Gospel Reflection for 4/29/22:

Yesterday’s Gospel from John reminds us of who is in charge.  Over the 40 days of Lent, I purposely didn’t write any reflections for the school because I needed to use that time to focus and take inventory of my life over the previous year as I did my best to draw closer to God’s message.  Each of us has a choice to make when it comes to our own personal character – the standard of which we will hold ourselves.  John’s Gospel highlights that very thing. 

The background for the Reading takes place as John the Baptist is responding to a question stemming from a dispute between the Disciples of John and a Jew when about what’s proper regarding ceremonial washings.  Both John’s disciples and the Jew were concerned about Jesus baptizing people nearby because the “law” was not being followed as it was written.  John responds in the following way:

The one who comes from above is above all.
The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things.
But the one who comes from heaven is above all.
He testifies to what he has seen and heard,
but no one accepts his testimony.
Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy.
For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God.
He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.
The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,
but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life,
but the wrath of God remains upon him. JN 3: 31-36

So, here’s the point…We still often fail to acknowledge that The One who comes from above is above all.  We all seem to acknowledge that “God is above all things” until we want to put ourselves or our desires above God.  As we read this at Morning Prayer yesterday with the Junior High I asked the entire group, “How many of you believe that God is above all and that the law of God is above all laws of man?”  Every student put their hand in the air.  I believe this is very reflective of how most in our society would answer that same question.  I then asked, “How many of you know someone who would make the same concession that you just did and yet still place themselves above God?”  Every student put their hand in the air.  I believe this is very reflective of most of our society as well.  Knowing what we know, when are we going to begin to hold ourselves to a higher standard?  When?

John’s Gospel reminded those disciples and the Jewish man (as well as us) that God calls them to be different.  God expects us to be above our earthly standard, not to rewrite the standard so that it matches up with what we want and how we want it to be placing us before God…and, yet, here we are.  What will your standard be?

 Reflection for February 25, 2022:

OLMC Family,

As I sit here reflecting on this week, this year…the last 23 months to be exact, I can’t help but have extreme mixed emotions regarding the events beginning on March 13, 2020 to now.  When all this began, there were so many heated emotions surrounding the shutdown of schools, moves to remote learning, and the overall uncertainty which surrounded the COVID 19 pandemic.  Fear and confusion gripped everyone in many different ways and for our schools, this meant taking everything we knew about education and educating students and seemingly throwing it out the window. 

Learning on the fly became the norm for administrators, teachers and families/students alike.  Change became the expectation and adapting to yesterday’s changes long enough for today’s changes to alter those adaptations became second-hand.  Teachers and administration alike tried as best they could to field questions to which they didn’t have answers to in hopes of comforting families, students, and themselves as they attempted to navigate a very difficult reality.  From the beginning, it was confusion, anger and frustration coming from all angles and sleep...well, forget about that. 

Slowly things began to unify and all of us seemed to accept (as best we could) the hand that was dealt to us both medically and politically.  People “showed up” and they supported one another.  The ideal, regardless of which “side” of the opinion-fence one stood on any matter, that we were “all in this together” was solid.  We had each other’s back.  Most of us thought we had our arms around this thing and that we would see one another through it to the other side when we would all celebrate things being “back to normal”. 

Another year came and went and although the vision of “normal” didn’t become a realization, we slowly grew to be comfortable in this new world.  Many fell into such comfort that they disregarded the unfortunate fact that there are powers which regulate policy well beyond any of us.  Again, frustration grew and so too did apathy.  Even as we made progress it was never fast enough.  I would be lying if I said I didn’t often feel this way myself however, my opinion is irrelevant when it comes to policy.  The responsibility of balancing 255 students, 212 families, and 50 staff members takes precedence over any opinion or personal issue I may have.  I understand this all too well and accept it fully. 

Now, we are preparing to enter into the season of Lent.  For many, this is what the past couple years has felt like. Comparable to wandering in the desert for 40 days without knowing when it will end, when the resurrection will happen.  This season however is different.  We know there is an end in sight regardless of whether or not it fits in our timeline.  We know that we are leaving one “season” and possibly entering into another one.  Yet here we are.  For each of us, each of you, the question is what comes next. 

