The Voice

“ ‘…Every valley shall be filled
and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
The winding roads shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’” Luke 3:5

St. John the Baptist when throughout the region of Jordan proclaiming the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins. In this Gospel, Luke is quoting the prophet Isaiah who said a voice would cry out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His path - the voice of St. John the Baptist.

St. John the Baptist inspires the words that fall off our lips as we recite the Hail Mary under our breath two thousand plus years later seeking the aid of our Holy Mother. As an unborn baby St. John leaped in Elizabeth’s womb when Mary greeted her. Elizabeth, humbled, responds by saying, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”

When do I pray the Hail Mary? As a daily, ritualistic prayer and through out my day when I’m overwhelmed, unsure, or dealing with anything that seems out of my control at that moment. I don’t say it enough in the form of the rosary as part of my daily prayer regiment. It is not an easy devotion for me…unless I hide myself in the bathroom for quiet or find silence in the middle of a sleepless night.

While praying the rosary as a daily ritual is something I aspire to but am not quite there…yet, (growth mindset) - I have been doing better about praying the rosary to intercede for others who I know are in desperate moments on an “as needed” basis. Whenever I do this, it is I who receive the gifts of the Spirit. Knowing this, I made an intentional effort to add it to our family Advent practices this year.

In addition to the scripture on the little pop out Advent calendar that my sister sends every year to her sweet nephews, I decided with the encouragement of some colleagues at my school to make a homemade Advent calendar with little bits of “Family time” that capture the true essence of this season as we prepare for Christ.

I purposefully tried to include activities that we could actually complete despite my busy work schedule this season so that family time would be the priority this Advent season. (Sing carols around the tree, have hot cocoa and enjoy a game night, drive around and look at Christmas lights…you get the picture.)

The other night I came home exhausted. We had already pulled our activity from the wreath that morning before school. It read, “Pray a decade of the rosary around the Christmas tree.” As I kicked off my shoes and made myself cozy in the boys bed to read our bedtime book, barely keeping my own eyes open, they looked me and said, “Mah-OM….the rosary!”

In an instant, I mentally ruled out re-gathering around the Christmas tree for this devotion now that all teeth had finally been brushed and kids were IN their beds. And…just thought of picking my body up again to go get their little wooden colored rosaries hanging in the living room after not sitting down in what seemed 14 hours must have been obvious on my face.

Paulie, who just recently turned six, looks carefully at me and cocks his head a little. (He does this when he’s thinking.)  “MOM! We’ll do it right here.” He points up to the lights we have strung around his bunk bed that we use for reading every night. “Look,” he said, as he placed his fingers on a “bead.”

His little brother picks a spot far enough away on the string of lights so that they don’t run into each other as they pray. I choose my own starting spot. We begin our Hail Mary’s and the boys grow excited offering each one up for someone they love before saying the next color of the lights that their fingers reach and reciting the prayer.

“ ‘…Every valley shall be filled
and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
The winding roads shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’” Luke 3:5

I used to think this verse was something more apocalyptic. But now I know the prophet Isaiah and St. John the Baptist were not necessarily talking about the physical terrain of our beautiful earth in this scripture…They were talking about the interior terrain of our soul.

Holiness is making the mountains low and filling in the valleys within so we can hear the voice of God and know His will to act on it.

What are the mountains in your life? Mountains of work.  Lack of time. Emails. Social media.  Pride. Perhaps overextending ourselves even with good intention. Sin without reconciliation.

What are the valleys? Self doubt. Insecurity. Anxiety. Moments of helplessness. Relationships that are aggravated or even broken that need healing.

My son went into the moment with a natural growth mindset. He looked at the situation and instead of letting us climb up a mountain of excuses or slip into the valley of self pity - he was a problem solver. He found opportunity for holiness in the simplest moment.

Over the next ten days, it is good practice to chip away at the mountains and get out your shovel to fill in the valleys. Examine “the voices” within that dictate your day and effect your spirit. Go to confession. Surround yourself with people who lift you and support you. Spend time with your family. Most importantly, in the ordinary moments… Be filled with true joy.

Seek Him.

Balance

It’s that time of year…teachers have just made it through conferences,  feast days, Halloween, and weeks of assessing students to plan for guided, small group instruction. In the State of Michigan, teachers are now at the end of our first “IRIP” (Individualized Reading Improvement Plan) window. It suffices to say, we are ready for a recharge and Thanksgiving break!

Leadership meetings and random office drop in conversations often lead to the same conclusion: We have to find a way to decrease the load of the “busy work”  and draw meaning from the collaborative nature of the recommended process.

