Education of the Heart, the Essence of Being Cabrinian
In a time of pandemic, the Cabrinian proposal of “Education of the Heart”, as an integral formation of the human being, opens the way for an important reflection on the Meaning of Life and the Care for Life of all.
Mother Cabrini highlighted in her educational practice the care for the person in their human, physical, spiritual, intellectual and social dimensions. For her, there were no boundaries in loving and caring for people. This comes through in her expression “instructing minds, forming hearts … to be good Christians and good citizens”.
Education of the Heart, our Great Invitation, our Calling and our GuideIn the time of Laudato Si and in the celebrations of these five years of the publication of Pope Francis’ Encyclical, “Education of the Heart” is an invitation for each educator, each student, each family, to recognize that we are children of the same land, brothers of all in the great mission of taking care of the “Common Home”.
In order to face this pandemic and the consequences that affect both the inner and outter person, “Education of Heart” points us in the direction towards God, the Creator of all things and all of us. The spiritual dimension is the starting point in developing the ability of self-knowledge, resilience, empathy, and the ability to constantly live in the movement from the “I” to the “we”. Everything is connected and we are just a thread in the web of life.
Education of the Heart, Fundamental Elements
In this time, I’d like to share with you three thoughts that I consider fundamental in educating the heart:
- We cultivate the spiritual dimension and the meaning of life: We exist for the Love of God and we go through the earthly journey to reveal to all that we are daughters and sons of the same human society, called to take care of our “Common Home”. Let us intensify the practice of prayer, because as Pope Francis said “Prayer is the first door of hope”.
- We cultivate the relational dimension: We are people created to be towards others, and with others we weave learnings and strengthen ourselves as a global community. Let us cultivate a mindset of positivity, even in dark times.
- Let us cultivate the human and social dimension: Let us take care of the health of our body and our mind. Let us take care of our social health. Let us become aware of our personal and social responsibility: what I think, what I do, and how I live, here and now has consequences for me. Let us recognize that this pandemic is an opportunity to bring about something new in favor of the humanization of life on the planet.
Dear readers, the current crisis challenges us to let the Spirit of God make us more humble, more fraternal, more human, and more of His Heart for a humanized and better world. Let us always repeat the Pauline phrase that Mother Cabrini adopted as her life motto: “I can do everything in Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4,13).
The blessings of God to everyone!
Sr. Maria Eliane Azevedo da Silva, MSC