Faith Learned, Faith Lived: Communities of "Glad and Generous Hearts"

The year of faith is a celebration of our calling to follow Christ and how we can come to know Jesus in our commitment to the ACE community and Catholic Schools. Our prayer is that we can learn to find Jesus in the ordinary and routine things of our lives. ACE Teaching Fellows calls men and women to live a simple life as teachers in Catholic Schools.

There are three pillars of ACE which guide the lives of all who are called and sent forth to teach in Catholic Schools. The foundation of ACE is based on teaching, community, and spirituality. All three are essential and bring balance to the lives of the young men and women serving as Catholic educators.

Let us look at community. We hear, in Acts 2: 43 – 47, about the early Christian community and how they lived as disciples of Jesus. Consider these words:

Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts,praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.

I have visited with several ACE communities and always have come away inspired and happy that life in community can give support, encouragement and growth to the members. I visited with the community in Plaquemine/Baton Rouge recently via Skype and shared in the fellowship they have. I asked each of them to say what they contribute to the community. Their responses were interesting and inspirational; they helped me see the joy they live by and the goodwill that is in their home.

Joe is a master of grilling, so every Thursday is steak night for the community meal. The community always looks forward to this meal.

Samantha likes things to be clean, so she works at keeping the common areas looking nice.

Matt provides humor to the community, which brings about a relaxed and happy atmosphere.

Sam writes inspirational "post- it" notes and puts one on the coffee maker every morning.

Maria is the baker of the community and loves making her famous chocolate chip Oreo cookies.

It is good for these teachers to know their gifts and to share them with the community, as it creates a happy household. They know each other well, and they delight in each other and accept their own talents and those of their housemates. There is a joy in community life.

Spending this time with this group enabled me to see a community that resembles the early Christian communities. These five ACE teachers are people who have glad and generous hearts, and their love for each other enables them to share love with their students.

This Skype visit to an ACE home helped me see Christian community in action. I shared in it, and it made me grateful for the way the ACE pillar of community is lived out during an ordinary day.

The joy of community life leads us to know Christ and inspires us to be Christ the Teacher for our students. May God bless you in this Year of Faith.