I’d like to share a very good analogy that my superintendent used to explain the current underpinnings of a team approach in education. First, he commented on the shift from individualized medical practices to the team model now embraced by leading medical practitioners and systems - yielding a much more holistic approach to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

“Yes, it’s very much like that now in education,” I stated, “but that is hard for many teachers who have for years enjoyed retreating to their own island behind classroom doors where it is undeniably comfortable and safe. These are great teachers who are good at what they do and many who have been doing it for a long time.” It is hard for some to embrace the fact that being on our island is no longer an option. “We have to address the anxieties involved with this shift openly,” I commented.

He agreed and stated that we certainly have left the island and are now on the ship. “It’s time to start throwing some luggage overboard to lighten the load!” he said. 

Wow - I thought. That is exactly where we’re at. We can’t possibly go on doing it all. Letting go is hard, but it is necessary for balance. Without a sense of balance, teachers will burn out. Decision-making and problem-solving for what needs to be "thrown overboard" will certainly be a process with its own demands.

John Hattie’s research identifies “collective efficacy” as having the effect size of d=1.57 on student achievement. It is the highest rated influence in a long list of successful practices. He defines it as the collective belief of teachers in their ability to positively affect students.

Original research by Albert Bandura defines collective efficacy as “a group’s shared belief in the conjoint capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given levels of attainment.”

I recently went to the funeral of a loved one of a teacher in my district. I did not know her father-in-law, but was deeply inspired by his 61 years of marriage and a framed naval declaration stating he had successfully navigated around the world in the 1950’s.

I think about our technology now compared to then and how the sailors were not guided by a fancy GPS system, rather they relied on their shared belief in the conjoint capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given levels of attainment…to virtually travel the circumference of the world. Survival was at stake amidst the unpredictable elements. Teaching is much like this today and it requires both personal confidence and trust in our team.

How can we work toward collective efficacy in our professional learning communities if members individually lack self-efficacy? Or, will the shared responsibility actually strengthen self-efficacy because our team will compliment each other’s strengths and weaknesses?

As I sit through meetings, some with strong meeting norms and others without, I see clearly how our temperaments can create division and discouragement if we lack self-awareness. Unlike the sailors on the ship that my teacher’s father-in-law once sailed, in our busy culture of immediate gratification, we have very little time for reflection. Self awareness suffers amidst our multi-tasking....so does forgiveness.

Without self-awareness and empathy required to honor one another’s intentions and ideas, collaboration can be overwhelming. We need trust, personal confidence, and most of all, balance.

Immediately I began looking for patterns and strategies to increase our own self-awareness as we journey onward toward new goals in education guided by neuroscience and knowledge about how our brain takes in and transforms knowledge.

I recalled a chart in Art and Laraine’s Bennett’s book, The Temperament God Gave You when I was trying to find an explanation for a teacher who felt calm and confident in one group, but “fight or flight” in another (101).

This is the type of self-awareness and reflection we need so we can establish safe and productive teams. I realized the group that made her feel calm was made up of others who shared her temperament…slow to react…thinkers that avoid conflict. The other group in which she experienced “fight or flight” was a bit more diverse in its make up.

I suddenly had a deep connection to how our own self esteem and worth can influence the joy and productivity that is possible in professional collaboration over a shared goal, especially when we are in a group with a diverse dynamic.

I connected the information from the temperament book to what we learned about behavior tendencies in CHAMPS training, which challenges educators to increase their self-knowledge regarding how one responds to conflict, what motivates us, and what causes us stress.

(For those who have not read the temperament book, I will put in parenthesis my connections to the CHAMPS correlating descriptors.)

Choleric (Dominant): Self worth based on what I accomplish; I have no self esteem outside of my projects

I wonder… if shared responsibility is difficult for the choleric because the project is not all their own.

Finding balance…increased impatience is a sign of being overextended. Rely on your team rather than trying to take on more alone. This is easier said than done for someone who likes to steer the ship!

Melancholic (Conscientious): Self esteem is based on meeting my high expectations

I wonder…if shared responsibility is difficult because others might not have the same high expectations

Finding balance…being overly critical of self and others is a sign of being overextended. Rely on your team and trust the process.

Sanguine (Influence): My self worth depends on what others think of me; I adapt myself to the group

I wonder… if shared responsibility is difficult because it is impossible to make everyone happy

Finding balance…becoming disorganized and distracted is a sign of being overextended. Be honest with yourself and your team. Rely on your team to prioritize goals.

Phlegmatic (Steadiness): I’d rather give up my own desires / be alone / be unhappy than be in the midst of conflict.

I wonder… if shared responsibility is difficult because conflicting views and challenging ideas is at the core of organizing and executing a shared course of action

Finding balance…becoming possessive or isolated is a sign you are overextended. Ask someone on your team to be your advocate and encourage you to trust the process when conflict arises in a group.
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This week I challenge each of you to be self aware of signs you are over-extended, how you operate in a group, and how much time you take for reflection on practices.

