CATHOLIC SCHOOLS- A LEGACY

Catholic Schools for new Age.

The educational system in our country was pioneered by the Church, not only that, the social community and every aspects of our common lives before was initialized by the religious orders and basically, we owe to it the cradle of our beginnings as a nation.

With the establishment of our community, we were nourished with what we need, first and foremost, education as one of the apostolate of the church. Thanks to the convictions of religious groups, orders and congregations who were really inspired by the Spirit of God in spreading the gospel through learnings. These manifestations seen in the promotion of education are truly the guiding lines of the promise of our Lord to guide His church.

The achievement of the Jesuits in creating the biggest names of universities and colleges all over the world for example is actually the beacon of what we say that the church is the builder of mankind and its civilization.

There's rise and fall everywhere, as the sun rises and sets in, so do the times are changing, but the reality of  catholic education and its future is really a struggle. As the secularism rises and ever since it began,  the two became opposed with each other in the standard of morals. The development of our society turning secular has its roots from the failings of Catholic Schools and these are the consequences and catastrophes brought out of  the best intent of the church that it cannot avoid.

As the church was the biggest in the world in the service for education, there are drops and failures  today in the last twenty years. So many high schools, colleges and universities had closed in the US alone. There were about 1,500 schools closed shop in the last decade. Enrollment failing, and though even subsidized by their diocese, still the closures of schools came. Catholic schools in the US not subsidized by the federation is saving them to about 23 billion dollars a year of taxpayers money, a legacy of the church unparalleled.


There are certain things we could not avoid, and everything under human control is not perfect. Part of the problem is that diocesan and archdiocesan policies "have enabled Catholic schools to fail" by subsidizing them but not challenging them enough to find new ways to become self-sufficient and attract new students. (NCR)

In our local atmosphere, it may happen. As the  diocese are taking over the running of every schools in its reach, the specifics and detailed approach of localized situations may rise to the death of our parochial schools and the slack down of that parish, for they may overlook and lose the touch of the reality of school situations under local conditions. Biologically, the Parish and their school is just one and parochial is always an advantage for the school, as the parishioners are mostly their own clientele. This nature, the local parish itself with it's own parishioners united to plant the school in the beginning  may loss the love and support with this set up of diocesan form, for they are taught to "love parish and  think parish". This format may contribute to the loss of market share as everybody now is going elsewhere.

The nearest relation between the Diocese and the Parish in operating theirs schools should be co-partnership, not totally and absolutely in the hand of the other side, or vice-versa. Also, the third party in the local operation should be the Pastoral Council of that parish to facilitate control.

The intent of the Catholic Education is for the poor, this should not be lost. Though viability and finances are needed, education for the impoverished should be kept alongside.

Catholic schools should not be jeopardized by paying low its staff in exchange for god service. Though accounted as their widespread service to children of low-income families is the greatest educational gift Catholic schools have to offer is "God"


Parents of educationally at-risk children "want God" because they realize that if their children grow up with a living faith in God, they are less likely to end up in prison or in other self-destructive lifestyles.

May we put more and plant more schools or diversify to bring up god-fearing individuals in our community, and create leaders for our country honed by our catholic faith,where in them the truth and teachings of Christ be embedded and so shall prevail in our land a true christian community. A secular society is godless and the only answer to it is the Spirited education that will spread the faith more, and sustain a stronger and updated catholic schools today and in the future.

The gospel is dynamic, so in every aspects of Catholicism, may in truth, faith, education and moral guidelines for the secular and spiritual lives of men, the presence of God should never fade in our hands.



Related readings reference and source:  The National Catholic Reporter


This writing is inspired by the article written in the National Catholic Reporter.
The italic lines are taken from the report. Seminar: Catholic school crisis calls for creative responses

CATHOLIC ON LINE PRESENCE

On line Presence of Catholics Needed.

As it is said, we need to field ourselves in the spectrum of new ways to spread the gospel, which is the social media networks available today. Catholics should be aware of this powerful tool to reach and let the word of God be spread all over the planet and the conversion of every creature as commanded forth by our Lord Jesus Christ.

