Quotes: Spiritual Formation and Transformation

"Education is, in a very special way, the concern of the Church, not only because the Church must be recognized as a human society capable of imparting education, but especially it has the duty of proclaiming the way of salvation to all men, of revealing the life of Christ to those who believe, and of assisting them with unremitting care so that they may be able to attain to the fulness of that life." Declaration on Christian Education, 1965, #3

"They [teachers] should strive to awaken in their pupils a spirit of personal initiative..."
Declaration on Christian Education, 1965, #8

"Since the Christian vocation is a call to transform oneself and society with God's help, the educational efforts of the Church must encompass the twin purposes of personal sanctification and social reform in light of Christian values."
To Teach as Jesus Did, 1972, #7

"It [Christian fellowship] is fostered especially by the Eucharist which is at once sign of community and cause of its growth." To Teach as Jesus Did, 1972, #24

"They [Catholic schools] instill in children and young people indispensable discipline of mind and heart."
Teach Them, 1976, p. 3

"Appreciation has increased for the fact that the Catholic school...even more important, is an effective vehicle of total Christian formation." Teach Them, 1976, p. 5

"Cultural pluralism, therefore, leads the Church to reaffirm her mission of education to insure strong character formation. Her children, then, will be capable both of resisting the debilitating influence of relativism and of living up to the demands made on them by their Baptism." The Catholic School, 1977, #12

"It [the school] must help him [the student] spell out the meaning of his experiences and their truths. Any school which neglects this duty and which offers merely pre-cast conclusions hinders the personal development of its pupils."
The Catholic School, 1977, #27

"It is one of the formal tasks of a school, as an institution for education, to draw out the ethical dimension for the precise purpose of arousing the individual's inner spiritual dynamism and to aid his achieving that moral freedom which complements the psychological. Behind this moral freedom, however, stand those absolute values which alone give meaning and value to human life." The Catholic School, 1977, #30

"It [the school] must develop persons who are responsible and inner-directed, capable of choosing freely in conformity with their conscience." The Catholic School, 1977, #31

"Mindful of the fact that man has been redeemed by Christ, the Catholic school aims at forming in the Christian those particular virtues which will enable him to live a new life in Christ and help him to play faithfully his part in building up the Kingdom of God." The Catholic School, 1977, #36

"Since the educative mission of the Catholic school is so wide, the teacher is in an excellent position to guide the pupil to a deepening of his faith..." The Catholic School, 1977, #40

"The fundamental aim of teaching is the assimilation of objective values, and, when this is undertaken for an apostolic purpose, it does not stop at an integration of faith and culture but leads the pupil on to a personal integration of faith and life." The Catholic School, 1977, #44

"The Catholic school has as its specific duty the complete Christian formation of its pupils, and this task is of special significance today because of the inadequacy of the family and society." The Catholic School, 1977, #45

"It [the Catholic school] knows that this integration of faith and life is part of a life-long process of conversion until the pupil becomes what God wishes him to be." The Catholic School, 1977, #45

"Young people have to be taught to share their personal lives with God." The Catholic School, 1977, #45

"They [young people] are to overcome their individualism and discover, in the light of faith, their specific vocation to live responsibly in a community with others." The Catholic School, 1977, #45

"The very pattern of the Christian life draws them [young people] to commit themselves to serve God in their brethren and to make the world a better place for man to live in." The Catholic School, 1977, #45

"In the daily life of the school, the pupil should learn that he is called to be a living witness to God's love for men by the way he acts, and that he is part of that salvation history which has Christ, the Saviour of the world, as its goal."
The Catholic School, 1977, #46

"It [a faith-filled school climate] will give pride of place in the education it provides through Christian Doctrine to the gradual formation of conscience in fundamental permanent virtues - above all the theological virtues, and charity in particular, which is, so to speak, the life-giving spirit which transforms a man of virtue into a m an of Christ." The Catholic School, 1977, #47

"Christ, therefore, is the teaching-center, the model on whom the Christian shapes his life." The Catholic School, 1977, #47

"In Him [Jesus Christ] the Catholic school differs from all others which limit themselves to forming men. Its task is to form Christian men, and, by its teaching and witness, show non-Christians something of the mystery of Christ Who surpasses all human understanding." The Catholic School, 1977, #47