If there is not enough time to reflect, then it’s time to start asking God to show you what luggage needs to be thrown overboard. Trust in Him. He will safely guide you to shore.

Empower

God has a way of saying to us, “You are exactly where you should be my daughter. Do not doubt My goodness and My plan.”

The premise of this blog is to grow in virtue by examining relationships through the lens of the temperaments, our mindset, and the biology of neuroscience that now proves our intelligence and potential is not fixed.

I summarize this because in the past few weeks God has been sweetly whispering to me, I love you. He most beautifully found a way to express this intimate message through - believe it or not… administrative meetings!  I want you to hear the same whispers in the most unexpected places too.

My first experience was at regional principals meeting and a book study encouraged for principals on the The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor. I dutifully began reading and within the first 25 pages growth mindset and neuroscience are discussed.  I even questioned if I had read the book before because it was all so familiar.

I immediately began drawing connections with Matthew Kelly’s book, Resisting Happiness, the Diocese of Lansing’s recent historic Diocesan “Made for Happiness” assembly, and of course the many inspirations of this blog. When things repeat themselves in your life like this…God is speaking.

It happened again last week when I attended a voluntary PBIS / Champs training for my district and at the end the following chart was displayed.

I immediately began to mentally convert the four categories to the temperaments that we use in this blog to better understand our relationship with God and others.

Choleric = D (Dominance)
Sanguine = I (Influence)
Phlegmatic = S (Steadiness)
Melancholic = C (Conscientious)

Ultimately, it reinforced how each unique person on our team serves a different role to create balance.  Again, it made clear that knowing our students too would help us create balance in our classrooms.

Then something started to happen as time passed… I needed to go deeper.

At the core of Champs training is the acronym STOIC which is an adjective meaning, “tending to remain unemotional, especially showing admirable patience and endurance in the face of adversity.”

When I read that definition I think of the saints and of the cardinal virtues. I think of how far I have to go…

The word that draws me in the most is unemotional. Can we love deeply without being emotional? What does this look like and why is it important in actually building relationships? It seems counter-intuitive to relationships which are at the center of all progress in virtue.

When training our staff our curriculum director started out with the following quote by Haim Ginott:

“I’ve come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool for torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or dehumanized.”
            
Power. Suddenly, I think of my marriage, my day to day routine with my children, the inconsistencies in my life. I look back at the chart and see new clues into the moments I find myself in a funk or feeling unsuccessful.

Who and what do I have power over? Who and what do I allow to have power over me? Do I remain STOIC when challenged by these relationships?

I think of how my goal this year is to empower teachers by encouraging them to be practitioners of their profession and education, allowing them space to draw on their strengths, opportunities to share, and be filled with joy. When one is feeling empowered they are able to hear God’s voice, His encouragement, His hope and faith in YOU.

In the training for PBIS, the acronym for STOIC stands for:

S    Structure
T    Teach expectations
O    Observe
I    Interact positively
C   Correct fluently

The belief is that if we create these elements in our classroom, we will be more likely to be empowered and empower others rather than fall victim to “power struggles” that lead to resentment and vice.

Why wouldn’t it? At the center of power is pride. If we do not have control over our own humility, then pride can and will destroy relationships - not only with one another, but as we know from biblical history, it can destroy our relationship with God.

"Humility is the mother of all virtues….It is in being humble that our love becomes real, devoted, and ardent. If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are."

~ St. Teresa of Calcutta

The Practitioner

Earlier this summer I was at a conference to review and dig into the Literacy Essentials - a statewide response to improve reading proficiency in the State of Michigan. I attended wonderful break out sessions and had the opportunity to collaborate with knowledgeable and gifted literacy coaches, teachers, and other administrators. Many ideas were discussed, but it is one word now months later that continues to resonate in me.

Practitioner.

This word was used throughout the seminar by all of the speakers and hosts. The word silently replaced “teacher” and “educator” like an unspoken protest to a profession that deserves the respect and dignity of others.

Practitioner.

A simple google search brings up the following definition:

“…a person actively engaged in an art, discipline, or profession, especially medicine.”

Many in the field of education have fought hard for the cultural shift of the art of teaching to receive the same prestige as engineering and medicine. We certainly have similar student loans to attest to years of preparatory education and internships.

Those who have never spent a day in a school or have a loved one in the field, might think of teaching as glorified babysitting with summers off - such a painful insult to so many who embody the word “practitioner.” The teachers I know are knowledgeable and educated professionals carefully and diagnostically managing 25 - 30 cases at once, instead of the reserved luxury of one on one attention that other occupations might have in meeting professional targets.

