In the Voice of Moreau: The mind must not be educated at the expense of the heart. In other words, the intellectual and emotional rigor of learning has a point! Look to the Cross. The crown of thorns signifies the trials that the mind must endure in order that a person may be led to a deeper place. Once that process is complete (Our Lord says “It is finished”), the human heart is literally opened up by the legionnaire’s lance. Here blood and water, the glory of God, burst forth into the life of the world. In the postmodern era of deconstructing ideas and truth, the crown of thorns is the default intellectual approach of nearly all academics and sophisticates. Without the hope of a literally deeper meaning, however, all of that hard work is for naught! It is all vanity! Let us therefore never ever separate the crown of thorns from the legionnaire’s lance. Let us never fall into the trap of meaningless thought patterns or get stuck in esoteric musings. Let us never allow a prideful mind to blind us from a heart longing to be redeemed. The mind must not be educated at the expense of the heart! Ave Crux Spes Unica!
Holy Cross Educator’s Response: A redeemed humble heart arises out of the ashes of the trials of a mind imprisoned in a world of prideful living that only causes anxiety. This redemption only happens to the heart that has been educated to temper the intellect. Thomas á Kempis writes in Chapter 7 of The Imitation of the Cross: “Do not be ashamed to serve others for the love of Jesus Christ. …Do what lies in your power and God will aid your good will. If you have wealth, do not glory in it, nor in friends if they are powerful…do not boast of personal stature or physical beauty. Do not take pride in your talent or ability. If there is good in you, see more good in others, so that you remain humble. The humble live in continuous grace, while in the hearts of the proud are envy and frequent anger.” CSC educators can easily assist students to temper the prideful mind with intentional lesson planning. Educators must consciously see all aspects of intellectual advancement through the lens of the Holy Cross Core Values: reliance upon Divine Providence, excellence, cultivation of the heart as well as the mind, inclusiveness, discipline, option for the poor, hope, family, integrity and zeal. Ave Crux Spes Unica!
Voice of Moreau 