“I began to search for a means of gaining the strength I needed to enjoy you [God], but I could not find this means until I embraced the mediator between God and men, Jesus Christ, who is a man, like them, and also rules as God over all things, blessed forever.” - St. Augustine (The Confessions, Book VII)
Reflections on Catholic Education
All education aims to give students access to truth. Technical schools present students with various true propositions on the level of the particular. Liberal arts schools are unique in that they aim to give students access to the truth itself on the level of the universal. Catholic education rises above them all and gives students access to the ineffable Truth: God himself.
This is why, as the quotation above suggests, we cannot love God by means of our own strength. The creator is too far above what mere creatures can comprehend. It is for this reason that Catholic education also integrates into student life the means of reaching that ultimate end: Jesus Christ. Only by turning to the Church, with her sacraments and prayers, are we able to see Christ. As he himself tells us, those who have seen Jesus have seen the Father because he is both God and man (Jn 14:9).
At a Catholic school, students are invited to increase their knowledge and understanding of the very highest things. This knowledge cultivates love, and love in turn forms character. Catholic education, therefore, is a powerful weapon and a life-changing gift. We should eagerly embrace it, in a spirit of gratitude, if ever we find ourselves blessed with the opportunity to participate.
Mr. Ambrose Bean grew up in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire and remained there until he enrolled at Ave Maria University in southern Florida. There he received his Bachelor of Arts in Politics with a minor in Philosophy. He remained at Ave Maria and went on to graduate in the spring of 2021 with his Master of Arts in Theology. As a university tutor, Mr. Bean developed a passion for working with students and helping them to think critically and produce well-crafted essays. As a former student athlete and debate team leader, Mr. Bean hopes to get involved in Mount Royal Academy’s various extracurricular activities, which he thinks are an important element of student life. He lives with his wife in Boscawen, New Hampshire and worships at Christ the King parish in Concord. It is in this setting that he plans to continue reading, writing, and teaching for the foreseeable future.