I suppose every Priests, Deacons, or leaders of the church should be involved in the online media by blogging and having their own pages and accounts which are frequented by many people today. It is is the statement of Pope Benedict XVI that every priests should be involved in the space and I think this is the time to flood the medium to press the presence of truth in the darkened cold blankness.


There is a little problem today with the habits of where the mass of users in the web goes to, it is hardly we can find that even ourselves, Catholics do not open or use media applications of our own parishes, and websites  of the church. The secular lives of our own brothers invade this supposed to be our rightful practice, and we should be aware and reckon our usage of the web leaned on the church' sites.

There is a climb today of  awareness in the presence of the church in social media and it is being done with speed as the church focuses on the enormous impact of the on line communications, we are like being enlisted by the Spirit to be there. In all local levels, it is now moving, and with acceleration as asked by Rome  .

Every individual also should be involved. Each and every Parishioners should develop the habit and practice. All of us should accept the importance of connection and being constantly present in the media networks. It is not anymore to be seen as a leisure and a habit worthless, but of worthy conduct of struggling to put the gospel upfront in the stream.

Every youngsters and students  should be taught to use the social media in spiritual etiquette and manners that they will radiate the faith and expand them. The biggest users of the space are the youth, and in them  lies the biggest part of promoting the church, that's why in all aspects our young's should be well taught  in speech, manners, and ways that reflects Catholicism.



The clergies today should be open  to these new ideas and accept that the new mission  of evangelization is in the universe of the net. Actually it should be one of the main thrust of parishes to pursue the presence of the church everywhere specially in this time and generation.

I hope that everyone will be encouraged to recognize the vastness of the new horizon and be involved in it, give their presence wielding Christ. Each one, Mothers, brothers, sisters, relatives and friends should start and not let the evils and twisters of truths will dominate, it is our responsibility to rise and be there in the cyber space.

CHILDREN AT PRAY

CHILDREN AT PRAY.

Children of Breaking the Bread is constantly at pray to make alive in their young minds and spirit the habitual character of praying and worshiping God. Rosary prayer is a practice, and constantly invoking in their selves God in their lives. Every Friday program prayer is a must in the BTB, and changes and improvements has emerged in the children, a fruit seen in our efforts now. They have memorized the prayers, they have mastered the Rosary beads, and most importantly, they have touched connection with God in these forms.

We are thankful to God that our effort has gotten fruits, our tears and toils comes to shine in the way these Children came  and found love in God thru Breaking the Bread. The children will become men and women of our society , they will become parishioners of the Sto. Nino Parish Shrine, and they will become the leaders and men of the church and our society. These little children will someday take our place, someday to become the Church, the Body of Christ.

We have to survive the battle, the war, the fight to make Christ win today, just to assure tomorrow that the Church will remain alive thru these little ones that some of us neglect. The Church does not belong to the rich and famous, to the elite, to the able, but the Church is established by Christ for the poor. The church will not stand if not for the little ones, for our Lord did not come for the righteous but for the poor and sinners, for salvation is for them.

Children praying  in BTB is much louder than the prayers of anyone of us. It is much sweeter and heard by God than my own, and it is much answered, than in all our petitions.

Thank you Lord for giving us the privilege to serve the children, the Breaking the Bread.

BTB, WINNING THE BLOCK 5

Full house, and God pleased.

May 11, 2012 - Thanks God it's Friday. Our program was filled with love, care and sharing for the Children,  It was made regularly an appointed time to be with each other, children long to be with Friday to come and enjoy the company of us, of God, of Jesus, which has become part of the body routine of the children to fill  Friday, their Breaking the Bread Day.

