by Vince Anch
After more than two grueling and COVID-infested years, the world needs healing, both physical and spiritual.
Add in the contentious political environment, international conflict and cancel culture and you don’t have to look very hard to see Satan’s influence darkening everyday life. How do we combat this? What is the cure?
Every day in Catholic schools, our students tackle a rigorous curriculum of math, English, science, history and religion.
While doing this, they also pray throughout each day. They may not understand specific worldly issues, but they are concerned for the world and each of us. They are our prayer warriors and are fighting back against the darkness to bring more light — Christ’s light — into our world.
Our students might just be the antidote we all need right now.
When I visit one of our Catholic schools, I am amazed by the level of spirituality I see in the classrooms.
Although every class is decorated with a combination of pictures of saints, Scripture readings, scenes from the Bible or religious artwork created by students, it’s the level of prayer that is most inspiring.
Our Catholic schools do more than provide a high-quality education to our youth. They also provide important faith formation for thousands of children throughout our archdiocese.
Our students attend and serve at weekly Masses, join their fellow parishioners in eucharistic adoration and pray the rosary together. Many schools have “faith communities,” where groups of students from varying grades meet to pray and discuss their faith journeys.
Many classrooms also have prayer stations where students can pray on their own during the school day.
Our students aren’t just growing in their own faith; they are also sharing their faith with others.
They participate in community service and share what they have learned from their religion classes with their family and friends. They have learned from the teaching of the Gospels to not hide their light under a bushel but to put it high on a hill for all the world to see.
This light is what will chase the darkness away and might be the antidote that our world needs.
The Catholic Education Foundation invites all to join our students in praying for the world.
We also ask for prayers for our students so they can continue to flourish in their faith journeys and be the lights we all need.
