Saturday night's Gospel was from Luke 14: 25-33, where Jesus spoke about what it takes to be a follower of his. I will let you reread it yourselves, but let's just say, it's not cheap grace that Jesus demands of us. I did take particular note, however, of the two examples Jesus gave to the crowd, and what they might mean for us as we plan for this school year.
The parables are about building a tower without first estimating the cost or entering into battle without first assessing your troop's numerosity. They struck me as wise and challenging. Too often, a "great idea," a new school program, another "opportunity" brings a flurry of excitement, hope for change, and unfortunately, too little staying power. The costs are hidden, the challenges minimized, and commitment never fully gained. As Jesus said, "For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, 'This person began to build and wasn't able to finish.'" While I am a risk taker by nature, I am not fond of being ridiculed, so Jesus's caution about full commitment to our plans resonates with me.
St. Patrick School is in the fourth year of a 5-year Long Range Plan. The school's community discerned what we need to enhance our Catholic Identity, to commit to academic excellence, to promote financial stability, and to improve our school facilities. The Plan is not timid. It is forward thinking, expensive, and cannot be realized without full commitment.
As part of my administrative goals for the year, I will present to the School Commission a review of the Long Range Plan to better assess which specific goals have been met, which need greater emphasis, and which might no longer be worth pursuing because the costs are too high or other demands too pressing. While reviewing a Long Range Plan in it's fourth year can seem like a retreat or a lack of conviction, the School Commission and I think it is wise because we are also in our Accreditation Self-Study year. It is a good time to be ambitious but also to align our hopes with the realities of our current school community-to discern once again, what God is calling St. Pat's to be.
We will speak a little more about our 2016-17 Administrative Goals at Back to School Night (where I promise to be brief so that you can spend more time with your child(ren)'s teachers). I hope you can make that evening a priority.
Luke reminds us what planning needs to happen to be a disciple of Jesus. St. Ignatius reminds us how we need to behave once that plan is designed: "Act as if everything depended upon you. Trust as if everything depended on God."
My plan is to listen to both of these Saints!
peace,
Chris