See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 18:10

The verse turns to be a battle cry. Environment had exploited so much these "little ones", their deprived conditions had been their prison cell to contain them,  and  the persecution of society pushes them to the corner of neglect. The war is within ; it is morals, spirituality, emotions, physical, where all them are the despising of environment and culture.  The world speaks of this judgement, and the truth is biblical, for there is no choice for us but to  carry this load. We have to be deaf  of criticisms to hear the voiceless, and dumb to serve the powerless. It could be ascertain that physical world is opposite with that of spiritual, for it is where god dwells.

BTB CHILDREN IN THE PARISH CATECHISM 2012

BTB May 3, 2012-  The Breaking the Bread Ministry has made a great leap forward in the caring and love for the spiritual growth of the children by integrating them in the Summer Catechism 2012 of the Sto. Nino Parish Shrine. This is a great step towards bringing them  into social integration and  part of the good works being missioned by the BTB specially for this month of May for Mama Mary devotion.

Almost half of the summer Catechism class are BTB children. The most unique situation here is that this is just the time in  many years that the Block 5 children are integrated in the summer catechism classes of the parish, and the good effect is that they start to mingle and socialize with the upper class children of the parish. Remember our children are brood of impoverished families not only that of hostile nature (their comment) of our society. There is a good feeling and an uplift spirit on our part that there is now a good result in our struggle to prove  that these children are worthy to become good citizens of our country and we have snatched them out of their dark uncertain future.

MAMA MARY OF BTB

March 10, 2012 - Breaking the Bread, Bago Bantay
Mama Mary always leads us to Jesus. It is not a thing of being the Mother of the son of God, but being her as mother is also a mother for all of us which She always show her son  Jesus to  the world, but the world cannot  recognize Jesus by not acknowledging  Mary who can speak about her son fully to us, for Mary is the person who gave the sone of God to the world

Many other believers are not believers by itslef, it s a kind of a cafeteria faith which they chose only to believe on what they like to believe and what they  comfortably and conveniently love to do. Mostly, our other brothers in the faith, the protestants and other denominations chose to be that way, the importance of doing good works like in the church's teaching they deny, as the only thing needed is a personal relaltionship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

We have to love what God loves. Jesus loves her mother, and so also we should also give love to her, he gave her respect, so do we also. This is the problem with the others, they despise more the mother of Jesus. And this is why we Catholics are fortunate to see and recognize all these things, we should honor her as Jesus had jhonored her and given a place in heaven.

This is the Breaking the Bread, we continue to do the works commanded by Christ, for we are guided and lead to the way of Jesus through her mother Mary.

Breaking the Bread- A CHALLENGE FOR LENT

February 24, 2012- Ilocos Norte St.. Bago Bantay.
It is Lent, the season of  recalling back ourselves to god, the moment to reflect on, repent, and seek forgiveness.

There are challenges in these times, as to be forgiven is to forgive, and  also there are temptations, to test us how strong we are in the face of adversities, thus the work particularly in the breaking the bread is also part of these challenges.

Let's put ourselves in the desert where Jesus himself stayed there for forty days. No one would like to be in an arid condition of the desert, but the necessity  to experience it is part to become fully with god in life. In our times, we need not to be in the physical place of the desert, what then we need is to simulate in our lives the desert life through animating charity in our ways, taking care of the needy, helping those impoverished families, sponsoring education, help the street children, sharing food, visiting the sick, etc.etc., these all resembles the "desert" in life, for this is the new way and the meaning Jesus like to impart to us not only in every Lent season but for a lifetime mission of every Christian Catholics.

In the part of BTB, we are greatly challenged. We work in a mission to save the street children through catechisms, sharing god's loving word to them in their very young minds, feeding them of food physically and spiritually, preparing these young street children to become good catholics tomorrow as well as to be good citizens for this country. But the challenge are numerous, not only in our  minimal resources, but the way our other brothers and sisters take the view of these children, and undermining and putting down the value of the hardwork  of this Ministry. The condition is difficult for us to move along a way upstream of a flowing river. But there is only one things sure, Breaking the Bread is the handknit of the Lord, and his spirit is driving us to overcome these challenges. 

Breaking the Bread  is always a desert place, come,  be with us to experience it.