EDITORIAL

Back to School

Posted

September is fast approaching and it is “Back to School” time once again. Even if the classroom is a thing of the distant past for many of us, we can all remember the feeling of a fresh stack of notebooks, shiny new pencils and perhaps a crisp new Catholic school uniform (we pray that there may continue to be many such uniforms in all our Catholic schools this year). “Back to School” signifies a new beginning, untold possibilities for relationships and experiences.

Back in 1964, Blessed Pope Paul VI visited Jesus’ hometown at Nazareth and described it as “ a kind of school where we may begin to discover what Christ’s life was like and even to understand His Gospel.” Certainly we could all benefit from going back to that school! The Pope went on to emphasize that the School of Nazareth teaches us about the necessity for silence and for listening to the gentle voice of God leading us ever more deeply into the spiritual life. Nazareth, he said, teaches us about family life as we reflect on Jesus, Mary and Joseph and their “holy and enduring character.” Finally, Blessed Paul VI spoke about how the School of Nazareth teaches us about the great value and dignity of work.

This September is a time to go back to the School of Nazareth, a time for us all to sharpen our pencils, break out the notebooks and iron out the crisp fabric of our souls. Jesus of Nazareth has much to teach us, and we are never too old to learn the great lessons he offers in this place of higher education.