Notes on Educational Aspirations
Texts:The religious dimension enhances intellectual efforts in a variety of ways: interest in academic work is stimulated by the presence of new perspectives; Christian formation is strengthened; supernatural grace is given. How sad it would be if the young people in Catholic schools were to have no knowledge of this reality in the midst of all the difficult and tiring work they have to do… In a Catholic school, and analogously in every school, God cannot be the Great Absent One or the unwelcome intruder. The Creator does not put obstacles in the path of someone trying to learn more about the universe he created, a universe which is given new significance when seen with the eyes of faith.” (Guidelines: The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School, nos. 47-50)
"A Catholic school is not simply a place where lessons are taught; it is a centre that has an operative educational philosophy, attentive to the needs of today’s youth and illumined by the Gospel message. The Catholic school should be attentive to the specific needs of each student. According to Pope John Paul II, the Catholic school helps in achieving a double objective: “of its nature it guides men and women to human and Christian perfection, and at the same time helps them to become mature in their faith. For those who believe in Christ, these are two facets of a single reality. (Address to the bishops of Lombardy, Italy, on the occasion of their “Ad Limina” visit, January 15, 1982) “Their coming to maturity which will be the result of education received from the environment and personal efforts will allow each man to direct himself towards the destiny intended for him by his Creator. Endowed with intelligence and freedom he is responsible for his fulfillment as he is for his salvation. He is aided, or sometimes impeded, by those who educate him and those with whom he lives, but each one remains whatever be those influences affecting him, the principal agent of his own success or failure. By the unaided effort of his own intelligence and will each man can grow in humanity, can enhance his personal worth, can become more a person.” (Pop. Prog. Art. 15). Education is authentic when it is an effective instrument of God’s design. Exposition/Discussion
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Integration:
Doctrine:
“Let us make man to our image and likeness … and God created man to his image, to the image of God he created him.” (Genesis 1: 26-27)
An image is a representative likeness of another being which is called the model or exemplar. Likeness is a similarity with another: the two beings share in some perfection, they have something in common. And man is the image of God. There is some similarity between man and the model, God. Man represents God on earth; he reminds us of God.
The basic likeness of man to God consists in man’s ability to know and to love, to know the truth and love the good.
It is the role of education or of the educator to help the student to develop or to actuate this ability for knowledge and love and thus to make of himself a more perfect image of God
The doctrine of the Image of God in man is found in the documents of Vatican Council II. In the same place, the Council refers to the words of the Psalmist: “What is man that thou art mindful of him …” Ps. 8:5-6. (A Theological Dimension of Education by: James J. Meany, S.J, Executive Secretary, East Asian Jesuit Educational Conference)
Morals:
Education if it is true and authentic should be done in cooperation and collaboration to the Plan of God for each person. It is the result of a constant interaction involving the expert labor of the teachers, the free cooperation of the students, and the help of the supernatural dynamism of grace. (The Congregation for Catholic Education, 107 page 57)
Our Aspiration for ourselves and for others is that we become fully human, developing our own personality and skills for the good of society.
To be TRULY CHRISTIAN, EDUCATION must help man to a TOTAL LIBERATION based on a living faith in Christ and expressed in love of one’s fellowmen. Christ told us: “I HAVE COME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE – LIFE IN ABUNDANCE.” LIFE! Not merely existence.
To live means to develop our God-given abilities in relation with others, in the family, in the local community and in the nation as a whole.
Real living comes only with GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, SHARING and finally total GIVING of all that we have, even as Christ, in accordance with the will of His Father, grew, as we are told in the Gospels, “in wisdom, age and grace,” shared with others, and at the last, gave Himself completely, MAN FOR OTHERS, fully alive and totally free. He taught man the meaning of suffering, forgetfulness of self, and death, as ways of growing and coming to the fullness of LIFE.