"Consequently, the Catholic school is aware of the importance of the Gospel-teaching as transmitted through the Catholic Church. It is, indeed, the fundamental element in the educative process as it helps the pupil towards his conscious choice of living a responsible and coherent way of life." The Catholic School, 1977, #49

"The fundamental difference between religious and other forms of education is that its aim is not simply intellectual assent to religious truths but also a total commitment of one's whole being to the person of Christ." The Catholic School, 1977, #50

"The Catholic school loses its purpose without constant reference to the Gospel and a frequent encounter with Christ."
The Catholic School, 1977, #55

"Faithful, therefore, to the claims of man and of God, the Catholic school makes its own contribution towards man's liberation, making him, in other words, what his destiny implies, one who talks consciously with God, one who is there for God to love." The Catholic School, 1977, #55

"It is when the Catholic school adds its weight, consciously and overtly, to the liberating power of grace, that it becomes the Christian leaven in the world." The Catholic School, 1977, #84

"Thus they [Catholic school teachers] will not only foster the internal renewal of the Church, but will safeguard and intensify her beneficial presence in the modern world." The Catholic School, 1977, #90

"...teachers, dispensers of mysteries and shepherds on behalf of others..."
Lay Catholics in Schools: Witnesses to Faith, 1982, #6

"One specific characteristic of the educational profession assumes its most profound significance in the Catholic educator: the communication of truth." Lay Catholics in Schools: Witnesses to Faith, 1982, #16

"The Catholic educator, in other words, must be committed to the task of forming men and women who will make the 'civilization of love' a reality." Lay Catholics in Schools: Witnesses to Faith, 1982, #19

"Students will surely have many different levels of faith response; the Christian vision of existence must be presented in such a way that it meets all of these levels, ranging from the most elementary evangelization all the way to communion in the same faith." Lay Catholics in Schools: Witnesses to Faith, 1982, #28

"And whatever the situation, the presentation [of the Christian vision of existence] must always be in the nature of a gift: though offered insistently and urgently, it cannot be imposed." Lay Catholics in Schools: Witnesses to Faith, 1982, #28

"The role of the religion teacher is of first importance; for 'what is asked for is not that one impart one's own doctrine, or that of some other teacher, but the teaching of Jesus Christ Himself." Lay Catholics in Schools: Witnesses to Faith, 1982, #59

"The Council [Vatican II], therefore, declared that what makes the Catholic school distinctive is its religious dimension..." The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School, 1988, #1

"Christian education is faced with the huge challenge of helping these young people discover something of value in their lives." The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School, 1988, #13

"The educational process is not simply a human activity; it is a genuine Christian journey toward perfection." The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School, 1988, #48

"The mission of the Church is to evangelize, for the interior transformation and the renewal of humanity. For young people, the school is one of the ways for this evangelization to take place." The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School, 1988, #66

"An understanding of the sacramental journey has profound educational implications. Students become aware that being a member of the Church is something dynamic, responding to every person's need to continue growing all through life." The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School, 1988, #79

"Then, using the Creed as a pattern, the teacher can help students to learn about the kingdom of heaven: that it consists of those who have believed in him and spent their lives in his service." The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School, 1988, #81

"...each truth of faith has educational and ethical implications, and students should be helped to learn about these from the time when they first begin the study of religion. But a systematic presentation of Christian ethics is also needed." The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School, 1988, #82

"The life of faith is expressed in acts of religion. The teacher will assist students to open their hearts in confidence to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit through personal and liturgical prayer."
The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School, 1988, #83

"The ideal would be for each student to have an opportunity for spiritual guidance, to help in interior formation. It is the best way of giving orientation and completion to the religious instruction given in the classroom and, at the same time, of integrating this instruction into the personal experiences of each individual."
The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School, 1988, #95

"The religion teacher is the key, the vital component, if the educational goals of the school are to be achieved."
The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School, 1988, #96

"What characterizes a Catholic school, therefore, is that it guides students in such a way 'that the development of each one's own personality will be matched by the growth of that new creation which he or she became by baptism'" The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School, 1988, #98

"One important result of religious instruction is the development of religious values and religious motivation; these can be a great help in obtaining the willing participation of the students." The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School, 1988, #107

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