarding their testimony about Jesus Christ and their belief in Him as the Messiah. 

The line above from the conclusion of John's Gospel leads me to believe that each of the four writers have supplied a cliff notes version of all that they saw and heard. They captured the most important, the most amazing and the most memorable events from His public ministry. 

That which they included must have been the interactions and occurrences that they thought would best convince others that Jesus was and is the Son of God, the second Person of the Trinity, the Word made flesh. While I would love to know more about the entirety of Jesus‘s life and ministry, I trust that what has been included in Sacred Scripture stands as the most compelling aspects of His teaching, preaching, and healing. 

Like most parts of my life, this reflection from my faith has intersected with my professional ministry. It has caused me to ruminate on what sets of data, anecdotal stories, experiences, and components of our schools are the most important. In other words, like the Gospel writers, and specifically John, we could collect, construct, and analyze many different types and forms of data. Similarly, we could tell volumes of stories about all of the different things that happen in our schools - can you imagine if the walls could talk?! 

But, which matter most? What numbers can lead to and/or indicate our success or lack there of? 

Which stories convey the identity and values of our communities? 

Which experiences allow others to more fully understand what an education from one of our schools entails? 

As catholic school leaders, we have the blessing, privilege, and responsibility to discern which numbers matter, which stories have value, and which experiences enable us to be the school communities we need to be. These are the data sets to pull into a dashboard, the stories that we need to tell and tell again, and the experiences we should prioritize and enhance for maximum impact. 

As we near the end of this academic and fiscal year, I invite you to consider what you will use to tell the good news of our schools. Let us use the inspiration of the four Gospel writers to purposefully select, craft, and tell the most important parts of who we are.

To drive home this point, think about the Gospel stories recounting encounters with the resurrected Jesus. He obviously appeared to more than just Mary Magdalene, the apostles in the upper room, Cleopas and his companion on the road to Emmaus, and Peter and the apostles on the sea shore. But, these are the encounters selected, the ones divinely inspired and chosen to make our hearts burn, so that we would run away from the empty tomb, to see and believe, to turn around and run back to our call, and to experience the transforming power of Jesus Christ. 

Instead of filling books about our schools, write its gospel to ignite flames of faith, to inspire action, to instill confidence, to attract even more to our missions, and to convert hearts to Christ. 

Increase

In a 1992 pastoral letter on stewardship, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) defined a steward as: “One who receives God’s gifts gratefully, cherishes and tends them in a responsible and accountable manner, shares them in justice and love with others, and returns them with increase to the Lord.”

The last phrase hits deep.

Return the gifts I have received - with increase - to the Lord.

Almost four years ago, God called me home to serve in the Diocese of Cleveland. This call came with many gifts, namely the opportunity to work alongside Catholic leaders and educators and help to steward the resources and efforts of our diocesan operated Catholic high schools.  

Far from maintaining the status quo in areas such as faith, academics, finances, construction, enrollment, and support services, we have collaborated to enhance all aspects of the Bishop’s Catholic high schools.

While it might feel as though we’ve swung hard and fast from local-level autonomy to central office controls, our efforts have focused on “returning our schools with increase to the Lord.” As such we have anchored in and advanced the mission and unique charisms of our schools; used data transparently and meaningfully to inspire growth; clarified and created processes for hiring, performance monitoring, and temporal goods (among others); engaged boards and community members in strategic planning; used best-in-class tactics for philanthropy and advancement; and leveraged the collective power of the DOHS as a network of professional Catholic leaders and educators.

In the words of Bishop Ken Untener, “It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.” This perspective provides a view that can acknowledge areas in which we have improved and those in which we still have room to grow.

In this way, we might be able to point toward increases in enrollment or college acceptances or faith formation opportunities as the return on the Lord’s investment in us and our five schools. We can look at beautiful capital improvements or new curricular offerings or more sophisticated advancement techniques as the interest Jesus has earned through our efforts.

For sure, all of this deserves celebration and recognition. Success breeds success.

But, the “long view” can also allow us to admit that in Catholic education we play an infinite game. There is always work we can and need to accomplish. Our school community changes every year, if not more often. No matter how much we excel in any area, we can always get better and the best is always yet to come.

This long view also allows us to see that "(w)e are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs" (Untener, 1979). The vineyard belongs to the Lord. We are his stewards.

May we continue to receive God’s gifts gratefully, cherish and tend them in responsible and accountable manners, share them in justice and love with others, and return them - always and in all ways - with increase to the Lord.

