Alliance for Catholic Education
Greetings Remick Leaders!
It is hard to believe the January Retreat is almost here. We are looking forward to gathering together with you this Friday at the Bethany Center in Lutz, FL. Last Friday afternoon, you should have received a personalized email from me with your travel itinerary, gift exchange partner, and other details regarding your arrival to Florida. If you did not receive this email, please let me know and I'll send it out to you as soon as possible.
We are happy to share our retreat schedule with you all here. Plenty of copies will be on hand throughout the weekend, so there is no need to print this out ahead of time. After everyone has checked in, we will begin together this Friday at 4:45pm in Conference Room B of Favalora Hall at the Bethany Center. The retreat will conclude on Sunday morning at 11:00am after our closing Mass. We're still in need of several volunteers, so if you would like to assist with any of the liturgies, please sign up here.
Also, the weather this weekend looks to be a bit warmer than anticipated, with projected highs in the lower 70's on both Saturday and Sunday. For those who would like to get a workout in on Saturday afternoon, feel free to bring your running shoes with you!
Please be in touch if you have any questions, and we will see you in Florida! If you need to get a hold of me on the road, my cell phone is 847-989-0607.
Safe travels,
Greg
Spiritual Reflection
by Renee Stoeckle
"Jesus said to the crowds:
‘Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day.'"
-John 6:37-40
As Christians, we often hear the expression, ‘Jesus does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called.' And yet, in Catholic schools, we tend to seek out the qualified. In the recruitment process, we seek out the best of the best. We identify students with exceptional academic records and top standardized test scores, those who show strong leadership potential and a wide variety of personal interests. We look for families who share our strong morals and values, who are active parishioners and are willing to hold positions on our HSA and SAC, who can pay full tuition and still contribute to our annual appeal. We seek out teachers who are devout Catholics that come with glowing recommendations, with experience in educational technology and a selfless willingness to advise, coach, and volunteer. In all aspects of our recruitment process, we seek the most qualified, the best of the best, to carry on the integrity and mission of our schools. But if we are truly in the business of the formation of souls, shouldn't we look for more than that?
Christ tells us in the Gospel of John that He "will not reject anyone who comes to (Him)." He places no stipulations on that statement. He does not say that He will not reject anyone who comes to Him meeting His academic, financial and moral standards; He says He will not reject anyone who comes to Him. He preaches a message of inclusion, insisting that His acceptance is not conditional as He came not to do His will, but the will of the One who sent Him.
As Catholic school leaders, we have been appointed not to fulfill our own desires, but to bring to fruition the plan of the One who appointed us, the One whom we serve each day. As we enter this recruitment season, we must take seriously our call to prayerful discernment as we interview, admit, and hire those who will carry on the names of our schools. We must work with a constant mindfulness of God's plan for our schools and our Church, confident that the One who sent each of us will fill our communities with His chosen laborers, those whom He intends to have work alongside us as we seek to do His will.
May our prayer be one that seeks His unrelenting mercy and grace upon all that we do, confident that He will reward our faithfulness with abundant blessings and hope.