Educating in communion

WE need to prepare the students and the youth in general for the challenges now and the future. We cannot deny that the world is becoming complicated, with more attitudes, mentalities, lifestyles, sub-cultures coming up.

            What we can see is that there is a clear drift toward individualism, indifferentism and activism, utilitarianism and moral relativism. Utilitarianism is when one just considers the practical aspects of things to the point of using persons merely as tools and instruments or stepping stones to one’s ambitions.

            These isms should not come as a surprise, but rather as an understandable consequence of the confusion that can easily appear when more and more elements appear in society, and we do not know how to exercise our freedom. That’s when we judge things poorly, even erroneously.

            Concern for personal development can deteriorate into individualism or egoism and self-absorption. Concern for one’s welfare can lead to indifferentism on the one hand or activism on the other. Tolerance to the many things one has to contend with nowadays can bring him to utilitarianism or moral relativism.

            It’s important that right from the setting of the family and schools, young people are already made aware of the nature and need for communion, and the ways and requirements for it.

            We cannot anymore take this human need and Christian ideal for granted. We need to work it out. But first things first. We have to understand that unity and communion, in spite of the growing plurality of elements in our society, can only take root on the ground of a living and loving relationship with God.

            God is our Creator and Father. He is the one who gives us individual existence and holds the whole world and creation in existence, giving it foundation, meaning and purpose. To be sure, we are not here by chance or by accident. Neither are we meant to make our life whatever we want it to be.

            There is an eternal law and natural law that governs the whole world in a universal way. We need to adhere to it. In our case as persons with intelligence and freedom, there is a natural moral law that reflects God’s will for us. We need to adhere to it knowingly and lovingly, and never by force or blind obedience.

            Everyone should be made aware of this core, this indispensable, basic requirement of any effort to achieve union and communion among ourselves. That communion among ourselves in spite of our unavoidable differences can only spring from our communion with God.

            Of course, given our human condition where we develop ourselves in stages, this fundamental truth about God as the foundation of communion should be presented as early as possible and in ways understandable to us in whatever status we may find ourselves due to our gender, age, and other human and natural conditions like our social and economic standing, etc.

            With little children, we may just have to tell them what to do first, before explaining the things behind. But obviously, as they grow older, things need to be explained more and more, until these things get clearly related to God.

            For example, little children have to be taught how to follow a certain schedule, how to behave in different situations of the day—basic norms of courtesy should be imparted as early as possible—how to pray and be aware of God as our Creator and Father, etc.

            Later on, they may have to be taught some practical things that help them to relate themselves to others and to God. Teaching them to be thoughtful and helpful to others, to plan and organize their time, etc., should be done in the manner of an inclined plane.

            The important thing to remember is that there is some kind of plan of how to help children become more aware of the need for communion with God and among ourselves. This is a plan that never ends. We just hope that the children can reach the point where they themselves make and carry out their own plans.

            They have to be taught interpersonal skills, teamwork abilities, the concepts of common good, solidarity, subsidiarity, etc. They have to be taught the spiritual means of prayer, sacrifice, sacraments, etc., to bring this communion about.

            The role of parents and teachers are very crucial in this task. They have to know how to relate whatever technical, practical and mundane things they have do with the children to the sacred and divine, to the spiritual and supernatural. In other words, to God.