There has been a great amount of grace and support at times throughout this past season and at other times, none at all.  We have persevered and as we move forward, we will do what we always do, prepare to do it again.  My prayer for this upcoming Lenten season is that, in each of our individual journeys, we draw ourselves closer to God and His will in our lives.  In doing so, perhaps we will enter into an understanding that, COVID aside, as God’s people, we are still all in this together: To support, protect, and assist each other in the process of healing, of growing forward.  Regardless of what the future holds, our mission to be more Christ-like; to grow disciples; to be saints has not changed.  This process, this submission to God’s will is no more easier or difficult now than it was before.  Our choices simply have changed as a whole.  Perhaps this Lent we will examine ourselves hard enough to ask the difficult question if, in our anger, our frustration and apathy, we have simply chose to serve ourselves more than we have chosen to serve God. 

As we watch the world unfold in front of us over the next few weeks, I hope we can come together to support one another more so than tear each other down.  The season is here, the setting is provided however, the choice remains up to us.  God is waiting.

May God keep you and bless you, and grant you His peace.

Mr. Swann – Principal OLMC

 Update February 1^st, 2022:

Good afternoon OLMC Family!  Here we are, February 1^st can you believe it!?!  Only four months left in this school year.  Reflecting on this had me thinking of the past two years plus that this school has gone through and the impact of so many people over the course of that time which helped us remain successful.  I can’t imagine where we would be without our staff and faculty but equally important, without all of you. 

Catholic Schools Week gives us an opportunity to celebrate our faith and our students.  As more and more Catholic schools are closing throughout our country, ours continues to flourish.  As anyone who attended the 11:00 o’clock mass this past Sunday can attest, our school makes a difference; our students make a difference; and YOU make a difference in how successful we can be here at Our Lady of Mount Carmel.  Believe me, it is easy to get caught up in negativity and fear; it is understandable to get wrapped up in the defeated attitude that the devil would prefer us to be in.  However, as I stood in mass on Sunday my feelings were affirmed that these negative sentiments cannot survive in an environment which God Himself is leading.  Don’t be confused, that doesn’t mean it is always going to be easy.  If anything, these past two years have proved that.  Likewise, they have proved that God is stronger than whatever we could possibly face. 

On behalf of our school and our children, I want to thank you for all your prayers, your support, and your involvement in our school both current and future.  Our success is predicated on your commitment.  I firmly believe that the success we have enjoyed gives evidence to that commitment.  I look forward to seeing our students continue to thrive and grow and, with your continued prayers, see our school continue to do that same thing. 

Thank you.  May God continue to bless you, your families. 

Our Lady of Mount Carmel: Pray for us. 

 

Mr. Swann – Principal

Advent Reflection 12/15/21:

Speaking to our 2^nd – 5^th grade classes today in Morning Prayer I couldn’t help but feel that how much more simple it is to talk to children rather than adults.  They just seem to “get it” for the most part.  Perhaps it’s because they aren’t as busy as we all are with the holidays, or perhaps that their innocence has simply yet to establish the cynical mindset that majority of adults develop over this life.  Whatever it is, they often allow proof of their experiences to be the answer to their questions where we, as adults, seemingly need something just a little more.  My grandpa used to say that kids grow so much faster than adults because they haven’t figured out how to stunt their own process yet. 

Children don’t stress about what comes next because they have proof that their teachers have it all planned out.  Children don’t worry about where to go next because they have been given proof that their teachers will direct them.  These same children whom I was speaking to this morning allow their day, and essentially their lives to be directed by us (teachers/staff) and you (parents/grandparents) with faith that everything will be perfectly fine.  Even when we change the day up on them, they still trust that it will be alright because they have proof that we will take care of them.  This allows for the little surprises to be celebrated with genuine joy and excitement this time of year.  A child’s ability to truly prepare for Christ is taken in their ability to see the evidence all around them.  As they mentioned this morning: “What evidence do you have that Jesus is coming?” – Their answers “Christmas trees and decorations; The church is decorated in purple; Christmas music; Presents under the tree...” and so on. 

Adults on the other hand….well, let’s face it, our society shows us that there isn’t very much trust, excitement or genuine joy in one another.  We spend more time worrying about things that are days, even months away than we do focusing on the gift of the present moment.  We question everything at all times and question the answers even harder as we grow more and more cynical.  I wonder if I were to ask our adults “What evidence do you have that Jesus is coming?” what sort of answers I may receive.  Perhaps we would say something like, “my bank account is getting low; I’m trying to schedule dinner to accommodate everyone; I have to go to the store…” and so on. 

