By Fr. Michael Morin and
Sr. Marie Caritas, CK
Blessed Sacrament School in Lincoln
Blessed Sacrament School in Lincoln is blessed in so many ways, not least of which is the way we look.
If you were to see a picture of our student body, you would see the beauty and recognize great diversity. Many of our students’ parents are first generation immigrants from countries like Sudan, Mexico, Nigeria, Guatemala, Myanmar and others. Our school families add so much to what it means to be a disciple here in Lincoln. Not many schools in our diocese have this depth of diversity, and we love it!
“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ” (1 Cor. 12:12). Our diverse backgrounds accentuate how God blesses us in unique ways. Our uniqueness is part of his divine plan for our good. He blesses each of us with unique gifts and talents and calls each of us to contribute in our own particular way for the flourishing of the whole body.
The beauty of diversity is distinct from the ugliness of division, which is so pervasive in our society. Diversity means that it is possible to be united in a complementary way, to have differing perspectives, but come to the same conclusion. Division, on the other hand, sees differences as threatening. Division often begins with the premise that you are different from me and that is inherently bad.
To be sure, there are legitimate struggles in differences: from the preschool student who doesn’t want to eat the cafeteria food because it is different from the food prepared at home, to the differing opinions during recess games. If we are open to it, we will find real joy in differences. Life experiences of friendship and family add value and depth to classroom conversations and students often work well together because of their differing gifts.
(If you stop reading here, you have gotten the basic gist of this article. However, we were asked to write 750 words, so we’ll keep going. This is going to be a really good article by the time we are done, but we have to be very, very, very careful and diligent and precise.)
Our differences at Blessed Sacrament School make us beautiful. This beauty comes out so strikingly and we can appreciate it because we are united as sons and daughters of a Loving Father. This is the Mystical Body of Christ and this reality is deeper than any of our differences. Just as each part of the Mystical Body all over the world serves to show Christ’s love in different ways, it is through him and in him that we are able to work and bring his life to others.
One hundred years ago, in 1926, when our school was founded, southeast Lincoln was predominately made up of German, Scandinavian, Czech and Bohemian ancestry. Families with these backgrounds sent their children to our school. They kept their own heritage while integrating into the American culture.
One hundred years later, the same thing is happening. Not only are our children integrating into the American culture through their studies here, they are learning how to live as disciples of Jesus. This unites us.
In Eucharistic Prayer II, we offer this petition: “Humbly we pray, that, partaking of the Body and blood of Christ, we may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.” That is the result of our gathering together each morning at Mass and sharing in the one Body of Christ. It is through the Eucharist that we come together as a school family in daily Mass and monthly adoration, fixing our eyes on Jesus.
We look forward to celebrating our 100th anniversary Sept. 8. In preparation, we have been offering a nine-month novena, studying, discussing and praying with works of sacred art—all centered on the Eucharist—which are displayed throughout our school building. Throughout this coming year, we will spend time finding inspiration in the Eucharistic miracles. We focus on the Eucharist in our celebrations because we are the School of the Blessed Sacrament. See the photo below and you see the Body of Christ, in all his colors and beauty.
Courtesy photo
