Dear Friends and Family of Falls City Sacred Heart,
“Holy Spirit, please slow down before we get a speeding ticket!”
I just about snorted coffee all over my screen this morning as I read this line from another friend’s newsletter. As we kicked off 2020, so many things have been happening that it’s hard to focus on one amazing thing long enough to appreciate it before another amazing thing happens.
And maybe this is a little glimpse of why we long for eternity and an appreciation for the limits of time. In heaven we will have enough time to see all the many ways God was, and is, at work in our lives. At Christmas we celebrated Christ entering into time, to consecrate it and to help us to sanctify the moments we have been given. As those graces unfold before us, I would like to share a few of the moments that have been inspiring me to keep getting up in the morning:
Academics – National Honor Society inducted its newest members, and Dr. Hecker was able to be here to deliver our keynote address. He encouraged them with the lives of the saints to acknowledge the gifts they have received, and find the courage to put it into practice. I wish that he could have stayed for just one full day to see how our students manage to acquire and put into practice the scholarship, leadership, service, and character they possess in the midst of the hectic schedules they have.
Activities – Still in a fledgling status, our 7th and 8th Grade Robotics teams worked diligently (even coming to school on a snow day!) to prepare for competition. In their very first LEGO League event and two of our three teams qualified for State!
Willa Fritz, a 5th grader, earned a Gold medal in her 4-H archery event.
Nine of our students attended the National March for Life with the Diocesan group and came back with great stories of witnessing to the dignity of each human person.
Ten of our Band members were selected for All-State Band. I was super-impressed at their performance at the Pioneer Conference clinic in Pawnee City last week as they made some of the memorable tunes of John Williams come alive (Star Wars, Superman, Indiana Jones, E.T., Jurassic Park, Lion King)
Athletics – While our success is well known, and our reputation precedes our presence at every event, what often goes unseen and unnoticed is the dedication and perseverance that our students demonstrate beyond the court. They practice hard enough to chip teeth, and still come to school the next day. They put in hours beyond dark, to get in a few more free-throws. They pray before every competition and pick up their competitors, should they fall. This kind of character is not what the world teaches, but it comes from parents, grandparents, teachers, and coaches who show them how by being living examples themselves.
And while all of these things impress me, what truly inspires me is how they put all of this into the trust of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in every Mass we celebrate. As we close our Celebration of Catholic Schools Week, I want to thank you for making Catholic education possible and for allowing the Holy Spirit to move in your lives, and in the lives of our children, in such a way that it can seem like an overwhelming amount of graces.
Because that is a speeding ticket I would gladly pay!
