Education in Values

Apostolic Pedagogical Thrust

A: VALUES PROPAGATED :

The VALUES which Claudine wished to propagate in her work of education has a long history. The most outstanding ones being: Respect for others; Creativity, Responsible Solidarity and Interiority.

There remains a spiritual vacuum in the lives of the young. We continue our search inorder to discover the most efficacious means to promote those Values which will give young people a knowledge of the true meaning of life, hope for the future and enthusiasm. Values are indispensable in the education of the young. Claudine’s pedagogy contains Values which find a place in our educational and apostolic works. The choice of Values poses two fundamental questions: “What is a Human Being?” and “What kind of a person we wish to form”?

In a pluralistic society, different ideologies (Materialistic, Hedonist,Personalist, Collectivist etc) present their values through various means of information.

We were created by God. Our happiness is to know and love God What then are the Values we consider fundamental to our happiness?

Claudine’s Values were lived in the concrete circumstances of life. A theoretical study of Values is useful to the young only in so far as these Values are incarnated in the life of the educator!

Looking a the world around us, we discover that only Faith can stand up to the atheism all around us, to respond to ‘the need for God’ existing in the hearts of young people They need to be helped to discover this

FAITH: Claudine’s aim for education of children focuses on Faith- the basic Value of her pedagogy -Faith in God and in man which leads to the knowledge of God.

* TO BELIEVE IN GOD who is goodness itself, who takes care of our affairs and who knows what is best for us.

* TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF , your potential, your self-worth.

* TO BELIEVE IN OTHERS, as equal to you, as human persons, with a hope and God-given dignity.

* TO BELIEVE IN LIFE, it’s opportunities, and challenges; that life is outward looking; that the more we turn to others in service, the greater our happiness and contentment in life.

This Value is the foundation for a life of peace and contentment. It is the basis of a life of Prayer, Obedience, and Interpersonal relationships.

It enfolds many other Values within it i.e. Trust, Openness, Confidence, and Hope.

PRAYER: Claudine’s life was backed by prayer - the recognition and acceptance of a higher power in communication with us. Prayer softens the hardness of our hearts; it has the power to heal us; it attunes us to higher values; it leads us to know and find the Ultimate Truth which is God.

It brings with it the Values of Patience, Reverence, Acceptance, Love, Integrity and Wholeness.

FORGIVENESS: Claudine had great breadth of vision. For her, pain and hurt could be healed with love and forgiveness, however deep. This made her a woman of substance, of character and of courage. Pardon is noble; that while we forgive, we can also receive pardon.

Forgiveness brings with it the priceless Values of Peace, Unity, and Understanding.

SIMPLICITY: Claudine was marked by a profound simplicity in her manner, dress, speech, and behavior, though she hailed from a so called elite family of her times. Simplicity made her outstanding. It is the SELF that wants to be seen and heard, to impress and be noticed, to be first and to be acknowledged. In learning to give, share, receive, and lend, the Self is played down. In a consumer society, Simplicity of life will set us free from the obsession of false needs. Freedom is manipulated by means of social communication. Without this freedom, people will never be able to make choices that are free and conscious to determine their response to God.

Simplicity brings with it Values such as: Honesty, Equality, Sincerity, Consideration, Thoughtfulness, Contentment, Generosity, and Hardwork.

RESPECT: Claudine’s profoundest respect for the person, guided her in her educational choices. She wished by means of true human promotion, to make children capable of providing for themselves, and thus being really free. Her action in favour of Justice must promote solidarity and collaboration of all for the common good. Attention given to each child without partiality, will penetrate the hearts of children.

The Values allied to Simplicity are Courtesy, Love, Consideration, Sensitivity.

DIGNITY OF LABOUR: The true Christian sense of Work can make people realize that “work should be for man, not man for work., and the joy of effort and going beyond self, will help the young to rise above mediocrity and save them from despair when faced with unemployment. Escape through drugs and suicide, inflicts terrible wounds on our society. Fortitude and Courage, as Values, are to be promoted in today’s world.”

LOVE FOR ORDER: To find the Value of Order, is to find calm and peace as against the widespread of overwork and anxiety. It is to make sure that in families and in the work place, interpersonal relationships will be easier, more human and more Chris

The climate of serenity thus created, will favour the normal development of children and young people, so that they grow up into well-balanced persons, capable of interiority, silence, discernment and listening to the Spirit.

UNITY: Individualism and Egoism, too often control human relationship. We desire Unity but all too often difficulties are encountered. We must offer them the Values on which every human group is based: i.e. Solidarity, Collaboration, a sense of Responsibility and Service.
They need to understand that one cannot receive benefits without being ready to serve others. Love of money motivates society, everything is commercialized, nothing is free. Young people must discover that without GRATUITOUS LOVE , GENEROSITY and GRATITUDE, it is impossible to build a happy society, open to all, of every race, and social condition.

JUSTICE: based on Respect for the PERSON and leading to true Human Promotion, is a present- day Value. The world situation presents privileged persons and deprived, profiteers, and oppressed and we need to act urgently. Through Christian Education, we can make young people aware of the urgent appeals in favour of the Person, Respect for life and the Family.

Teaching Social Justice is not sufficient, it demands that the consciences of the young be awakened to extend in favour of the poorest, marginalized, handicapped, abandoned, and give rise to a commitment of young people to Justice and Peace according to the Gospels and teachings of Christ.

Claudine’s Values are contemporary, because they are Great Values and the Great is for all time.

Through contemplating these Values, we discover their essence, incarnate them more fully into our lives, present them to the young as multiple aspects of one single and unique absolute Value: JESUS, Word of the Father, the Way, the Truth and the Life.

B: Her APOSTOLIC STYLE:

Claudine’s unique apostolic style highlights 5 notable characteristics. These are the 5 ‘P’s of Ministry in the early Congregation.

PERSONAL: Examples of Claudine’s personal, physical attention to children/sisters, are all found in her letters.

PRACTICAL: concerns that the girls would be able to live in the ‘real world”; attention to details- work habits-religious instruction-immediate preparation for employment suitable to their situations-

PREVENTIVE: Aims of the Providences (shelters) preventing prostitution and other “dangers of idleness and misery.” “ Prevent faults so you will not have to punish.”

PREFERENTIAL: The poor and among these the young –making choices in terms of need and abilities of the group – Claudine’s preferences were for “those who have the most faults and the least virtues.’

PROVIDENTIAL :Nurturing and caring – preparing the way for the Word and for life –avoiding extremes of moral rigidity and laxity.