Authentic Relationship


“Creating an environment where students can grow in their Faith can be so tricky in our schools, though. We have so many objectives and agendas that we feel pressured to focus on the academic portion so much. In Catholic Schools (Bl. John Henry Cardinal Newman) we argue that if a student does not know about God and their relationship with God, then all other knowledge is superfluous; what do we do with the knowledge we learn in class if we do not know what God wants of us? In some way, we need to "cultivate Love" in the classroom; that is, we need to create a space where our students' relationship with God can flourish. This will look different for every teacher, but, in my experience, this is what the students remember and benefit from the most.”
“Superfluous” may be too strong a word. The knowledge that students gain in the classroom, no matter what knowledge it is, has the potential to expand their understanding of the world and the people around them. As long as that knowledge is honest and rational, it is good. But knowledge without direction seems pointless. Knowledge without a compass to guide it seems, potentially, irresponsible.
Trinitarian Abbey in Adare, Ireland. The "cross" can also be thought of as a "bridge" connecting the Divine with the human. The arms of the Crucified Christ are the relationship between God and man. The human response should be to embrace the Cross, or, rather, to embrace the man on the Cross. (photo P. Smith)

Catholic education should offer that compass. Catholic education should be rooted in Authentic Anthropology. That is, we are made to be in relationship with self, other, creation, and God. If we think about it, education is really the practice of recognizing relationships; we study the relationship between words, numbers, ideas, images, events. It is almost as if education is Sacramental, a sign pointing to the Truth of who we and God are. The True human person (fully human) is one who is in Authentic Relationship. But what does Authentic Relationship look like? What are we teaching in school if we do not have a model or an example of Authentic Relationship? The Trinity is that model…the Trinity is that True and Authentic Relationship in whose image and likeness we are made. Perhaps the purpose of education is more so we can look like our Creator rather than simply to know about His creation. Maybe when we are willing to be more open to dialogue between the subjects we teach, we will start to recognize that Truth. Maybe if we, as teachers, can start to recognize that Truth, our students will begin to understand the interconnectedness of the world they are learning about. Perhaps they will start to encounter God in all their subjects.

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