July is now at a close and as August begins the thoughts of many turn toward the reopening of school. Families will prepare for the resumption of the academic education of their children. In addition to all the necessary preparations for a new school year, I urge families to also prepare for the religious education of their children.
Families want their child to receive a strong education. They want their child to further discover and develop their God-given talents. Education gives a child the foundation upon which to develop their abilities and thus enables them to be a success in whatever endeavors they seek to undertake later in life.
However, academic education, as important as it is, only deals with life on this earth, not the life that lasts for all eternity. As much as we want young people to make a living and to succeed over the next 40, 50, or more years, families have a moral obligation to provide their children with the formation on which to build a life of faith which lasts over the next 100, 1,000, or more years, in fact into all of eternity.
In all the planning for the start of the school year, please plan for the religious education of your child. Please bring your child to Christ and the truth of the Good News of Jesus Christ. How horrible it would be if we make so much effort to offer our children an academic education but deny them an education in the saving message of the Lord.
Surveys indicate that about 30% of young people are either agnostics or atheists. Much in society encourages our young people to turn away from God. Yet, in this increasingly secular and pluralistic society, our young people long to hear the truth. As Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6). His message can touch hearts; His message can save souls.
The human heart has many questions. There are questions which are found at the deepest depths of the heart. I think that almost everyone, no matter their background or what they believe or don’t believe, will ask themselves these questions at some point in their lives. Questions such as: “Why am I alive?” “What is the purpose of human life?” What will give me meaning in life?” What will bring me peace of mind and heart?” “What happens to me when I die?”
I don’t know how these questions can be answered without God. If there is no God, then in the final analysis we must conclude that life is meaningless. We are only a group of chemicals that were lucky enough to get together and form a body and when we die the chemicals will fall apart, and that’s it. If that is our opinion, then we must conclude that life is absurd, it has no meaning. How hopeless. Our society has so much hopelessness because it is so God-less.
God teaches us that there is a reason why we are alive. We are created in the image and likeness of God. We are called to love God and to love neighbor. We are called to enter into a relationship with God which begins now and lasts into all of eternity. We are created for God; we are created for everlasting life.
For those families who have enrolled your child in a Catholic school, thank you for your trust in the fact that Catholic education educates the whole student: academically, socially, athletically, culturally and spiritually. Our schools provide both an excellent curriculum and formation in Gospel values. For families who have enrolled your child elsewhere, please find out when religious education will begin in your parish and have your child participate in it. May this school year be a blessed year for all our students and their families. May it be a year of growing more into the education of this wonderful world and in growing more into a knowledge of the One who made this wonderful world.