Renewal in the Church, Renewal in Catholic Education
Fall Break 2024
Fall Break is here! I wish you and your family some rest over the next week. I know some families are off on adventures, many are doing stay-cations, and others blending work and family time over this week. No matter where we find ourselves, make some extra time to do one or two activities as a family.
This week we had three feast days that we might reflect on: Our Lady of the Rosary, St. John Henry Newman, and Pope St. John XXIII. A common theme among these feasts is a call for renewal. As the Blessed Virgin Mary defended the Christians against those trying to bring down Christendom, she reminds us we have to be alert, not necessarily to those against the Church, but that we are united to the Church. What better way to be united to Christ than through his Mother. Our Lady of the Rosary, under her mantle, protects us but also carries us to her Son. Fr. Baker taught us in his homily for the feast that the image of Our Lady that was flown from the ship of Don John was that of Our Lady of Guadalupe. In 1531, Our Lady appeared to St. Juan Diego, and forty years later, her image is shown at a battle on the seas near Greece. This was many years before airplanes and the internet, yet Our Lady’s presence in the world was strong. Her presence is still strong.
On October 9, we celebrated the feast of St. John Henry Newman. An English theologian who converted to Catholicism as an Anglican priest and was later given the title of Cardinal in the Catholic Church. At the turn of the 19th to 20th centuries, St. John Henry Newman began a revival in Catholic education. The Church in the 21st century still reaps the benefits of his work and those he influenced. I have a personal devotion to St. John Henry Newman who has allowed me to partake in schools and communities that are truly trying to live the Faith. This is one of the reasons that I was drawn to Holy Rosary Academy, a rooted community seeking Christ.
Today, we celebrate the feast of Pope St. John XXIII. I first learned about him in connection with his calling for Vatican II. I later learned that, even as he called for Vatican II, he called for a renewal of our liturgy. I bring this point to our reflection because the liturgy of the Church is not stagnant. It has been renewed over the 2000 years since the original Last Supper. Renewals allow the Church to remind us, both clergy and laity, that the Mass is the “Source and Summit” of our faith. The Mass is the eternal sacrifice of Christ offering himself for our redemption. Renewal does not change the direction or intention of our faith but rather gives us a clearer spotlight on the ways we should be directing ourselves to Christ.
Our culture at Holy Rosary comes forth from the liturgy. This week has been a blessing for our community as I saw families enjoy the RosaryFest and the Parish Mission. This coming week, as you spend time with your children in prayer, ask them about this week at school. What did they learn or notice was different about the Masses, prayer, or the first-class relic of St. John Paull II?
Continue praying the Rosary or parts of it each night. Our moms were not wrong when they told us, “The families that pray together, stay together.”
P.S. October 30 will be the first of three discussions on Anxious Generation. I hope to see you there!