by Sr. Fiat Marie, C.K.
A school year is an interesting thing: It begins, and then we begin counting down to the end, only to end and then begin another school year.
After starting school Aug. 16, I was beginning the countdown Aug. 17. I woke up in the morning and recognized a twinge of dread. By God’s grace, I caught it and checked what thoughts were coming: “There are going to be a lot of lesson plans to write. I don’t really enjoy grading. There are a lot of days of school left. I am going to be doing this a long time…” and so on.
The school year is just one example of the human person’s complicated relationship with time. Sometimes we want more time. We want it to go faster and other times slower. There are periods that we perceive to drag on or fly by. We can look forward to the future, or we can dread it. We can savor something that has just happened, or it can bring regret. In the words of Peter Kreeft from his book The Three Philosophies of Life, we have a “divine discontent with time.”
Divine discontent? Yes, discontent with time is a window to what God intends for the human person, and that is eternity. All is moving to the great moment of Parousia, when God will be all in all and the Kingdom of God will be definitively established on earth and in heaven. There will be no time but only the fullness of life with Him. This is God’s very good plan. Each moment of a person’s life is part of this plan.
The Diocese of Lincoln Catholic Schools work to provide education in the Catholic tradition so that students will know that each moment of their lives is held in God’s very good plan. Although there will be days like my Aug. 17, the great reality of the divine plan can fill schools with hope and timelessness. Through poetry, theater, and literature, teachers intend to fill the students’ minds, their own minds, and parents’ as well, with what will elevate them to God. The practice of singing, constructing responses, reciting, and delivering speeches gives students the opportunity to proclaim the goodness of God. There are times to ponder God’s intricate designs, creativity, and awesomeness in math and in the observation of nature.
In all subjects and activities, the hope of the Catholic faith proclaims that in every moment God offers a foretaste of eternity. To live life filled with wonder and confident hope in God’s plan is the greatest college and career readiness a school can provide.
So that it does not seem I am still bemoaning a long school year ahead, let me finish the story of Aug. 17. I took my class outside to find material for a first sketch in a nature journal. What of God’s beautiful creation was discovered? A dead mouse.
I almost panicked, but instead I felt inspired to follow the students’ fascination. We took in a little bit of the mystery of life and death. It also made us laugh.
Personally, it opened my eyes to God’s goodness right there in the children He placed in my classroom. That morning, my mind was presenting things that kept me focused on worldly concerns. The dead mouse, or rather the children who were taken in by its discovery, was a glimpse of His goodness, which pushed out the twinge of dread.
If you find yourself often discontent with time, maybe a little school in the Catholic tradition would help. Give yourself some time to observe, to wonder, to study, or to memorize. He is faithful and will surely reveal His very good plan.