I do believe parenting, especially stay at homes moms (a beautiful and honorable vocation) and those who home school, must too embrace the depth of this calling, to see themselves as engaged practitioners in forming young people - body, mind, and spirit.

With that said, I am in awe of elementary teachers who somehow manage to choreograph folders, lunch boxes, notes from parents, who is eating what and going home with whom - all while artfully assessing, diagnosing, and planning instruction for four to five reading groups, the same for math, and compassionately addressing physical and emotional needs of their children.

We are practitioners.

Sure - there is a general script and diagnostic procedure, like a doctor might have for 90% of the children she sees who come in with a scratchy throat and fever. But what happens when the typical antidote isn’t working? Or, new symptoms unexpectedly arise? The doctor does not continue with the same prescription, but digs deeper, runs more tests,  and looks for patterns and relationships that lead to answers.

Is that not what a teacher does each day - simultaneously managing 25 or more “patients” at once? They adapt instruction to reach that child who is not making gains or needs to be challenged, or to identify much more significant primordial needs that need to be addressed before benchmarks can be reached - security, food, and safety.

Teachers are not just practitioners, they are saints.

They have a blessed advantage with a myriad of opportunities daily to grow in virtue and be filled with the fruits of the Spirit (patience, courage, perseverance…). But don’t we all?

The word practitioner got me thinking about how I approach my life as a disciple and my own journey to sainthood. Am I, “actively engaged in the art, discipline, or profession,” of sainthood.

In some ways…Yes. I go into each day with that 90% umbrella of holiness. I read the daily readings, reflect on the life of a saint, and I never walk through the doors of my school without saying the Litany of Humility and the Surrender Novena. I set goals to accomplish both at work and at home. I actively plan opportunities for balance in my day, being sure to respond first to my vocation as wife and mother in doing God’s will.

Yet…what happens when we approach unexpected or overwhelming obstacles? How does my holiness hold up? Do I truly surrender? Do I allow the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love (charity) reign in their unlimited grace? 

Do I take time to be  a practitioner of the cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance) and those that extend from them? Do I turn to God at the end of the day and evaluate my choices with the virtues at the center of my reflection?

My goal this week is to approach sainthood the same way that I do my blessed profession - as a practitioner engaged in the art and discipline of become a saint.

The Journey

As the school year comes upon us and we are grappling with changes, whether it be new positions, new schools, a new boss, new routines or the unknown needs of our new students. If you are like me you have to ask God to bury any doubt, anxiety, fear, and for some, even anger. When I do this, the Holy Spirit renews me with gentle reminders of the gifts of the Spirit and the strength within me.

When I focus on God’s purpose and His will, these other temptations that take over my spirit become weaker. This year when teachers enter the media center at my school for the “longed for” faculty meeting on the first day back, a scallop shell will be placed in front of them.

A quick google search will lead to multiple blogs and reflections on the scallop shell - some Christian and some dating back to ancient mythology. They are a symbol of birth, baptism, and good fortune. The most striking symbolism for me derives from the relationship of the scallop shell and Christian history related to St. James and the Road to Santiago where St. Jame's remains are buried. It has always been on my bucket list to walk, “The Way.”

One website states describes the scallop shell as, “a symbol that guides pilgrims along the way towards their ultimate destination, and is frequently worn by those who embark on such a journey.”
We all know that each school year brings with it a new journey, remarkably different from the year before and in some sense we are all pilgrims.

Here is a description I found quite moving. The full article is found here:

“St. James was an ordinary pilgrim like the rest of us. He walked a long difficult road with Jesus; he was imprisoned by his raging emotions, and he went through metaphoric fires to free himself and discover the vastness of his spirit. He learned how to live an authentic, peaceful life and he shared his personal lessons with others….

…we are all undertaking our own unique journeys, governed by the lessons that we need to learn, and the people that we are evolving into…

..No two pilgrims are alike, and though we walk the same roads on the outside, our inner pathways wind through very different emotional landscapes.

…The Scallop Shell has many grooved lines that lead from the outer rim to a meeting point at the base. The shell itself represents the many different spiritual/religious/humanist pathways that lead to the same place, to the universal centre of all life-forms, the spirit, the soul…

We are all on the outer rim of the spirit, struggling to find our way back to our centre. The Scallop Shell reminds us why we are walking, especially at the points when the journey feels too hard and we want to give up.

….It reminds us to focus on our journey only, and that each person has their own story that is unfolding. It reminds us that we are all ultimately one sacred soul, and that each of our roads are leading back to each other.”

Organizations talk a lot about their mission and their vision. While each church often has their parish mission on the front page of their bulletin, as Christians our ultimate vision is to live a life of holiness and to become a saint. I share in the church's mission through commitment to becoming a well-formed, intentional disciple with my first responsibility being to myself, husband, and children and extended outward from there.

