“Christ will be magnified in my
body, whether by life or by death
. . . for to me life is Christ.”
—Philippians 1:20-21
magine how passionate St. Paul
was about his faith, consumed
by his love for Jesus. The
theme for the upcoming 2005-2006
Catechetical year—“Life Is Christ”—
is taken directly from this passage. It
reminds us of
the bountiful
gifts of God.
As educators,
we have the
opportunity
to cultivate
gratitude among our students and to
challenge them to reach out to others,
especially during the upcoming sum-
mer months. Here are three ways to
do this.
• BE ATTENTIVE TO HUMAN NEED. Jesus
tells us that when we take care of the
needs of others, we do so for him.
Encourage students to be sensitive to
each other’s needs every day. During
summer, invite them to keep a log of
those in need. Ask them to write
down the name of the person in need
and how they fulfilled that need.
• APPRECIATE DAILY BLESSINGS. Before
school ends, practice the habit of
thanking someone each day for his
or her courtesy, help, and kindness.
Talk about how good it feels to
extend and receive expressions of
appreciation and affirmation.
• WORK FOR JUSTICE. The Christian
life draws us out of our own con-
cerns and challenges us to care for
those in need. Direct your students
to various justice-related websites
like www.povertyusa.org and
www.catholicrelief.org. Encourage
them to explore other websites
during the summer that could help
them develop a respect for the dig-
nity of all people.
s it possible to live like Christ?
In their pastoral statement,
Called and Gifted for the
Third Millennium, the bishops in the
United States demystify what such a
life looks like. They focus on four calls
that shed light on what it means to fol-
low Christ’s example and make it our
own. As Catholic educators we can use
these four calls in our daily work and
as a sign of our commitment to Christ-
centered education.
• THE CALL TO HOLINESS. We answer
the call to holiness through our
daily activities and interpersonal
relationships. When
we provide cal