Written by Vanessa Rehmeyer, grades 6 – 8 science and religion teacher, All Saints Catholic School, Bangor, ME, [email protected]
“Mrs R., describe me in one word!”
It was an end-of-day study hall, and homework had been light that week. When I have work to do and my students have none, my desk seems to generate a gravitational force field. Predictably, some 7th graders wandered over. I put down my laptop screen. The next interaction could be anything from “I’m bored, want some help?” to a random question like “What’s the plural of platypus?” Today, the conversation around my desk evolved into an analysis of their personalities. Sarah’s request—“Describe me in one word!”—made me smile, because I loved the trusting expectation in her delivery.
“Gift!”
She returned my grin, satisfied. I took up my next task, ready to be interrupted again. My reply came easily, and I would have said it to any student in Sarah’s place. That response came from my growing understanding of what St. Pope John Paul II called “the freedom of the gift.” He explained this phrase in one of his encyclicals, Gaudium et Spes (Joy and Hope):
“Man, who is the only creature on earth which God willed for itself, cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself” (GS 24).
I am thankful to be part of the “JPII Generation,” the generation of people who grew up during John Paul II’s pontificate. I heard his name during the Eucharistic Prayers of each Mass I attended as a girl. I saw pictures of him at school with living greats like Mother Teresa. I might have even seen him as “Man of the Year” on the cover of TIME Magazine at the grocery store. JPII’s papacy was legendary to say the least, as was his love for the human person. He effectively communicated the personal love of Christ to the people. Many were captivated by his wisdom, wit and joy. If I had been paying close attention to JPII’s teachings at the time, I would have heard him consistently identify the human person as a “gift” created in God’s likeness and image.
Unfortunately, around the time that John Paul II passed away in 2005, I fell away from my faith. I returned to the Catholic faith four years later. Much of my reversion (and my husband’s subsequent conversion!) was due to the articulate, loving witness of the priest who married us. He, too, was from the JPII Generation. When I teach my students about our Catholic marriage, I tell them that our openness to life in our vocation extends beyond our immediate family. Our respect for the gift of life applies to my students, too. This is, in a certain sense, the fullness of our marital vocation to give of ourselves to each other, our children and our community.
I know whole-heartedly that my students are indispensable, unrepeatable and full dignity. That doesn’t change when I’m at my wits end with phrases like “sigma,” “slay-queen” and “skibidi toilet” (the last one is now outlawed in my classroom). I tell them that even if they forget their goodness, God never will. They are growing up in a world of evaluation, superficial labels and social judgment. Young people need to clearly hear the message of Christ: they are immutably good, and furthermore, they are made for a good purpose. The “freedom of the gift”—the idea that we can freely choose to give of ourselves to others–is the way to call these young people deeper. As I imperfectly model it, I hope they see the beauty of living life in this perspective.
It’s also practical. Why do we treat ourselves and each other with respect? Because we are inherently good, and nothing we can do can change that (I think, sadly, that many young people question their worth). Why is name-calling such a big deal? Because it goes against the dignity of your friend, who is deeply loved and redeemed by the Gift himself, Jesus. Why should we reach out to others who need help or are struggling? Because God gave us unique gifts that allow us to serve and help each other. Freely choosing to love and serve builds life-giving relationships.
This outlook paves the way for effective classroom management. I’ve seen students react to discipline or correction in various ways. Young people are smart, and they can intuit sarcasm, bitterness and condescension. Students lose trust when a teacher seems to value their academic output over their worth as a whole person. Conversely, I’ve seen that students listen and learn better when they sense that their teacher sees their value and is working for their good.
Every October 22 (JPII’s feast day), I show my students a video from World Youth Day. The crowd spontaneously starts chanting “John Paul II, we love you!” over and over. He wryly responds with a heartfelt “John Paul II, he loves YOU!” and the crowd of young people erupts with laughter, cheers and clapping. My students react with smiles too. As a spiritual father to the world, St. Pope John Paul II poured out his love as a gift to his people. He knew that the best way for his people to grow was through self-gift: freely willing the good of the other in love. They loved him for it.
As I write this, I am acutely aware of all of the times I have fallen short of this “freedom of the gift,” in and out of the classroom. I’m human, and so are you. St. Pope John Paul II reminds me that we can always turn back to God and receive the ultimate gift of life in Christ. We can confidently communicate God’s perfect love to others despite our many imperfections and failures. As JPII himself says, “Do not be afraid to be holy! Have the courage and humility to present yourselves to the world determined to be holy, since full, true freedom is born from holiness. This aspiration will help you discover genuine love.”
St. Pope John Paul II, pray for us!