Likewise as a leader in my school, I know that my vision is to support well-formed, intentional educators who are encouraged and empowered to use their strengths to carry out their passions as they all walk the different paths toward our shared vision. They will influence others in positive ways as sharing their gifts will bring joy to those they encounter. They will love more deeply and this alone is the antidote to a sense of failure even when we encounter challenges or changes.

Ultimately, allowing people to work within their passions and share their wisdom with others or strengthen systems through their talents will lead to a sense of fulfillment that will permeate and inspire others. This mindset is echoed in George Couros book The Innovator’s Mindset.

So often we think only of our weaknesses, setting goal after goal to improve upon it. But will our weaknesses improve unintentionally if we take time with Jesus and Mary to find out how we might do His will by living out fully the gifts given to us?

I argue that by taking the time to reflect upon our strengths and asking God to use them fully to carry out His plan requires us to humble ourselves.

By identifying our strengths we must also admit to our weaknesses. Through this awareness we must consciously allow others “into” the space between our strengths and weaknesses to be the glue.

We must depend on others, trust their gifts, and believe in them too. Together, in community, we become more holy with our sights set on the ultimate vision.

It is hard not to depend on ourselves for everything, even if we feel we are the type of disciple who gives everything to God. While this may be true, let’s also be honest....there is a temptation to work alone at times rather than work together.

The choleric wants to maintain total control. The melancholic must find a way to trust what unfolds and avoid over-analyzing in an unhealthy way.  The phlegmatic might be pressed to do something new and is afraid of how it might affect others, be fearful of unfavorable consequences, or stepping on someone’s toes. The sanguine will relinquish a sense of their free-spirit and be challenged to share the spotlight.

While we may walk our own path, it is by trusting in others along the way that we meet our destination.


It is within this deeply intimate place we discover Christ.

Relationships grow.

Relationships are tested.

Our love is carried out upon different paths, and as the scallop shell illustrates, leads us to the same destination- a soul draped in the mantle of Mary’s love and prepared for heaven to meet our Lord where will be with Him in the place He has prepared for us.

Elevation

“Elevation is when we're moved by good deeds done for others; gratitude when the deeds are done for us.”

A popular movement in education today is examining systems in place that encourage or recognize positive behavior. PBIS. I recently read an article on CNN, titled, Seeing the Pope help strangers made me tear up. Later I learned why, by Daniel Burke. The article was Mr. Burke’s account of his own personal journey trying to intellectually explain the emotions that overcame him when he saw Pope Francis blessing the elderly and poor.

Just reading the article made me tear up. Unlike Mr. Burke, I am an emotional person. I am a sanguine-phlegmatic after all. I have spent years “growing in virtue” by practicing moderation and humility. I have struggled daily to respond to conflict presented to me from the angst of many diverse situations in a clinical, objective manner while never sacrificing compassion and honesty. I joke often about God’s chosen path for me and know I MUST be His disciple and it MUST be His will because it is like choosing Daniel to fight Goliath.

Yet - here I am Lord.

Burke defines elevation as it was proposed by Thomas Jefferson, “Jefferson describes the effects of observing moral beauty, ‘When any ... act of charity or of gratitude,’ he wrote, ‘is presented to our sight or imagination, we are deeply impressed with its beauty or feel a strong desire in ourselves of doing charitable or grateful acts also.’ "

It’s not just “feeling good." It compels you to want to do something good as well.

How does your mindset and temperament affect your ability to be transformed by elevation during times of change? I argue that true leaders and true heroes emerge during times of change that find creative ways to model acts of charity and goodness despite seemingly impossible obstacles. Therefore, it is advantageous for us to practice this during ordinary times and rituals.

A fixed mindset might be crippled by a sense of mental paralysis. Yet, we are called to move beyond that. To have a growth mindset means to embrace fully the three greatest or theological virtues: Faith, Hope, and Charity.

What are my obstacles to charity? I have identified two obstacles to charity that I experience.  The first is fear. The second is rationalizing. I fear that if I give what I have, upon the twists and turns of destiny my family will suffer because I was too liberal with my blessings.

Remember I am a sanguine and moderation is a virtue I have been intentional in accomplishing. This is exactly what leads me to rationalize the times I make decisions out of self preservation. Another cross! It seems like a vicious circle. I want to be a saint so badly - the saint that empties myself out in every way to fulfill God’s plan.

 I am realizing this tension is normal and God loves me through it so long as we (He and I) keep talking about it. For this I have gratitude, something that comes much more naturally to me and elevates me daily to rise above negativity or other temptations that present themselves.