Today’s Gospel also speaks about allowing the proof of Christ to fill our hearts and minds during this season of Advent.  John’s disciples asked Jesus “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”  Jesus responds to them: “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind regain sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, deaf hear, dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.  And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me” (LK 7:18-23).  It is this same type of questioning if Jesus actually is who He is that will keep a soul from Heaven. 

When will we take a cue from our children, and allow the proof of Christ’s daily workings in our lives to relax our walls enough so as to truly prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of Jesus at Christmas?  When will we stop and slow down enough to allow Christ to work in our lives?  It’s not irony that we have this Advent Season for that exact thing.  Won’t you prepare?

Mr. Swann - Principal

 

“Why We Should Be Thankful”

Reflection 11/24/21:

I realize it’s been sometime between my last reflection and now.  Truthfully, the job gets so busy with seemingly “small things” that it becomes difficult to etch out a few minutes to reflect and to write.  It is in that notion however, that seems to remind me that now is the most important time to reflect and to record.  Perhaps that reflection may have something to do with the current week or the larger picture of the previous year; regardless, we are approaching Thanksgiving where we will all sit down and “try” to remember what we are thankful for.  How obtuse. 

At the beginning of the year I sit down with a small committee and outline calendars, appointment, trips, special dates, ceremonies, meetings, etc. for the school and the many moving parts that play into the organizational works here at OLMC.  I do this knowing full well that almost all of them will in some fashion change based on other people’s schedules and desires or events that we were unable to anticipate at the time.  Needless to say even with this advanced knowledge, it is still frustrating and if any of you experience this at your place of work, you know all too well what I’m talking about.  As the days tick and the year moves forward becoming further and further away from that original meeting, I often get asked the age-old question of “why do we do this to begin with”.  There are several concrete reasons to our procedures – “Why do we have this policy procedure?”….”So that our students are accounted for and safe.”….”Why do we do this that way”….. “Because doing it the other way is illegal.”….. “Why can’t we do this?”…. “Because it’s a Diocese Policy” … “Why do we even go to school on this day” ….. “Because we don’t want to add an extra day to the calendar because we need to be out of school by Herrin Festa.” …. And my mother’s favorite answer of all time – “Because I am the boss and I said so.”  You get my point and yet, we ask the same things annually.  In all this questioning and second-guessing, I’m not surprised that it’s sometimes difficult to find something to be Thankful for.

As I walked around this morning before school started (as this is generally the only quiet time I can carve out to do so), I thought very hard about the things I am thankful for here at OLMC.  It’s easy to rap off the standard answers:  “I’m thankful for my family, friends, job, home, food, clothes, etc.” but let’s face it, although there is no question of our appreciation for those things in our lives, they are also easy answers.  When is the last time you were thankful for not getting your way?  When was the last time you were thankful for that person who challenged you resulting in you becoming a better person, boss, husband, wife, and student?  When was the last time you said you were thankful for struggle? 

Today’s Gospel reminds us that in the difficult times, Jesus will give us the words to say, the actions to take, the relationships we need and the appreciation of persecution.  Saint Luke reminds us that as we are “seized and persecuted, handed over to the prisons and put to death”, we are to be thankful of the Grace and Love of Jesus Christ in our lives.  “You will be hated by all because of my name: By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”  Perhaps we need to focus a little more on our gift of eternal life this Thanksgiving than our non-eternal disappointments or possessions that seem to dominate our talk and our social media posts. 

My walk this morning around the campus allowed me to be thankful for a lot of things here at OLMC.  I am thankful for the faces of my students.  I am thankful for the dedication of my teachers.  I am thankful for small victories our school has had over the course of the past three years.  I am thankful for the challenges and struggles I have seen in this job both from inside the school and out.  I am thankful for the let downs, frustration and disappointments which have forced me to become stronger and more attentive.  I am just as thankful for the attacks as I am the support.  In the end, I am thankful most that God has given all those things to me to sharpen me in the end and, for that, I am thankful. 

As I close this letter of thanksgiving I think about how contagious different mindsets can be whether on a team, in an organization or just in the general public.  I’m not sure at times that what I’m doing here truly makes a difference for anyone or, that God put me here to make a difference in me.  No matter which outcome was intended or if they both were equally, I will do my best to maintain a mindset of peace and thanksgiving regardless of what may come my way in the future.  My prayer is that each of you will as well. 

