I thought it was interesting when the author wrote about who will be next? Do any of us think about living with saints around us? Probably not, but there really are saints in our daily lives. We need saints! We need great spiritual people to teach and show us the way to holiness. People who are willing to live for their faith. All of us know people like this, but we may not always recognize them as people who are willing to give their life to God. Each of us is called to a life of holiness - a life of prayer and virtue. Can we do this?
"To whom does the future belong?" is an interesting question. I often wonder what kind of world it will be by the time our students have children, or their children have kids. When I think of how much the world has changed since I was a kid, it proves how many opportunities for advancement (and sliding back) there are. I like to think that in preparing the next generation of students for life as adults, we are helping them find their authentic lives and the best versions of themselves so that the world can become a better place.
In the beginning of the chapter I loved the way they mentioned that 65% of the gospels is stories!! We all like to tell stories and it is neat to relate the gospels as simply stories in the life of Christ. It hit me also when they talked about what you would live your life for-- your faith. We hear about many of the saints giving up their life for their faith and it relates that we must also live our lives for our faith. It is a good way of thinking os things. It again relates that we must live our lives to be the best-version -of- ourselves. Again as I read I thought of the decisions that I had made in the past 48 hours and identified which were made to be the best version of myself and which were selfish deciisions.
If you could change anything about the world, what would you change? These questions provoked me to think of what I would change and the first thing I thought of was how people treat others. Our thoughts, words, actions, and inaction have created the world of today. Are we all being Christians in what we say and do? I think this is one of the first steps that we need to think about before we can begin to lead an authentic life.
When I read the eleventh chapter, I thought that it discussed many interesting points. Some points that impressed me were how influential storytellers are for the future and how we are all storytellers. I agree that stories are life-changing. This made me think how important our jobs are as teachers. What stories are we reading or making accessible to our students?
Another important point was the question, “What are you willing to live for?” It made me think about my life. How do I spend my time? In the busyness of life and doing the same old routines, our lives are slipping away. We should live our lives to the fullest potential. In addition, I like how Matthew Kelly says that we should each find our own place in history rather than saying, “Be like Mother Teresa (for example).” We each have our own special role to play in the world.
In reading this chapter and thinking about being the best version of us we can be, about living authentic lives and being called to holiness, I thought back to when we read the book "A Complaint Free World" as a staff. When we first read that book, we were all gung ho about it and really tried to live complaint free lives. Time passed, however, and somehow we got away from trying to live that life. So many good thoughts and discussions have come from blogging about this book. Will we rise to the occasion after this book is long finished and stand by the words and thoughts we have expressed? Or, with the passage of time, will it lose its importance and will we all be no better off than we were before we read it? I hope we all rise to the call of holiness......
In reading chapter 11, I stopped to pause when the author talked about the stories of the saints and feel very grateful that Patty and Abby continue to do the saint project with the kids. Ben came home so excited about researching his saint and wanting to read his books he received for 1st communion about the saints. It is through examples like this that our students will continue to grow and learn more about their faith.
Over the past weekend I watched the movie "Facing the Giants" (I highly recommend watching it--it is a feel-good, inspirational movie) about a high school football coach and his team. The coach came to immerse himself in God and passed that to his team, telling them to praise God when they win and to praise him when they lose. I thought of that movie as I read on page 149 about taking the everyday activities in our lives and seeing them as an opportunity to grow in virtue. I think about how simple that can and should be, but instead it seems that the "small" things stifle my being able to work on being the best I can be. It really made me think about ways I can work on changing.
I'm so glad to hear that, Vicki! I was encouraged with the statement about how God used "those you least expect" to carry His message. Jesus showed this love for all, especially the weak. That makes me feel good knowing that even though I'm weak at times, God still loves me and can use me in ways that I could never even imagine!
I always seem to think of Saints as people who lived long ago. I never considered the fact that there might be a Saint among us today and that those people that are chosen to be Saints could be someone we know and also someone that we might not expect to be considered a Saint. It also made me think about how in this chapter it said that God will call forth men and women that will shadow the Saints of the past - I always think of the Saints that we know of right now and how great they are and could there really be anyone greater? I guess it is something to look forward to.
