Can you remember a time when you were truly struck by beauty? Or maybe, you found yourself looking up to the stars, gazing in absolute wonder? Can you remember the last time the sun setting behind the mountains took your breath away?
Hopefully it’s not too difficult to recall some of these experiences as they are the gateway for us to experience, in a profound way, the glory of God. Not only for us, but for our children too. In his infinite wisdom, God wished to crown his creation with intelligent creatures made in his image and likeness. In fact, the glory given to God by this creation would be incomplete without our human voices as we bring conscious and loving praise to him. We are capable of knowing and interpreting the significance of the cosmos, our universe, our planet, our families and our dignity as human beings with that intelligence he has given us.
We must help our children to understand that we help to preserve the marvelous order the universe, thereby giving glory to God, when we contribute with our work and our study, to the work of creation. Our work acquires a wonderful significance when it is seen from this point of view. Upon realizing these things our view of work and study might possibly expand. If we do not, we run the risk of working or studying simply for the immediate reward. For a paycheck or for a good grade. These things are good, but they are not the ultimate purpose of our lives.
Even from a very secular view on life, understanding that our work and our study serve the betterment of the world we live in, could potentially help us. It might help us to approach that work and study with a better attitude. It might compel us to do it with greater focus and intention. It might help us battle the dreaded thought of “Mondays” when we realize that work and study are much more than a paycheck or a good grade.
These are some of the foundational reasons why here at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic school, we facilitate a Catholic education inspired by wonder.
Let’s go back to the time you were struck by beauty. Let’s say for instance, a beautiful flower caught your attention. What if, in that moment you were inspired to investigate the details of that flower. You might notice the detail deep in the center. Maybe, you noticed it’s beautiful aroma. You might even notice how the petal felt in your fingers. Or the richness of its color. What if then, you were led to understand the inner workings of that flower. How it began with a seed. Cultivating the proper conditions of the soil. How water and sunlight work together to bring forth its growth. How God created it and it invites us to enjoy its beauty and with our intelligence understand how amazing it truly is.
We believe that from this place the possibilities are endless. We believe that from this place the same flower could provide a gateway of understanding and knowledge for each and every grade level here at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School. We believe in captivating our students attention by discovering the creation that surrounds us. We believe that if we execute this approach properly, even the most tedious academic work can potentially become very inviting. Particularly when we lead students to understand that God has created them to become something great and that their work here in the four pillars of formation truly has an infinite value.
Our ultimate goal here at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School is to cultivate an environment where wonder inspires attracted learning, where our students can be fully alive , where they can recognize their gifts while serving others and ultimately go out into the world to engage culture with the light of Christ.