Today, I challenge you to be elevated by being in the present moment and open your eyes and hearts to intimate moments of selfless love around you - those that present themselves in simple ways and those that exceed our own personal realm of possibility. May they transform us in God’s grace and His will for our lives and His kingdom.

Perspective, Presence, and the Passion

Let me take you back to last weekend. It’s Palm Sunday. We are entering church. I have coached the kids on the three rules once we enter the church: Be still. Be quiet. Pray Deeply. I have prepped them that things will be a little out of routine…that we’d be standing in the gathering space outside of the sanctuary and the priest will bless the palms. I have to break up one minor sword fight with the palms, but the boys are redirected quickly. Another parishioner greets me who can always sense my motherly insecurity and compliments the boys.

The Gospel is long. I choose to ignore the boys who are being relatively good coloring. I’m afraid that if I engage with them, they will seek my attention. Yet, I need to make sure Stanley doesn’t fall off the pew or disappear. I am mentally managing this balance when a verse strikes me that I have never really paid attention to before. Judas has just betrayed Jesus. The soldiers have come. There is some chaos but Jesus reprimands them all..and then the priest reads this:

“And they all left him and fled.
Now a young man followed him
wearing nothing but a linen cloth about his body.
They seized him,
but he left the cloth behind and ran off naked."

On our way home, I ask my husband if anything stood out to him about the Gospel and if he recalled that verse. He said he never remembered that part either but also heard it today and it stood out. I am befuddled for several reasons. First of all, I am a cradle Catholic. I have read the Passion, heard the Gospel, wept and prayed with my Lord and Mary through these events year after year. At first I was disturbed. What else am I missing? I humbly decide this is a great example of why the Word is Living and decide to talk with God about it.

I get home and start googling a couple of things. I discover that Mark’s account is the only one that includes this detail. I also discover that through out time saints and scholars have also asked the same questions that were driving my own curiosity.

Who is this mysterious man that attempts to follow Jesus when even his closest disciples flee? And, why was he barely clothed?

There are many theories out there and they are all of course speculation. The one that made most sense to me is that the young man was Mark himself. I learned a lot about the Gospel writer Mark in this process, but even more about his mother Mary who is mentioned in the Acts. I learned that many have speculated that the Passover of the Lord was in her home, as this was the same place the early church gathered to pray for Peter’s protection in the Acts. One idea is that Mark awoke and tried to find Jesus at the garden…maybe to warn him… or simply to be there too “with the guys,” like any any teenage boy would desire. The humanity and realism of it all strikes my heart.

I ask the Holy Spirit to help me understand why He wanted me to pay attention to this detail. I ask Him to lead me. I begin to think of a friend of mine who is an artist that I’ve known since my own teenage years. I think of how in many of his murals if you look closely at the activity of the scene, you can find him somewhere obscurely painted in, standing near a lamp post or peering through the window.

I think of myself as a writer, how I always place myself in the story to be empathic and to relate to those who might read my words. Time is precious. If they are reading my words, they must be meaningful. The humanity needs to be there or they are wasted.

I think back to Mark who is later writing the Gospel, likely piecing together much of what Peter has orally passed on to him and what he remembers himself. I feel him struggling to decide whether or not he should record his own placement in this famous scene. He battles with his intentions.

Is it humble to include himself? Has he ever even told his mother that he snuck out of the house that night? She would be horrified to know he was so close to such danger. He battles within finally deciding that if he does not directly name himself then there is less ego involved.

He prays about it. He asks for the Holy Spirit to guide his choice. He finally decides to include it.…a signature of sorts. Not just, I was there, but… This is real. And through these verses 51 and 52 in Chapter 14 of Mark’s gospel, the Holy Spirit continues to work as I draw closer to account of the passion over 2000 years later.

The choices we face and how we struggle through them is the process God uses to help us grow in virtue. It is through this process by which we are sculpted. I think of a guided reading framework we are implementing at my school. Teachers might be hesitant to adopt another “program” that will fade away. My literacy coach and I are trying our best to help them see that the framework is a practice, not a program. We are in a paradigm shift. For years teachers have been given programs and have been told to follow the "script" with fidelity and success will come. Yet, we believe nothing can replace a well-informed, intentional teacher. In the same way there is no script or “program” that can replace a well-informed, intentional disciple.

Mark was living out His calling by using his talents to record and pass on the Gospel. Yet, unlike John or Matthew, he was just a teenager when history unfolded. He was blessed to be the son of Mary who opened her home to Jesus and His followers, despite the risks she faced. She was living out her calling and her children were influenced deeply by her commitment and trust.

Over the next four days, we will participate in the greatest story ever written in history, authored by God. The story of His love for us…His persevering, triumphant love. We all have a role in it. Where are you in each moment and each scene?

