Faith Formation -"World Catholic Education Day - Understanding Our Catholic Mission as Witnesses"

Today is a special Thursday edition of Faith Formation as we are celebrating World Catholic Education Day!

In Alberta, we are blessed to be one of three remaining Canadian provinces which has publicly funded Catholic education.  This makes our role and vocation even more significant. We all must work to preserve and enhance the precious gift of publicly funded Catholic education in Alberta. We need to embrace it as an opportunity for Catholic schools and our faith communities to promote their important and distinctive mission.  As I said in my last reflection, it is not only “WHO” and “WHAT” we are but more importantly…. It is a vital part of our “WHY”!  Fundamentally, we individually and collectively need to understand our “WHY”!

Pope St. Paul VI highlights the important “WHY” to our role as Catholic educators as living witnesses of Christ’s love.  We, as faithful Catholic educators, are entrusted to ensure our children are immersed in Catholic teachings throughout their education.  Their true education starts and ends with the witnesses and role models that are before them. Let us remember that our call to become more actively engaged as witnesses of God on a mission to impart and share our faith with others that is one that allows our own faith to be strengthened. 

With prayerful hearts and in a spirit of GrACE we turn to God and say . . .

Heavenly Father,

Pour forth your Holy Spirit to inspire me with words from Holy Scripture.

Stir in my soul the desire to renew my faith and deepen my relationship with your Son,

our Lord Jesus Christ so that I might truly believe in and live the Good News.

Open my heart to hear the Gospel and grant me the confidence to proclaim the Good News to others. Pour out your Spirit, so that I might be strengthened to go forth and witness to the Gospel in my everyday life through my words and actions.

God, our Father,

I pray that through the Holy Spirit I might hear the call of the New Evangelization

to deepen my faith, grow in confidence to proclaim the Gospel

and boldly witness to the saving grace of your Son, Jesus Christ,

who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Please take a few moments to view a reprise of the following clips highlighting Fr. Rob Galea which too relate to and reinforce the important Catholic mission that we have been afforded:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDfXdcMwNsk&t=71s - “What Does It Mean to Be Catholic”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xbZ-pGg6B4 - “To the Ends of the Earth”

As we commemorate World Catholic Education Day, let us remember that our call to become more actively engaged as missionary disciples extends beyond today’s date.  In fact, it is the hope of Pope Francis that we continue on our mission to impart and share our faith with others that our own faith is strengthened. This is especially as important as we strive to fulfill our mission in life and in Catholic education in support of the students and families we serve.

Blessings for a wonderful World Catholic Education Day!