FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL -- THOUGHTS

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This morning, Saturday July 27, parents of new students are coming in to school for parent orientation. First Term starts on Monday. I always enjoy standing around and welcoming the parents on this day, most of whom don't really know what St. Benedict's Prep is all about. Today's morning-long series of presentations will, we hope, start to give them some idea of how this unique place operates. 

Each new school year reminds me once again what a wonderful gift this place is to us monks, to the faculty, students, parents, and to our wider "community" of Newark and the suburbs, alumni, friends and benefactors. The monks have been entrusted with this gift; it doesn't belong to us in any meaningful sense,but is on loan to us, and we're responsible for taking care of it. When the school year is racing along full tilt, it's sometimes hard to remember that we are stewards of this tremendous treasure.

In that sense, we monks are in a similar situation to parent who are raising children. The children don't belong to the parents, but are on loan from God, who expects parents to love, nurture and care for them as their own.

On loan to St. Benedict's Prep

This morning we'll meet all these parents who are entrusting their kids to us, who are asking us to help them in their job as stewards of their children. So, we'll be praying today that all of us may encourage one another in our God-given tasks. The parents encourage the monks, faculty and staff by entrusting their children to our care, and we in turn, encourage the parents by walking with them as they raise these kids who have been entrusted to them.

If you haven't watched the 13-minute video about St. Benedicts' that aired on "60 Minutes," you might find it worth watching: https://www.sbp.org/news/60minutes

 Please pray for all of us in the St. Benedict's Prep community!