Zeal Reflection by Br. Larry Schatz, FSC
Zeal: Exerting oneself with deep affection, fervent devotion, and constancy in all our duties for the glory of God and our neighbor’s full flourishing (salvation), neither driven by fleeting overexuberance nor inert from indolence.
Zeal, while not a very common word, is foundational to any follower of St. John Baptist de La Salle. The twin pillars of Lasallian spirituality are Faith and Zeal. One of my favorite definitions of “zeal” is by Brother John Johnston, FSC, former Superior General of the global Lasallian Institute. He defines it as “impassioned eagerness.” For us Lasallians, that implies an enthusiasm for the task at hand (education), based on the conviction that the very act of teaching is salvific.
As Lasallians, we need to be all about what is best for those we serve—our students—and always be looking for a way to reach every student entrusted to our care, indeed to “touch their hearts.” Every Lasallian knows that truly effective teaching is based on relationship. Springtide Research (a Lasallian ministry) stipulates that young people today need to be noticed, named, and known; only then will they trust an authority figure. That simple formula—notice, name, and know—invariably leads to an authentic relationship between teacher and student, and only then can real learning and full flourishing happen.
The basis for zeal as well as its source is faith: faith in the Presence of God, manifested and made tangible in the faces before us, the faces of not only our students but also our colleagues. Zeal is contagious; to approach each day, each class, each task before us with “impassioned eagerness” may not always be easy but it does make a difference. Blessed Brother James Miller embodied zeal in his tireless and dedicated service to young people in Central America. He took to heart the words of our Founder: “Your zeal must go so far that you are ready to give your very life, so dear to you are the children entrusted to you.”
May zeal permeate our lives and our campuses.
