Today is Jan. 27, Monday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time.
Today at Mass we read, “For Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands, a copy of the true one, but heaven itself, that he might now appear before God on our behalf” (Heb 9:24).
Navy blue slacks were a staple of my wardrobe for years. (Shorts were only permitted during the early fall and late spring months.) Polo shirts, tucked in with a belt, naturally, completed the look. At St. Charles Borromeo, my elementary school, our school uniforms were part of everyday life.
Our school uniforms instilled in us order and purpose. Years later I learned how painful “dress-down” days were for our teachers. On those precious days when we could come to school in jeans and t-shirts, we were practically ungovernable. But more important than order or discipline, our uniforms were a sign of identity. Our uniforms marked us as St. Charles students.
This week, Catholic schools across the United States are celebrating Catholic Schools Week. A week to showcase that fundamental identity of our schools. More important than competitive sports or academic achievement, for which many Catholic Schools are known, Catholic schools are places where our sons and daughters can encounter Christ.
Winning souls for Christ
I remember a little sign that hung near the main office at St. Charles. It read, “Let it be known to all who enter here that Jesus Christ is the reason for this school, the unseen but ever-present teacher in all its classes, the model of its faculty, and the inspiration for its students.” The point of a Catholic school is to win souls for Jesus Christ, to bring our children to sit at the feet of our master, the one who, as Hebrews says, “appears before God on our behalf.”
Catholic schools are worth fighting for. We have to fight to make our schools affordable and accessible, especially for Catholics. We have to fight for teachers and administrators who love the Church and want to serve the mission of education. We have to fight to protect our children from dangerous ideologies. We have to fight to win their minds and hearts so that they will be won over by the beauty and truth of the Faith.
Let us pray,
Almighty ever-living God, direct our actions according to your good pleasure, that in the name of your beloved Son we may abound in good works. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
