Demonstrating God’s Love
March 19th – 23rd
Reflection & Prayer by Donnamaria Giambelluca
We see our schools as successful if students graduate with a strong belief that God loves them. Students develop this belief in proportion to two factors: how much their teachers love them and the extent to which students sense teachers’ love through the interest shown them in the classroom and extracurricular activities. Therefore, teachers establish a student-centered classroom characterized by mutual respect, reasonable yet challenging expectations, and friendly encouragement. Also, teachers attend as many extracurricular activities as possible. Through these efforts, both in and out of the classroom, students experience their teachers’ interest in them. Teachers can more effectively demonstrate God’s love through a deeper understanding of and appreciation for different aspects of students’ personalities.
– From Educational Mission & Ministry
I was raised in a home that was immersed in faith, in love, and in God. My parents grew up in the same New Orleans’ neighborhood and attended its Catholic grammar school. They went to masses together, received sacraments, and were married in Sacred Heart Church on Canal Street. As a young married couple with three school-aged children, they wanted to educate us in a way that mirrored what was happening in our home; so they chose Catholic school. It was in Catholic school that my parents and I experienced God and His love for us.
As I reflect on the statement of Brother Tardif, I not only use the lens of being a Catholic educator who is Catholic-educated, but also as someone who is teaching in a Brothers of the Sacred Heart School. Catholic school has provided my foundation, and I view my teaching as a vocation and a ministry; and I know that my work is unto the Lord. I know that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are present daily as I instruct and encourage my students through our lessons. I remind my students that they have worth and value, and because they are God’s children, are deserving of dignity and respect. We are on this journey together, and we live our faith.
I am blessed that formation is part of our lives here at Brother Martin High School. Our faculty and staff receive education on Andre’ Coindre and the charism of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart. We are encouraged to use these teachings as bridges to connect us to our students, and our colleagues, and to all whom we encounter throughout the day. I keep in mind that I am to “form my students to do good through daily instruction, formation, and witness.” In the tradition of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, students should see in me “a love of self, a love of learning, and a love for them.“.” Through collegiality, fellow teachers and I live our roles as present-day evangelists; and it is through this role that we share the Good News and help to make Jesus Christ real to everyone.
God is Love, and His love has been demonstrated to me in many ways. It has been through the unconditional and ongoing love of my parents. It has been through the many Catholic educators who have a thumbprint on my life through their lives and their classroom instruction. It is through the many students, and colleagues, and parents who have shared experiences with me in my 25 years of teaching. My hope is to continue this journey. I know that God loves me, and I want to share His love.
Reflection and Lived Experience
Prayer and discernment are a part of my daily life. In the sophomore year at Brother Martin High School, our curriculum focuses on “Decision Making.” Our classroom is a training ground for self-reflection and prayer. So on a daily basis, prior to formal prayer-time, all students are called to discern three questions:
Who am I at Brother Martin High School?
Who am I in my family?
Who am I in the world as an adolescent male in 2018?
I guide the students in their thought processes and use the daily scripture verse as the foundation for their questions. If “love” is the focus of the scripture verse, then the questions would be asked in this manner:
How am I modeling / being love at Brother Martin High School?
How am I modeling / being love in my family?
How am I modeling love / being love as an adolescent male in the world in 2018?
This is my faculty prayer contribution. I not only guide my students with these questions, but I also use them in my personal prayer experience. I go through the litany of questions as I rise in the morning, with each class period that I teach, and nightly before I close my eyes. I have found that these questions provide a true God-connection. They facilitate a flow and a rhythm for me in my daily faith walk. Depending on my responses, I am able to stay aligned with God and His mission, or am able to move myself back into the light if I am not quite there.
Let us Pray…
Loving God, we come to you today in gratitude.
We thank you for all that you have provided for us.
We thank you for our minds, and our hearts, and our faith.
Be with us as we move through our day.
Allow us to do your work and your will as we encounter each other in our classrooms,
in our hallways, in our lessons, and in our extra-curriculars.
We pray for all the people and things that matter to us personally.
We ask that you hear the petitions that have been spoken and the petitions that remain quietly within our hearts.
Be with us as we continue to move through our day as we take part in our afternoon activities, as we make our way home, and finally, as we arrive home to our families and all those that we love.
We pray these things in your name. Amen.
Ametur Cor Jesu. Loved Be The Heart of Jesus.
