Denver Catholic

15 DENVER CATHOLIC | SEPTEMBER 22-OCTOBER 12, 2018 MT. OLIVET CATHOLIC CEMETERY 12801 W. 44th Ave., Wheat Ridge, CO (303) 424-7785 ARCHDIOCESE OF DENVER MORTUARY Serving the greater Denver area (303) 425-9511 ST. SIMEON CATHOLIC CEMETERY 22001 E. State Hwy. 30, Aurora, CO (720) 859-9785 Peace of Mind for your Family with Pre-Planning More info at cfcsColorado.org A Ministry of The Archdiocese of Denver SAM S JAM SAM S sUPPER ' ' — T H E M E A L T H AT S E R V E S M A N Y — With 266 people in attendance at Sam's Supper on Sept. 8, 2018, we raised more than $370,000 for our homeless shelters, helping serve those most in need. Your support ensures that the mission of Catholic Charities continues to thrive. THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! SUPPORT THOSE MOST IN NEED GIVE TODAY! samssupper.org The Amazing Parish Archdiocese of Denver Jerry & Ollie Assman Broadnet Campbell Killin Brittan & Ray Colorado Lighting Colorado State Bank and Trust Pete & Marilyn Coors FirstBank FOCUS Mike & Carleen Haselden Tom & Lisa Heule Innovest Mike & Tricia Jansen Rick & Molly Klau Krische Construction Lockton Companies Dick & Mary Pat McCormick Ron & Janet McDaniel Tim & Marilyn Pinnick Tim & Martha Reichert Craig & Shelly Saeman Saeman Family Foundation Mike & Shari Sullivan The Vulcani Group Darren & Julia Walsh HANDING DOWN AN AUTHENTIC EDUCATION Christopher Check, President of Catholic Answers, initiated the series Sept. 14 with a talk that centered on the meaning and purpose of true education and the role of storytelling in the pro- cess of its communication. Quoting Father Edward Leen's book What is True Education?, Check said: "A man is educated when he understands human experience as the Divine Author of human experience understands it. When he appreciates the beauty that comes from the Creative Mind and Supreme Artist, he's better educated. When he can express with reverence and eloquence the truth and unity of the beauty he has grasped, he's highly educated." "In other words, the purpose of edu- cation is a human person who under- stands his relationship with his Creator and the unity with his Creator that he seeks. Everything else is in the service of this end," Check explained. "There is no proper understanding of education outside of the context of the Incarnation or, as Pope Pius XII puts it in Divini Illius Magistri, 'There is no education that is not Christian education,'" Check continued. This is because all things, even non-Biblical works of literature and history, such as those of the Greeks, are part of salvation history, since all things were tending to the Incarnation and, after the Incarnation, all things come from it, Check assured. Thus, the great classic works of the West, which served as pillars of the same civilization, allow Catholics to under- stand who they are as heirs and citizens of the West, citizens of Christendom, by grasping the rays of truth about moral- ity and the human person that were in its foundation, he explained. The stories that shaped the West are also key in the education of the next generation and its virtues, Check con- tinued. Storytelling itself helps a kid not only to understand a concept or virtue but to embody it. Check also empha- sized the importance of literature, art, music and poetry in an authentic edu- cation, for they all are key to achieving its end. PRACTICAL INSIGHTS Check concluded by giving parents a few tips as to how to provide an authen- tic education for their children. He said the fi rst step was to "turn o„ the noise," which would allow parents to be more present at home. Secondly, he encouraged parents to "guide the love and practice of reading, silence, study and meditation" for their children. Thirdly, he encouraged them to engage in "thoughtful" family conver- sations that touched on these topics. Furthermore, he said that "pulling out the guitar" and practicing poetry by praying the Divine O‹ ce were other ways of handing down an authentic education to their children. Check urged parents not to be dis- couraged by the di‹ culty of providing this type of education for their children in our society. "There's a lot of ground to recover," he told the Denver Catholic. Nonetheless, he says the best way to accomplish it is to look for a commu- nity with the same goal, for education is meant to be communal. "I hope that parents are inspired to lead, that they take an active leadership role and show their children that lead- ership even if they are sending them to school or using a home-schooling program," Holman said. "To the extent that both the father and the mother together can pursue an authentically Catholic education for the kids, kids are going to see that… That's the only way we're going to turn this culture around — it's by starting in our own families and building that beautiful Catholic culture at home, and the best way to do that is through education." "I would really encourage people to come to the next event, we have amaz- ing speakers here. We are incredibly blessed to have Rich Moss come next month and he's going to get into more of the practical side of things," Carson concluded. "I think that's what our speakers are really going to focus on that is useful to parents. It's taking those high-level principles and turning them to practice." THE FIRST EDUCATORS Oct. 19 Rich Moss - The role of technology in our homes Nov. 17 Dr. Andrew Seeley – Directing the education of our children To RSVP, visit thefi rsteducators.com i

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