Education is authentic when it is an effective instrument of God’s design.Christ Himself is the MODEL OF THE TRUE EDUCATOR of today. His own life was a witness to everything He taught. He opened people’s minds. a.) the woman in the well (John 4:7 ff); and b.) the disciples on the Road to Emmaus (Luke. 24: 13 ff)
Worship
In Jesuit Education, a Catholic school, there is a continuous vertical interaction through prayer, Eucharistic celebration, Recollections, and Retreats. This is the fullest and most complete expression of the religious dimension.
Each of the students has his or her own life, family and social background, and these are not always happy situations. They feel the unrest of the adolescent, which grows more intense as they face the problems and worries of a young person approaching maturity. Teachers will pray for each of them that the grace present in the Catholic school’s milieu may permeate their whole person, enlightening them and helping them to respond adequately to all that is demanded of them in order to live Christian lives.
The students will learn that they must pray for their teachers. As they get older, they will come to appreciate the pain and the difficulties that teaching involves. They will pray that the educational gifts of their teachers may be more effective, that they may be comforted by success in their work, and that the grace of God may sustain their dedication and bring them peace in their work.
An image is a representative likeness of another being which is called the model or exemplar. Likeness is a similarity with another: the two beings share in some perfection, they have something in common. And man is the image of God. There is some similarity between man and the model, God. Man represents God on earth; he reminds us of God.
The basic likeness of man to God consists in man’s ability to know and to love, to know the truth and love the good.
It is the role of education or of the educator to help the student to develop or to actuate this ability for knowledge and love and thus to make of himself a more perfect image of God
The doctrine of the Image of God in man is found in the documents of Vatican Council II. In the same place, the Council refers to the words of the Psalmist: “What is man that thou art mindful of him …” Ps. 8:5-6. (A Theological Dimension of Education by: James J. Meany, S.J, Executive Secretary, East Asian Jesuit Educational Conference)
Morals:
Education if it is true and authentic should be done in cooperation and collaboration to the Plan of God for each person. It is the result of a constant interaction involving the expert labor of the teachers, the free cooperation of the students, and the help of the supernatural dynamism of grace. (The Congregation for Catholic Education, 107 page 57)
Our Aspiration for ourselves and for others is that we become fully human, developing our own personality and skills for the good of society.
To be TRULY CHRISTIAN, EDUCATION must help man to a TOTAL LIBERATION based on a living faith in Christ and expressed in love of one’s fellowmen. Christ told us: “I HAVE COME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE – LIFE IN ABUNDANCE.” LIFE! Not merely existence.
To live means to develop our God-given abilities in relation with others, in the family, in the local community and in the nation as a whole.
Real living comes only with GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, SHARING and finally total GIVING of all that we have, even as Christ, in accordance with the will of His Father, grew, as we are told in the Gospels, “in wisdom, age and grace,” shared with others, and at the last, gave Himself completely, MAN FOR OTHERS, fully alive and totally free. He taught man the meaning of suffering, forgetfulness of self, and death, as ways of growing and coming to the fullness of LIFE.
Education is authentic when it is an effective instrument of God’s design.Christ Himself is the MODEL OF THE TRUE EDUCATOR of today. His own life was a witness to everything He taught. He opened people’s minds. a.) the woman in the well (John 4:7 ff); and b.) the disciples on the Road to Emmaus (Luke. 24: 13 ff)
Worship
In Jesuit Education, a Catholic school, there is a continuous vertical interaction through prayer, Eucharistic celebration, Recollections, and Retreats. This is the fullest and most complete expression of the religious dimension.
Each of the students has his or her own life, family and social background, and these are not always happy situations. They feel the unrest of the adolescent, which grows more intense as they face the problems and worries of a young person approaching maturity. Teachers will pray for each of them that the grace present in the Catholic school’s milieu may permeate their whole person, enlightening them and helping them to respond adequately to all that is demanded of them in order to live Christian lives.
The students will learn that they must pray for their teachers. As they get older, they will come to appreciate the pain and the difficulties that teaching involves. They will pray that the educational gifts of their teachers may be more effective, that they may be comforted by success in their work, and that the grace of God may sustain their dedication and bring them peace in their work.