St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the patron of Catholic education, was honored and respected for her commitment to establishing schools and providing for the education of children, especially those who were poor and could not afford a quality education.  She understood the valuable gift that education is in life and she sacrificed to make it available to those who came to her in need.  Education is a gift that we can give our children and it is a duty and responsibility of parents to provide for the education of their children.  In our society today, parents do not have the option to forego the education of their children.  It would be considered an abuse to not educate a child.

    It is now “back to school” time and children are preparing to return to their classrooms.  I am confident that parents are not consulting their children about whether they want to go to school or whether they would choose to stay at home and play video games.  Going to school and getting an education is not an optional choice in life, it is a requirement.  When we are young we must learn and grow in our understanding of the world so that we may one day be independent and effective members of society.  It would be foolish not to take advantage of the opportunity we have to receive an excellent education.  Children do not have a choice in whether they will be educated, they are in a sense “forced” to go to school.

    Children are “forced” to do many things that they must come to understand are an important part of living and growing in a healthy manner in life.  They must eat healthy foods, they must go to bed and get sufficient rest, they must share in the work and contribute to family life in the home.  Growing in understanding of the gift of life and in the love that children’s parents demonstrate in teaching them discipline and providing for their needs is the essence of wisdom.  It would be foolish to remain ignorant and to not seek understanding in life.

    The Book of Proverbs counsels us:  “Forsake foolishness that you may live; advance in the way of understanding.” (Prov 9,6)  It is wrong to remain foolish if we have the opportunity to learn and grow in understanding and thus show wisdom.  St. Paul affirms this in his letter to the Ephesians:  “Brothers and sisters: Watch carefully how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise, making the most of the opportunity, because the days are evil.  Therefore, do not continue in ignorance, but try to understand what is the will of the Lord.” (Eph 5,15f)  We all need to learn how to live, how to understand the gift of life (both human and divine), and how to discern what is the will of God for our lives.  Even if we feel like we are “forced” to learn, our education in the ways of the Lord, our understanding of the good and our ability to discern God’s will is necessary for a full and beautiful life.  There is wisdom in making the most of our opportunities to grow in faith.

    The first and greatest lesson we learn in growing in wisdom is to listen.  We must have a listening heart and a listening mind to grow in understanding.  We cannot grow in our understanding of another person if we are not willing to listen to them.  Listening is a discipline in life and we must practice to become disciplined.  If we are wise and wish to have a full and happy life then we must listen to Jesus who teaches us the way of life:  “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world…Just as the Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.” (Jn 6, 51.56)  This may not be easy for us to understand but it would be wise to trust in the Word of the Lord, to walk in the light of his ways and to learn to feed on him.

    Perhaps you may feel that you were “forced” to go to church, to come to the table of the Lord and to eat the Bread of Life, the flesh and blood of the Lord, but if it unites you to him, helps you understand the way of his love and his will and helps you live a good and beautiful life, then wouldn’t it be foolish to neglect this gift of life?  We all need to watch carefully how we live, what we eat, where we find our rest and how to enter the eternal house of Wisdom.  God wants us to be “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Eph5,20) and to have gracious, generous, wise and listening hearts.  Be wise, eat well the true food and true drink of the Lord, make the most of every opportunity to grow in understanding of the will of the Father and live forever in his eternal love!