In thinking about Montessori and our Catholic faith, I always come back to the truth revealed about what it means to be human, as spelled out in the account of Creation (Genesis 1-2). We have been made in God's "image and likeness." Thus, we are "like God" in certain ways that the rest of creation is not. We can acknowledge the Creator of all the many gifts spread before us and we can use our hands, guided by our intellect, to employ these "raw materials" in constructing something new, something more, that brings glory to His name. St. Irenaeus said, "The glory of God is man fully alive." This fullness of life begins by working with all that we have been given in creation in order to care for the earth, to serve each other and to worship our Creator through our good use of these gifts. We have been asked to both "fill the earth" and "subdue it," caring for it, using it wisely, and helping all of creation reach its potential in giving glory to God. As we see the goodness of creation, how could we NOT acknowledge the Goodness of the One who has given it all to us!
This acknowledgement of the beauty of creation, the dignity of each person, and the privilege we have been given to work and to worship are what come to my mind in pondering the joy of working in a Catholic Montessori school. Not only do we "work" each day, but we also "work" to serve our community and our world by caring for each other and by growing in love. True Catholic education is not just education in an academic sense but it involves the head, mind, heart, and soul. It is formation to a Catholic worldview, seeing all of life through a Catholic lens. This, of course, includes worship of God through the Sacraments, but it even more broadly includes bringing glory to God through each decision we make and through, most importantly, how we love. John 13:35 says, "This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
I am thankful to be part of the Catholic School system. I am thankful to work at a Catholic Montessori school. I am MOST thankful to work at The Way of the Shepherd Catholic Montessori school where we strive each day to see life through the lens of a Catholic worldview, growing through prayer, Scripture, Liturgy, and study, respecting each other, loving each other, and bringing glory to God.