May you all have a blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  May God gift you with His peace and keep you all safe and close to his Sacred Heart. 

Mr. Swann

Reflection, October 12, 2021:

It’s been a while now since I’ve last written a reflection.  I mean to often and then the endless chores of the day, sudden interruptions or constant directional pulling seem to pull me from that intent.  Today, however, a student here said that “I know you used to write things weekly, my parent’s would read them.  You haven’t done that in a while huh...”  Okay, so perhaps Jesus is talking to me just as he did the Pharisee in today’s Gospel.  If you listen, he may be saying something to you as well.  Regardless, I’ll take the hint. 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus talks about cleanliness from within.  I have worked in many places and have been fortunate to meet many great people both personally and professionally during my career.  Likewise, I have met several Pharisee’s like the one Jesus is getting ready to eat dinner with in today’s Gospel. 

In Luke’s writing, Jesus reclines at table ready to eat and of course, given the laws and custom of the time, the Pharisee begins to wash in preparation for a meal.  In seeing that Christ did not do this, he looks at Jesus almost as if to say “who do you think you are?”.  Jesus, as he so often has a knack for, says to the Pharisee – “Oh you Pharisees!  Although you clean the outside of your cup and dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil…Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?”  The statement Jesus makes to the Pharisee is just as relevant to us today as it was to him 2,000 years ago.  We have all known of people, maybe even been one ourselves at times, who dress the outside up while the inside is in need of some serious sprucing.  As I read and explained this Gospel to my kindergarten & 1^st grade classes this morning during Morning Prayer, I wondered what their little minds were thinking. 

The short of it is, we can clean our “cup and dish” as much as we want; we can say the right things, post the right things, drive the right car, have the right house or family, or whatever…but if we are not treating people, loving our neighbor as ourselves, it is all for show.  How we care for others, talk about others, address others and even, like the Pharisee, judge others shows either the same inside filled with “plunder and evil” Jesus spoke of or, perhaps, shows the disciple of Christ we should grow to be. 

Often in our own attempt to do the right thing, we neglect what is really important.  The Pharisee was amazed to see what Jesus was not doing (washing as the law required) and Jesus called him to account for what the Pharisee was not doing (living as Christ calls us to).  Is it time for us to be called into account for what we are not doing?  Maybe the Pharisee’s story is our story too.  Perhaps it is we who need to refocus on what is actually important in this life, waiting for a word from Jesus who will show us that we aren’t as great as we think we are if our actions don’t do that first. 

Mr. Swann – Principal

 

Reflection 8-20-21:

Here we are finishing up the first week of school.  As we walked into the 2021-2022 school year, I know that we all did so with a new anticipation, almost hope that finally this year would be different.  This is the year that would begin our journey back to “normal” after the unpredictable, unprecedented pandemic and political year that hit our country so hard last year.  This year would be the year where it all comes back together and we would take the lessons learned from the previous year-plus and grow into a more understanding and happier people.  Maybe it’s still early yet. 

Today’s Gospel tells us about the Pharisee scholar who decided to test Jesus by asking him “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”  Two things we must remember from this scripture, the first is that the Pharisee wasn’t really seeking an answer from Jesus, he was merely attempting to trip him up and use whatever answer he gave against him.  The second thing we need to remember is that when we ask Jesus something, we need to remember that the answer may not be the one we want to hear.  Jesus says in reply, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the greatest and first commandment.  The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 

I believe it may be difficult to find someone, especially in our community, who would say that they do not follow the first one of these commandments if we were to ask.  It’s an easy answer and truthfully, difficult to prove otherwise.  The second commandment however, one does not have to ask for the proof is in our actions; our words; our lives.  Whether or not we follow the second commandment can be seen in the way we treat each other, the conversations we have about people at dinners and ball games, and the decisions we make regarding other people.  Certainly many of the decisions we make daily may be amoral.  But even the little things, conversations we take part in or avoid, considerations we make or don’t for others, the shows we choose to watch or music we listen to, all these things can influence us to make certain choices. 

Jesus tried to make it easy for us.  Love God; Love each other - such a small number of requests yet, such an enormous impact on both our lives and the lives of others. 

Mr. Swann