WOF 368: Educating the Whole Person w/ Sr. Josephine Garrett
Jan 9, 2023
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In this podcast, Sr. Josephine Garrett, a religious sister and mental health counselor, discusses the importance of educating the whole person. She emphasizes the role of the love of God in education and explores the significance of sensory experiences in encountering the Catholic faith. Sr. Josephine also highlights the power of hope and the transformative encounter with the risen Christ. She shares personal reflections on a 30-day retreat during COVID and encourages listeners to embrace joy and restoration in their lives.
Properly align education with love of God to educate the whole person.
Engage the senses and incorporate sensory experiences to deepen understanding and love for God.
Deep dives
Educating the Whole Person through the Love of God
Sister Josephine Garrett explores the importance of educating the whole person in her keynote speech. She emphasizes that education must be properly aligned with the love of God in order to fully educate the individual. This involves engaging the senses, mind, heart, and fostering a sense of community. Sister Josephine highlights the need for education to cultivate love and virtue in the heart, form the mind through encounters with the Word of God, and encourage active participation in prayer. She also emphasizes the importance of community and the transformative power of encountering the risen Lord. Lastly, she reminds us to keep our eyes fixed on the hope of the resurrection, as proper education should instill Kingdom vision and provide a way forward with joy and restoration.
Attending to the Senses in Education
Sister Josephine encourages educators to engage the senses in the education process. Drawing from her personal experience, she highlights how encountering the faith through her senses as a convert deepened her understanding and love for God. She emphasizes the importance of incorporating sensory experiences in education to awaken and delight individuals before they fully comprehend the faith. Sister Josephine also encourages educators to avoid sanitizing the stories of the faith, allowing the raw sensory experiences, even in encounters like going into a tomb, to make a lasting impact on learners.
Forming the Heart: Virtue and Love
In the context of educating the whole person, Sister Josephine stresses the crucial role of virtue in forming the heart. She explains that virtue is not only a good habit but a source of power, enabling individuals to make choices that align with God's love. By animated virtue with charity, individuals can experience the power and presence of God in their lives. Sister Josephine emphasizes that fostering a heart ablaze with love requires a focus on virtue and love in education, aiming for a gradual transformation in union with Christ.
The Importance of Community in Education
Sister Josephine underscores the significance of community in the education of the whole person. She emphasizes that no one lives, learns, or is saved alone, and highlights the interconnectedness and spillover effect of lives. Sister Josephine stresses the power of authentic, supportive communities in challenging societal divisions and empowering individuals to grow in love and unity. By nurturing the sense of community, educators can create an environment that facilitates the education of the whole person.
Friends, how do we educate the whole person? Religious sister and mental health counselor Sr. Josephine Garrett talks about this question in her keynote speech at the recent Good News Conference.
In her talk, Sr. Josephine shares how in order for the whole person to be educated, the object of the education must be properly ordered to the love of God.