Genesis of the Catholic School Year

This year I was asked to lead our school’s retreat. This was the opening I wrote for it.

Genesis of the Catholic School Year

In the beginning
God created the school year.
The school year was without form and void,
and darkness was upon the face of the classroom;
and the Spirit of God was moving over the summer vacation.
And God said, “Let there be fluorescent lights”;
and there were fluorescent lights.

And God saw that the light was good.
And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

And God said, “Let there be waxed floors”; and there were waxed floors.
And God saw that the waxed floors were good;
And God separated the stacked chairs,
And arranged the desks.
And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

And God said, “Let the offices be open
And the people begin to gather into one place
And the secretaries appear.”
And it was so.
And God said, “Let the office put forth emails, binders, and folders,
each bearing fruit in the hearts of the students, parents, and teachers.”
And the secretaries brought forth supply lists, packets, class lists—
photocopied, sorted, and stapled.
And God saw that it was good.
And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.

And God said, “Let there be lights in the hallways and walls of the classrooms, and let them be for guidance and planning.”
And it was so.
And God made the two great lights,
the Mission Statement and the Student Learning Expectations;
And God set them in the hallways and walls of the classrooms
to give light upon the school
and separate the trivial from the important.
And God saw that it was good.
And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

And God said, “Let the parking lot bring forth swarms of energetic teachers,
and let them descend upon the classrooms.”
And it was so.
And God said, “Let there be bulletin boards and name tags,
calendars and religious corners,
to mark the seasons and spaces of the classrooms.”
And God saw that it was good.
And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.

Then God said, “Let us make children in our image, after our likeness.”
So God created children in his own image,
in the image of God he created them.
Girls and boys he created them.
Musicians and athletes he created them.
Readers and gamers he created them.
Dancers and poets he created them.
Mathematicians and singers he created them.
Noisy and quiet he created them.
Tall and short he created them.
Freckled and tan he created them.
ADD and OCD he created them.
Autistic and diabetic he created them.
And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply,
and also add, subtract, and divide.
Diagram and outline, take notes and exercise,
paint and experiment,
and sing.”
And God said, “Behold, I have given you fluorescent lights, waxed floors,
chairs and desks, class lists, binders, name tags, bulletin boards,
mission statements and student learning expectations;
custodians, secretaries, teachers, administrators, pastors, parents,
that you may become
faith-filled Catholics,
lifelong learners,
and responsible community members.”
And it was so.
And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.
And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.

And on Labor Day, God finished his work which he had done,
and he rested on Labor Day from all his work which he had done.
And there was evening and there was morning,
and the school year had begun.