I found the subject of "storytellers" to be very interesting. In religion class right now, we are talking about how Jesus is a storyteller. I never really thought about my own life and my own actions as being a story that other people may be influenced or interested by. It is true that the great speeches we have heard in the past, the ones that captivate people. are speeches that include some personal story or something that people can relate to.
Fr. Jaeger taught a group of parishioners at a Lenten retreat that the word holiness comes from the word, whole. Each of us are called to live a life of holiness as we are all "saints in process." Like Christie, I too, feel an awesome responsibility of not only preparing and shaping my own daughters faith lives but all of my students lives as well so that they can become the best they can be at Seton, at home and wherever they go. Teachers actions do speak louder than our words. So many eyes are watching us very carefully every day. The responsibility is our parish, school, students and staff is incredible. Sandy, I too, have brought back out the book: A Complaint Free World. I needed to refresh my memory as the passage of time warrants it. I need to find my place. I wear many hats as a daughter, wife, mother, sister, teacher, friend, parishioner and so I need to become the best version of myself!
The saints of the past did wonderful, extraordinary things. I do feel there are saints or "saint like People everywhere," Almost everywhere you go there are people trying to help others and make world a better place. They may not be a Saint in the official sense of the word, however to the person they are helping they may be considered a saint.
I think about the students at Seton and how I am preparing them for the future. Lori, I like your statement about how actions speak louder than words. You're right, we are watched very carefully by others, especially our students. It makes me think about all I have been doing and what else I could be doing. I liked the part in chapter 11 that said the best thing you can do for yourself, your spouse, your children, your friends, your Church, your nation, and God is to become the best-version-of-youself. That answers my question about what else I could be doing...the best thing I can do for my students and people I work with is to be the best version of myself.
I thought it was interesting when the author wrote about who will be next? Do any of us think about living with saints around us? Probably not, but there really are saints in our daily lives. We need saints! We need great spiritual people to teach and show us the way to holiness. People who are willing to live for their faith. All of us know people like this, but we may not always recognize them as people who are willing to give their life to God.
ReplyDeleteEach of us is called to a life of holiness - a life of prayer and virtue. Can we do this?
"To whom does the future belong?" is an interesting question. I often wonder what kind of world it will be by the time our students have children, or their children have kids. When I think of how much the world has changed since I was a kid, it proves how many opportunities for advancement (and sliding back) there are. I like to think that in preparing the next generation of students for life as adults, we are helping them find their authentic lives and the best versions of themselves so that the world can become a better place.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the chapter I loved the way they mentioned that 65% of the gospels is stories!! We all like to tell stories and it is neat to relate the gospels as simply stories in the life of Christ.
ReplyDeleteIt hit me also when they talked about what you would live your life for-- your faith. We hear about many of the saints giving up their life for their faith and it relates that we must also live our lives for our faith. It is a good way of thinking os things. It again relates that we must live our lives to be the best-version -of- ourselves. Again as I read I thought of the decisions that I had made in the past 48 hours and identified which were made to be the best version of myself and which were selfish deciisions.
If you could change anything about the world, what would you change? These questions provoked me to think of what I would change and the first thing I thought of was how people treat others. Our thoughts, words, actions, and inaction have created the world of today. Are we all being Christians in what we say and do? I think this is one of the first steps that we need to think about before we can begin to lead an authentic life.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read the eleventh chapter, I thought that it discussed many interesting points. Some points that impressed me were how influential storytellers are for the future and how we are all storytellers. I agree that stories are life-changing. This made me think how important our jobs are as teachers. What stories are we reading or making accessible to our students?
ReplyDeleteAnother important point was the question, “What are you willing to live for?” It made me think about my life. How do I spend my time? In the busyness of life and doing the same old routines, our lives are slipping away. We should live our lives to the fullest potential. In addition, I like how Matthew Kelly says that we should each find our own place in history rather than saying, “Be like Mother Teresa (for example).” We each have our own special role to play in the world.
