Dear Friends,
Pope Leo XIV recently gave an instruction to the Priests of the Diocese of Rome in which he highlighted three important characteristics of those seeking to be willing witnesses to the Gospel. I think in a particular way, as we are in a time of summer and many of us are away from our respective schools, it is both a good examination of conscience for us, as well as an inspiration for us, as we seek to prepare for the next school year.
The first characteristic is that of the importance of the priority of Christian leaders prioritizing unity and communion. This is something the Pope said we all must be vigilant about, especially in our own social circumstances. These are characterized by polarization as well as loud religious commentators (even amongst Catholics) on YouTube and social media that advocate their own strong private opinions, rather than focusing on faithfully passing on the Magisterial teaching of the Church. This also applies on a very immediate level to the importance of simply seeking to foster positive relationships within our own schools and avoid unnecessary acrimony amongst teachers and staff.
The second characteristic he spoke about was the virtue of exemplarity. All Christians, especially teachers and staff who are seeking to share the Gospel to their students, are called to have a living and vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ. The Pope spoke thus: “Let yourselves be drawn once again by the call of the Master, to feel and live the love of the first hour, that which drove you to make important choices and courageous sacrifices. If together we try to be exemplary in a humble life, then we will be able to express the renewing force of the Gospel for every man and for every woman.” My prayer echoing that of the Holy Father is that all of us who are involved in the work of our schools might have a renewed love of the Lord remembering when we first experienced an encounter with him.
Finally, he challenged the Priests (and through them all of us) to look at the challenges of our time from a prophetic perspective. Hence, we are to look at the challenges that our students and we, ourselves, face with the question: What is the Lord saying to us in order to challenge how we live; as well as, how is he calling us to proclaim the truth, especially of the dignity of the human person in the midst of so many familial and social challenges?
May the Lord give us the grace to be his authentic witnesses and to build up the body of Christ.
In Christ,
Fr. Paul Kostka