Will you flee like Jesus closest companions? Don’t worry. He still loves you. You’re human. Though Christ has conquered sin, we are still bound by our weaknesses. Each temperament has them.

Will you hide and watch the violence from afar and muffle your weeping so you are not heard?

Will you stay home, trapped by fear or by your own stubbornness?

Will you be brave like Veronica and run to Jesus, driven by your compassion, and wipe the blood from his face?

Will you go to the tomb on Sunday morning? Will you find it empty?

Will you believe, truly believe it?

Wherever you are in the Gospel. God will meet you there. He will meet you where you are at and He will love you through it. After all, he was once both human and divine. He knows a thing or two about our weaknesses. He is counting on you coming home to him.

As we prepare Easter baskets and Easter eggs, shop, and cook…He is preparing a place for us too. He is counting you in.

Discover Purpose

We’ve been talking a lot at my school lately about “purpose” and “engagement.” A learner might be engaged in a task busily completing the directions of the assignment, but their engagement level increases significantly to a higher level of comprehension, problem solving, and making deep connections if they also know the purpose of the task. As teachers, we’ve been challenging ourselves through simple practices to help learners discover the purpose behind a learning target. 

This is true for us as adults as well. As an administrator I have learned that the purpose of an expectation or protocol is not established (with true roots) simply because I explain or introduce the purpose at a faculty meeting or in the staff notes, even if I think I explain it well. Rather teachers have to come to know it in a personal way and discover its purpose. 

For example, for public schools the State of Michigan has implemented the 3rd Grade Reading Law which has led to quite a makeover of how we address (and document how we’re addressing) the needs of struggling readers. It takes time, something no one has much of...The goal is the power of collaboration and collective efforts in this process which is the key to student success. However, I can’t wave a magic wand and make all understand that purpose.

 I work closely with my leadership team to provide authentic opportunities for everyone to encounter and discover its purpose in a meaningful way. Because it is law and does not come from within, many mindsets get stuck at the compliance end of the documentation.

The demands of education have changed and there is very little patience left for compliance related tasks, even though these tasks are often an important part of the process. It is an underlying conversation or tension that crawls beneath each “change” introduced…even if everyone has a common understanding of the positive intention of that change…even if everyone is trying to embrace a growth mindset by taking risks and not being paralyzed by failure in the face of change. 

This sense of discovery in purpose is not “one size fits all” or “one and done.” It is a layered process and takes time. We all have our own unique pace and so do our students. We also have an individual responsibility to chip away at the burdens of our temperaments and mindsets that might be a barrier to engaging in the greater purpose or we risk losing the “joy” that led us to our calling and vocation. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit and will be given endlessly if we practice the path of holiness through intentional growth in virtue. It’s not easy.

It is my goal to meet each educator where they are at and to invite them into the conversation over and over again because each voice is important. The same is true for teachers and their students. We need to meet our students where they are at in helping them understand the purpose behind the busy work they are engaged in. It takes a lot of work and heart to do this day after day. We have so many needs, but God is with us and ready to meet us where we are at. 

In Day # 3 of his Surrender Novena, Fr. Dolindo teaches us a deeper purpose of the words our Lord Jesus Christ taught to us. How often do you say the Our Father with a heart of compliance versus a heart of purpose? This novena has deepened my sense of purpose when I pray this traditional prayer. 

He writes: “Hallowed be thy Name,” that is, be glorified in my need. 

“Thy kingdom come,” that is, let all that is in us and in the world be in accord with your kingdom. 

“Thy will be done earth as it is in heaven,” that is, in our need, decide as you see fit for our temporal and eternal life. 

If you say to me truly: “Thy will be done,” which is the same as saying, “You take care of it,” I will intervene with all my omnipotence, and I will resolve the most difficult situations. 

For as long as I have said the Our Father, “Hallowed be thy Name” has always been a pretty fancy way of saying, “Hello great King and Father!” But now I have discovered greater purpose in this single line of of a prayer that I have recited since childhood. Now when I say, “Hallowed be thy name,” I also am saying, “Lord, I come to you in my need, those known to me and even unknown. Only you know my needs Lord and only You can save me. Through this act of humility, YOU ARE GLORIFIED.”

What more will the Lord make known when we humbly surrender to Him our needs, our anxieties, and our purpose? 

Resistance

I was recently introduced to the book Innovator's Mindset  by George Couros. I resisted the book at first being skeptical of, “the next thing,” likely capitalizing on Carol Dweck’s growth mindset research. Curiosity finally got the best of me. As expected, Mr. Couros was quoting Carol Dweck in the first chapter. Yet unexpectedly, I was deeply intrigued by his message.

What is the difference between a growth mindset and an innovator’s mindset? How does this apply to our quest to grow in virtue and holiness  by being intentional and empathic disciples? 

