Alliance for Catholic Education
Friends,
Spring has finally arrived here in South Bend, and as the semester winds down and the sun comes out, everyone here is eagerly looking forward to the summer. As we prepare for the summer, I need to ask you all to take a few moments to complete your summer housing application. This summer, we will reside in Duncan Hall, but in order for you to be assigned to a residence hall room, the Office of Housing requires that all students complete a housing application by logging in to https://homeunderthedome.nd.edu with your netID and password.
Once everyone has completed the application, we will then be able to assign you to the rooms for the summer. Please complete this process by no later than Friday, May 8th.
Continuing in our news from last week, we proud to share some exciting news about all of you and some of our Remick graduates:
- Vanessa Diller was recently appointed principal at her school, St. Louis Academy for the upcoming school year.
- Lillian Dickson was named the Lasallian Educator of the Year.
- Stephen Guerrero (RLP 11) was named the Diocese of Dallas' Teacher of the Year.
- RLP 5 Alum Michael Motyl will receive an honorary doctorate from Boston College for the work he has done as President at Guadalupe Regional Middle School in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
Congratulations to Vanessa, Lillian, Stephen, and Michael for all of your hard work and dedication in leading your students and schools!
Lastly, it is with great pleasure that I introduce to you our newest cohort of Remick Leaders, RLP 14. The cohort is comprised of 28 individuals from 21 dioceses around the country. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the new class, and join me in welcoming them to the Remick community.
Take care,
Greg
Spiritual Reflection
by Aaron Reller
Matthew 14:25-33
And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid."
Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
Now that we know who Jesus is, it's nearly impossible to read Matthew's story of Jesus walking on water and not think about how foolish Peter was. In this story, he let a little wind frighten him and immediately cried out for Jesus to save him. Doesn't everyone know that Jesus wasn't going to let him fall? Perhaps we can all relate to crying out to Jesus in our most insecure or unstable moments.
Peter was a rough and reckless fisherman from Galilee. He wasn't the beloved disciple, John, not even close. He denied Jesus. And yet, Jesus chose Peter to be the rock from which to build a foundation for the Church. Such an ordinary man as Peter was asked to be a fisher of men. Peter, a sinful man, was used to God's perfection. This normal and imperfect being helped change the history of the world forever.
Being a Catholic school leader or teacher is much like being in that boat. When the weather is nice and the wind isn't tossing you around, it is quite pleasant. There are also the days when the weather conditions are not as kind. Most importantly, being in this boat requires us to work with others who are also rowing. When we all row the same way, we can make it to our destination faster. There are; however, moments that we cannot control. Sometimes a disgruntled faculty member will steer the wrong way, causing the entire boat to stop. There are also plenty of concerned parents or diocesan decisions that, like the weather, we have no control over. There are times we want to stop rowing because we often feel like we're not worthy or capable of resolving issues at our schools. We may feel like the waves appear too big or mighty, and that we will surely fall out. For all the boat experts there are in the world, there isn't one who can walk on water. Much like there is no one who can replace Jesus. In the story of Jesus walking on the water, Peter is called to do something that seems impossible. He is asked to step out from the comfort of his boat and to walk on the water. Like any rational human being, Peter loses faith when faced with trusting Jesus. How many of us can say that we would have handled the situation differently? Like Peter, we are human and because we know Peter, we also have a better understanding of God. Whenever I get overwhelmed with my load, I look to Peter.
As a Catholic community, we are all in the same boat. We propel one another to increase speed and to reach our destination faster than we can individually. Unless we have the same belief that God will pick us up when we fall, then we as a communion of saints are not doing our due diligence to what is at the root of our faith. The weather conditions that drive the boat may seem impossible to overcome at times but we are reminded by Jesus that nothing is impossible with trust in the Lord.
Imperfect as we are, we are instruments in God's plan and have the ability to be used in beautiful and amazing ways. If a common man like Peter can be given the keys to the kingdom, what does God have in store for us?