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Good morning, Kristin,
In Sunday’s Gospel, the risen Jesus meets Peter on the shore. Three times he asks, “Do you love me?” and three times Peter replies, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” On the surface, it is a moment of redemption. Peter’s threefold affirmation begins to heal the wounds of his Good Friday denial. But the depth of this encounter becomes even clearer when we consider the original Greek.
In Jesus’ first two questions, he uses the word agape – a love that is self-giving, sacrificial, and total. Peter answers not with agape but with philos – a love that is sincere, affectionate, and friendly, but not yet all-encompassing. On the third question, Jesus shifts his language. He meets Peter where he is, asking not for agape but for philos. And still, he entrusts Peter with the care of his flock.
This quiet exchange holds a powerful truth for Catholic educators. Like Jesus, we call our students into something deeper – not simply academic success, but also virtue, character, and faith. We invite them to grow toward agape, to become more fully who they are called to be. But we also meet them with patience and compassion, just as they are. We offer philos, build trust, form relationships, and walk with them along the way.
This week, as we honor and celebrate our educators, I am grateful for the love each of you offers each day. It is an agape love that teaches, tends, forgives, and tries again. Whether a student is ready for agape or can only offer philos, your steady presence helps draw them closer to Christ.
Thank you for feeding His sheep.
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Our final principal meeting of the year is this Thursday, May 8, at St. Thomas. The agenda for the day can be found here. If you have time, please access and review the read-ahead materials.
For this meeting, we will be joined by the folks from Cultures Connecting who will lead and facilitate workshops as we continue to further our work to support cultures of belonging in each of our school communities, "nurturing the dream of a humanism rooted in solidarity.” We will also take time to acknowledge milestones and achievements from the year and We’ll also take time to celebrate milestones from the year and recognize the principals who will be concluding their service in our schools.
I look forward to seeing you all there.
With gratitude,
NICHOLAS FORD | Superintendent
Office for Catholic Schools | Archdiocese of Seattle
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