What Catholic Education means to me...

As this is the 8th grade's last week of school, I thought it appropriate to pose the question " how will the religious education you received guide you in high school and beyond?" I wanted to share with you what one student wrote.

How will Catholic school education aid me in my life?

Religion is a very important aspect in one's life. I was lucky enough to get a religious education at a Catholic school. Learning my faith in my youth will help me to be a kinder person, a more devout Christian and I will raise my children in this faith. God calls everyone to do His will and I think learning about God's will is the most important step in our life long journey to heaven. Jesus tells us to treat others as we would want to be treated. Learning to be kind to others is a small step in changing this world full of hatred and war into a world of peace and Love.

Being kind is a very easy thing to do. Whether it be holding a door open for someone, or helping someone with a large package, you can display kindness in many different ways. Going to a Catholic school, I learned many different scenarios in which one can display kindness. I believe if I didn't go to a Catholic school, I would not have the knowledge of what kindness stemming from God's Love truly is. Going to church on a weekly basis and praying in class have revealed to me that faith in God is all that really matters in our lives.

In our school we are free to practice our faith as Catholics without any discrimination. Knowing that others pray to God as you do, definitely makes you feel more comfortable to go to church or pray aloud. In a public school, children are not allowed this privilege. In Catholic school, we learn what prayer can do. Catholic school plants a seed in your soul that will grow and make you a better person. Passing down the tradition of going to Catholic school and to Mass is not only vital for the churches survival, but it allows new generations to take part in such a great and awesome way of life.

I will bring up my children in the Catholic faith because of my religious education. Taking my children to church, letting them go to parochial school and teaching them how to pray are just a few of the ways I will raise my children. God call us to spread His Good News and what better way to do that than to pass it down to our children. Hopefully my children will be as grateful as I am for a good Catholic education. As participants of a catholic school, we are a step ahead of others on our path to God because we have a deeper understanding of our faith.

Jesus asked us to be his disciples. Our parents encouraged and allowed us to attend Catholic school. Our Pastor gave us opportunities to grow in faith through retreats and youth group. Our religion teacher taught us the ways we can live out our faith. With help from all of these people, our faithfulness will flourish for all our lives.



"I am grateful for being raised in the Catholic faith. I demonstrate my faith in these ways: Coming to school even after the big Boston trip, giving a listening ear to a friend and being honest and truthful to my family and friends."

"I am grateful for being raised in the Catholic faith. I demonstrate my faith in these ways: by being helpful and grateful for everyone and everything."

"I am grateful for being raised in the Catholic faith. I demonstrate my faith in these ways: I go to church, I help others and I treat others the way I want to be treated."

"I am grateful for the years I spent at this school. My fondest memory was going to Heifer Internationals Learning center - Overlook Farm!"

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has annointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. Lk 4:18

"I am grateful for agencies that raise awareness to social justice. One agency that I am grateful for is Dean's Beans Coffee because it give coffee growers more for their work."

"I am grateful for the gift of meditation because I can meditate outside."

"Wondrous God, I am grateful for the spring air! For me, springtime means new life." (x2)

"I am grateful for the many ways to pray. My favorite is through talking to Jesus in a quiet room."

"Wondrous God, I am grateful for the spring air. For me, spring means...my birthday and the smells and the warm air with odors."

"I am grateful for the opportunity to attend school because... I know that there are children in the world that aren't able to go to school. So I am blessed to have this opportunity."

"I am grateful for the gift of meditation. My favorite way to meditate is through retreats."

"God of all creation, thank You for nature's beauty. My favorite thing about nature is the animals in their natural habitats."

"I am grateful to do ordinary things with great love. Some of the these things are helping others with homework and chores."

"Wondrous God, thank You for the spring air. For me, springtime means fun in the sun and nature coming back to life."

"I am grateful for the gift of meditation. My favorite way to meditate is on a rock outside when it is quiet and peaceful."

"I am grateful for the opportunity to help others, because it gives me a chance to humble myself and see that I am not the only person who needs help sometimes."

"I thank God for the opportunity of change."

"

Talking with God is the greatest priveledge that we have!

I would like to open this week's blog by sharing a prayer that the 7th grade class wrote for our upcoming field trip to Heifer Internationals' Overlook Farm. We have been studying about the various forms of prayer and how prayer is one of the best means of developing and maintaining a relationship with God. The students did a wonderful job collaborating on this prayer.

"Loving God, thank You for the abundance that we have. Thank You for the resources and willingness to travel to the Heifer Learning Center. Keep us safe from harm and guide us to be understanding of other's needs. Help us to fulfill our promise of purchasing a llama and water buffalo for 3rd world villager's in need. Allow us to see the face of God in all those whom we help, just as Mother Teresa did. Please prepare us for any difficulties we may encounter on this trip. Thank You for allowing us to make a difference. Amen!"

**Prior to reading our gratitude jottings, please take a look at the links on the right hand side of the blog. You will find a video clip to an 8 minute documentary about a Heifer Learning Center in AR, directed by George Lucas. While the documentary clip is about a more extensive overnight program, our students will have the opportunity to participate in a 5 hour program called Humans and Habitats, similar to the one in the video. I am praying for fantastic day!


"I am grateful for prayer because it strengthens my heart and my relationship with Jesus."

"I am just plain thankful for the technology that we have today to figure out things and find cures for diseases."

"I am thankful for the opportunity to pray. My favorite prayer is the Hail Mary. It is my favorite prayer because She is a wonderful role model and it is great to pray to Her."

"I am grateful for the opportunity to pray. My favorite prayer is the Hail Mary, but I also like making up my own."

"I am grateful for the opportunity to overcome difficulty by praying. A time when I felt Jesus' strength was when my dog died."

