Heroes

We can be heroes, just for one day. - David Bowie

Today is the 100th anniversary of the ending of World War One, the war to end all wars. Across the globe, commemorations (rain or shine) are taking place to honor those who died in the horrific conflict.

My son in our Kindergarten class wrote cards for a parent and his friends who served in the Marines. His own godfather is in the Air Force. On the way to school, he told me that he wanted to be a Marine, to be a hero like the father discussed in class. I relayed this conversation to one of the children of that father and she replied, "You're a hero too! You're the principal, you get everything for the school!"

What is our goal? Continually, I return to the sense that society will force our schools (our Catholic schools) to make a choice - do we want to form the worldly heroes? Or the heroes enshrined in our stained glass?

If we choose the latter over the former, the essential questions become: "What is the difference and how do we teach it?"

In that case, the difference must be rooted in a sense of love - a love for God "with all your heart...soul...mind...and strength" that leads to a love for neighbor. This genuine selfless desire for the best for the other as rooted in God's plan is distinct from a secular vision of a progressive society or a hedonistic pleasure rooted in the world or the attainment of cultural cache or wealth.

As for how we teach it, maybe that's the path I'm on. The path trodden by the thousands of saints we read about, we teach about, we follow in this Church of ours.