In reading this chapter and thinking about being the best version of us we can be, about living authentic lives and being called to holiness, I thought back to when we read the book "A Complaint Free World" as a staff. When we first read that book, we were all gung ho about it and really tried to live complaint free lives. Time passed, however, and somehow we got away from trying to live that life. So many good thoughts and discussions have come from blogging about this book. Will we rise to the occasion after this book is long finished and stand by the words and thoughts we have expressed? Or, with the passage of time, will it lose its importance and will we all be no better off than we were before we read it? I hope we all rise to the call of holiness......
ReplyDeleteIn reading chapter 11, I stopped to pause when the author talked about the stories of the saints and feel very grateful that Patty and Abby continue to do the saint project with the kids. Ben came home so excited about researching his saint and wanting to read his books he received for 1st communion about the saints. It is through examples like this that our students will continue to grow and learn more about their faith.
ReplyDeleteOver the past weekend I watched the movie "Facing the Giants" (I highly recommend watching it--it is a feel-good, inspirational movie) about a high school football coach and his team. The coach came to immerse himself in God and passed that to his team, telling them to praise God when they win and to praise him when they lose. I thought of that movie as I read on page 149 about taking the everyday activities in our lives and seeing them as an opportunity to grow in virtue. I think about how simple that can and should be, but instead it seems that the "small" things stifle my being able to work on being the best I can be. It really made me think about ways I can work on changing.
I'm so glad to hear that, Vicki! I was encouraged with the statement about how God used "those you least expect" to carry His message. Jesus showed this love for all, especially the weak. That makes me feel good knowing that even though I'm weak at times, God still loves me and can use me in ways that I could never even imagine!
ReplyDeleteI always seem to think of Saints as people who lived long ago. I never considered the fact that there might be a Saint among us today and that those people that are chosen to be Saints could be someone we know and also someone that we might not expect to be considered a Saint. It also made me think about how in this chapter it said that God will call forth men and women that will shadow the Saints of the past - I always think of the Saints that we know of right now and how great they are and could there really be anyone greater? I guess it is something to look forward to.
ReplyDeleteI found the subject of "storytellers" to be very interesting. In religion class right now, we are talking about how Jesus is a storyteller. I never really thought about my own life and my own actions as being a story that other people may be influenced or interested by. It is true that the great speeches we have heard in the past, the ones that captivate people. are speeches that include some personal story or something that people can relate to.
ReplyDeleteFr. Jaeger taught a group of parishioners at a Lenten retreat that the word holiness comes from the word, whole. Each of us are called to live a life of holiness as we are all "saints in process." Like Christie, I too, feel an awesome responsibility of not only preparing and shaping my own daughters faith lives but all of my students lives as well so that they can become the best they can be at Seton, at home and wherever they go.
ReplyDeleteTeachers actions do speak louder than our words.
So many eyes are watching us very carefully every day. The responsibility is our parish, school, students and staff is incredible.
Sandy, I too, have brought back out the book:
A Complaint Free World. I needed to refresh my memory as the passage of time warrants it.
I need to find my place. I wear many hats as a daughter, wife, mother, sister, teacher, friend, parishioner and so I need to become the best version of myself!
The saints of the past did wonderful, extraordinary things. I do feel there are saints or "saint like People everywhere," Almost everywhere you go there are people trying to help others and make world a better place. They may not be a Saint in the official sense of the word, however to the person they are helping they may be considered a saint.
ReplyDeleteI think about the students at Seton and how I am preparing them for the future. Lori, I like your statement about how actions speak louder than words. You're right, we are watched very carefully by others, especially our students. It makes me think about all I have been doing and what else I could be doing. I liked the part in chapter 11 that said the best thing you can do for yourself, your spouse, your children, your friends, your Church, your nation, and God is to become the best-version-of-youself. That answers my question about what else I could be doing...the best thing I can do for my students and people I work with is to be the best version of myself.
ReplyDelete