"I am grateful to be able to agree to disagree. A time when the Spirit gave me strength to do this was when a student asked me to smoke with them and I didn't."

"I am grateful for prayer because it gives me guidance."

"I am grateful to be able to agree to disagree because it allows us to form our own opinions."

"I am just plain thankful for being alive and healthy!"

"I am just plain thankful for forgiveness from my friends."

"I am grateful for the ability to communicate. My strongest means of expressing myself is helping others and smiling at others too."

"I am grateful for the ability to communicate. My strongest/best means of expressing myself is the way I dress and the way I talk."

"I am grateful for the ability to agree to disagree. A time when the Spirit gave me the strength to to do this was during the election. My family wanted a certain presidential candidate and another family wanted someone different."

"I am grateful for prayer because it gives me the power to talk to God."

You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world ~ M.W.

"God open my heart to Your call. I thank you to be called to... make the world a better place."

"I think God calls me to be nice to others."

"I see the light of Christ in myself when I forgive others I see it in others, when they forgive me. I am grateful because it feels good when Jesus Christ shines in me."

"God open my heart to Your call. I thank You to be called to be a Christian."

"God, open my heart to your call. I thank You to be called to... be nice to people I don't like."

God open my heart to Your call. I thank You to be called to be a nurse or do something with animals. I don't know if God is calling me to be a nun or not."

"The Christian translation of Namaste is 'I see the light of Christ in you as it is in me.' I see it in myself by being kind to others and polite to adults. Others help me to grow in Christ."

"Unchanging God, I am grateful for the tedious activities in my life. Some routine activities that I am grateful for are, chores and rules because they teach me responsibility and discipline."

"Caring God, help me to be attentive to the needs of those around me. I am grateful for the opportunity to help someone by comforting them."

Abundance can only be found in God!

"I am grateful for my needs being met. I thank God for my health, safety and good decision making."

"Here I am Lord. Thank You for the chance to serve. Some ways that I can serve You are by doing boy scout activities, by giving to charities and by helping out where I am needed."

"Lord, I am grateful for the opportunity to repent. Some ways that I can repent are by letting go of anger and grudges."

"Abundant God, thank You for my treasures. I am thankful for my friends, family, teachers and school."

"Loving God, I am thankful for all those who have touched my life. Those for whom I am grateful are my teachers and my parents."

"Loving God, I am thankful for all those who have touched my life. Those for whom have touched my life are my family, who give me everything that I need, friends and people who help me when I need it."

"I am thankful for my needs being met. I thank God for being able to live!"

"Loving God, I am thankful for all those who have touched my life. Those for whom I am grateful are Pat Sears and J*****."

"I am thankful for my needs being met. I thank God for myself!"

" I am grateful for the opportunity to repent. One way that I can repent other than just saying I'm sorry is I can Pray."

"I am grateful for my needs being met. I thank God for the meals that my parents provide."

"God, teach me kindness. A time when I was grateful for someone's kindness was when my dad coached my basketball team."

"I thank God for my needs being met. I thank God for food to eat."

"Abundant God, thank You for Your treasures. I am thankful for these God given treasures because they give me talents and virtues."

"Abundant God, thank You for Your treasures. I am grateful for these God given treasures because they make me unique."

Back to gratitude!

"I am thankful for this cold winter day because it is from God!"

"I am grateful for being able to go to this great school."

"I am grateful for the time someone listened to me. A time I can think of is when a teacher took the time to help me in a subject and listened to my opinions."

"I am thankful for missionaries because they help us to follow in Jesus' footsteps."

"I am grateful for my life and the life of others. I thank the Lord for the life of all his creations."

"I am grateful for my gifts. My gifts from the Holy Spirit are my moral compass, my conscience and my love for my family!"

"I am grateful for missionaries because they are shining examples of the dedication to God's word."

"I feel blessed because God chose me to come to earth!"

" I am thankful to God for giving me my life and everyone in it."

The Gift of Being Present this Advent Season!

We took a break from our weekly gratitude postings in order to Celebrate the Advent Season. We often get caught up in the materialistic nature of the holiday, focusing only on the must have gifts, the parties and the treats. We lose sight that Advent is not only a period of waiting for Jesus' birth, but also a time for repentance and renewal.

The students had the opportunity offer the gift of presence to their families and to one another. The students made a paper chain and on each chain loop were different tasks to be completed for each day of Advent. Each day, the students were to tear off a loop and complete that required task or substitute it with another similar activity. After completing the activity, the students were asked to reflect on their actions, journal their thoughts, feelings and attitudes toward that activity. If the action involved others, they were asked to write about how it may have impacted the other person or people and/or how they may have felt about it.

I am pleased to share some of their thoughts on the gift of being present...

"Today I had to read a gospel by any of the writers so I chose Luke 2:1-20. Luke's Gospel was about the birth of Jesus. But his was a little different. He talked quickly of how Joseph had to go to Bethlehem and where Mary had the Baby Jesus. It was more about the angels telling the Shepard's to come and worship the baby in the manger. The angels went up to them in the fields and said 'Glory to God in High Heaven, peace on earth to whom his favor rests.' When the Shepard's came to Jesus, they understood what it meant. I really enjoyed this version of the birth of Jesus because it talks more about the Shepard's that were sort of pushed away and not spoken about a lot. This, I think showed that Jesus wanted to welcome all people - meager Shepard's and gallant kings."


"I stared into the night sky and tried to calm my boiling thoughts. I slowly but surely, slipped into a calm state of mind and I said a little prayer of thanks to God. I thank Him for my friends, family and the good times this Christmas!"

"Today I made a God's eye for our Christmas tree. As I hung it up I realized that our small little tree looked extraordinarily beautiful this year!"

"When I prayed for the world's hungry today, I also prayed for peace. I hope that one day we will have peace and that no one will be hungry."