Couros defines an Innnovator’s Mindset as the, “belief that my abilities, intelligence, and talents can be developed, leading to the creation of new and better ideas.” 

Belief that our abilities, intelligence, and talents can be developed, we have explored in great length over the past year. We have applied growth mindset to being intentional about taking risks and allowing our own failures to strengthen us as we strive to grow in virtue. We have used growth mindset as a tool to respond to change in our classrooms, schools, churches, and personal life.

Couros takes this idea one step further by encouraging through empathy that we might discover new and better ideas. He argues that as educators by focusing on what’s best for learners, we will create and design learning experiences. 

He had me hooked when he used the word empathic. It was so affirming  as this has been the backbone of this blog. I actually went back to reread my very first post…November 25, 2016. It was the first week of Advent. Here was my challenge:

“I challenge you to consider your daily encounters or avoidance of encounters. I challenge you to revise them with a new mindset - one that is intentional and empathic.” 

The challenge remains the same. Yet now we know that while being intentional about meeting our students and those we love “where they’re at,” we too must ask the Holy Spirit daily to meet us where we are at and to lead us to the personal growth that our Lord so desires for each of us. Only then can we truly extend trust, openness, and collaboration in our classrooms, homes, and churches. 

For each of us that means something different. Perhaps your temperament is choleric. Extending a growth mindset to an innovator’s mindset might mean to be intentional about not being in charge all of the time; to step back a little and allow an environment for students to explore, to make room for the Holy Spirit to connect and inspire learning amidst all of your well executed plans…and of course embrace the unexpected in these moments, both good and bad, as something to learn from and create new. 

For the sanguine, who seems to be in a constant state of inspiration because they just can’t hold it all in, maybe it means being intentional about quieting down… stepping out of the center of attention so the Holy Spirit can bring forth the beauty of a moment -  Like a living highlighter bringing attention to connections you hadn’t seen before or hearing the voice of a child or colleague in a  new way.

For the melancholic, perhaps it means letting your guard down for just a little second. Stop questioning. Stop analyzing. Maybe even look for value in one of those ridiculous expectations that seem like a great injustice and busy work to which you must comply when you could be doing something better with your time. 

For the phlegmatic, it means having the confidence to speak up, even if and especially if, everyone might not agree with you. It means being empathic about the responses of others by not taking it personally, rather as a collective effort to problem solve.

Now…one might argue do we need innovation? Does it contrast the church’s clear opposition to trends in modernism, immediate gratification, and other cultural norms that distract us from gratitude, charity, humility, and true joy? 

I argue that the Saints had not only a growth mindset, but an innovator’s mindset. Despite glaring obstacles, challenges, failures, and persecution they persevered - allowing the Holy Spirit to lead them. Here are just a few that have changed the course of American education: 

St. Francis Cabrini Xavier: Because of her frail health, she was not permitted to join the Daughters of the Sacred Heart who had been her teachers and under whose guidance she obtained her teaching certificate. However, in 1880, with seven young women, Frances founded the Institute of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She eventually made 23 trans-Atlantic crossings and established 67 institutions: schools, hospitals and orphanages. (https://www.mothercabrini.org/who-we-are/mother-cabrini/)

St. Katharine Drexel: During her lifetime, she opened, staffed and directly supported nearly 60 schools and missions, especially in the West and Southwest United States. Her crowning educational focus was the establishment in 1925 of Xavier University of Louisiana, the only predominantly Afro-American Catholic institution of higher learning in the United States. (http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_20001001_katharine-drexel_en.html)

St. Mother Theodore Guerin: A French nun of fragile health, Guerin was doubtful when her superiors asked her to sail to America to lead a small band of missionaries in rural Indiana. "It is astonishing that this remote solitude has been chosen for a novitiate and especially for an academy," she wrote in her journal. "All appearances are against it." Yet within a year she opened St. Mary's Academy for Young Ladies and went on to establish schools throughout Indiana and Illinois. (http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-pope-visit-us-saints-20150911-htmlstory.html)

All three of these women are Saints of the 20th century. They had a mindset Fixed on God, yet they were innovative and ready to respond to the needs around them. 

I’ll be honest I had never heard of St. Mother Theodore Guerin until about ten minutes ago when I did a google search. I think my favorite part of her bio is that she was “doubtful” when her superiors asked her to lead a band of missionaries to a remote land, yet she overcame that and did not let resistance come in the way of opportunity. She trusted. 

 After reading the Saints accounts, how silly I feel that I resisted even reading a recommended book because of my own speculations?  Wow. How humbling. I have such a long way to Sainthood! What have you resisted or doubted lately?

I suppose part of having an innovator’s mindset means to embrace where we are at by breaking the chains of constant resistance.