In the second century, St. Irenaeus coined one of the most famous phrases in Christianity: “The glory of God is man, fully alive!”
But becoming “fully alive” does not come naturally to us. Because we have each suffered the effects of sin, we do not easily choose or even recognize the true, the good, and the beautiful – the universal attributes of being. We do not always choose and live as we should. We do not, left to our own devices, exercise the full potential of the gifts that God has given us. This is precisely why education—and Catholic education especially—is so important.
“Education” is related to the Latin educere, which means to lead out of or to lead through. It can be understood as the activity by which we are led out of our ignorance, out of our fallen condition, toward something greater.