God's Work, Done God's Way, With God's Supply

 “God’s work, done God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.”

-Hudson Taylor

Throughout this school year, I have greatly appreciated the opportunity to spend so much time in classrooms across the Diocese of Cleveland. Doing so has clearly illuminated the ways in which teaching and learning will improve in the coming weeks, months and years. 

By focusing on core instructional practices - purpose, engagement, checks for understanding/progress - we will employ best pedagogical strategies to enhance students' knowledge, understanding, and abilities.

We exist as Catholic schools. Since we minister in the area of Catholic education, we must ensure that our schools function as Catholic AND as places of formation. These do not compete with each other, as if the education we provide stands in opposition to and/or only happens after matters of faith and religion. Similarly, the formation we must offer to students does not neglect research-based best practices.

In all instances, our embrace of our Catholic faith does not hinder our efforts. Instead, "(f)aith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth—in a word, to know Himself—so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves" (St. John Paul II, 1998, para. 1).

When we model our behaviors after Jesus Christ the Teacher, we confidently embark on doing God's work in God's way.

We incarnationally get to know and relate to our students - for God so loved the world...(John 3:16).

We ask more questions than we answer - What are you discussing as you walk along...(Luke 24:17).

We tell stories that relate to the content and/or skill at hand - All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables...(Matthew 13:34).

We engage students meaningfully - inviting them to actively participate in the learning process - Fill the jars with water...(John 2:7); Give them some food yourselves...(Mark 6:37); Take away the stone...(John 11:39).

We offer re-dos and second and seventh and fourteenth and...attempts - Simon, son of John, do you love me?...(John 21:16).

We create scholars and saints - "The proper and immediate end of Christian education is to cooperate with divine grace in forming the true and perfect Christian, that is, to form Christ Himself in those regenerated by Baptism" (Pope Pius XI, 1929, para. 94).

Simply, when we do God's work (Catholic secondary education in the Diocese of Cleveland) in God's way (employing a pedagogy of Jesus Christ), God will provide (turning water into wine; feeding 5,000; bringing dead people back to life). He will bless and magnify and amplify and increase and use our efforts to do "far more than all we ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20).

God's work, done God's way, with God's supply.

Lord, use us and Your will be done. 

It's About Time

"Who knows—perhaps it was for a time like this that you came into the kingdom?”

-Esther 4:14

I came across this passage from the Book of Esther twice in the same day last week. It made me think about time - how we use it, how we organize it, how we maximize it.

It's about time.

With just about 45 days until the end of the school year, and 90 until the end of the fiscal year, it's about time.

With Spring Fundraisers coming quickly and maybe already concluding, it's about time.

With teachers getting contracts for next year, it's about time.

With teachers getting observed, coached, developed, and evaluated, it's about time.

With performance reviews providing affirmations and mid-year adjustments, it's about time.

With registration and re-registration filling up our classrooms for 2026-27, it's about time.

With budgets getting created and audits getting completed and construction projects getting planned and underway for Spring and Summer, it's about time.

With processes getting tweaked for greater clarity, effectiveness and efficiency, it's about time.

With strategic and accreditation plans getting created, publicized, advanced, and completed, it's about time.

With summer affording us opportunities to slow down more deeply engage in improvement projects for programming, personnel, and property, it's about time.

With Lent barreling toward Holy Week and into Easter, it's about time.

With asking our Father for His kingdom to come, and for Him to give us this day our daily bread, it's about time.

With us gathering together with colleagues and faculties and staffs to support each other and grow as disciples and professionals of Christ, it's about time.

With each of us being called to serve in our respective ministries at this time, in these places, to do this work of Catholic education where we currently serve, it's about time.

It's about time. Everything is about time.

Outside of our faith and each other, time is perhaps the most valuable resource and gift God has bestowed upon us. And alike the gift of faith that is meant to be shared, the commodity of time should be used in ways that benefit others and honor our great God.

Another day is one of the gifts God blesses us with every morning. Our gift back to Him and the world is what we do with the time that we have been given.

Keep doing this important work to which you have been called. Keep prioritizing your time so that we complete the most essential aspects of our roles. Keep inviting others to assist in advancing the mission of our schools, integrating and differentiating between and among the various duties expected of each person.

Keep believing that perhaps you have been called to the kingdom for such a time as this.

This time; it's about time.