Saint John Baptist de La Salle
Explore the transformative legacy of St. John Baptist de La Salle, whose dedication to faith-driven education continues to inspire millions worldwide.
The Life of Saint John Baptist de La Salle
From Privileged Life to a Calling in Education
Born into French nobility in 1651, John Baptist de La Salle seemed destined for a life of wealth and influence. Ordained a priest, his early career involved advising the Bishop and serving at the Reims Cathedral. However, a chance encounter with Adrien Nyel, a man struggling to run a school for the poor, sparked a new path.
De La Salle's compassion for these disadvantaged children ignited a lifelong passion for education. He dedicated himself to supporting Nyel's school, marking the beginning of an extraordinary journey.
Building a Legacy: Education with Faith
De La Salle envisioned a community of dedicated educators, not just skilled teachers. He established houses of formation, like Saint Yon, to provide Brothers with spiritual reflection and strengthen their vocation. He even participated in retreats at Parmenie, reflecting on his own calling.
De La Salle exemplified leadership by example. He served as Superior for the Brothers in Paris, wrote extensively, and tirelessly oversaw their expanding network of schools.
Facing Challenges with Zeal
De La Salle's journey wasn't without obstacles. Established teachers saw him as a competitor, vandalizing his schools and initiating lawsuits. Power struggles with local pastors further complicated his mission. He endured physical hardships, traveling extensively on horseback throughout France to supervise the Brothers and their growing number of schools.
Despite these challenges, De La Salle remained unwavering in his commitment to God's will. He instilled this devotion in the Brothers, reminding them of God's presence in their daily lives.
Passing and Legacy
On his deathbed in 1719, surrounded by a flourishing community of over 100 Brothers, his final words encapsulated his unwavering faith: "I adore in all things the will of God in my regard."
Today, the De La Salle Christian Brothers continue to honor his mission, educating millions worldwide and inspiring countless educators with their dedication to faith and knowledge.
Innovations in Educating Youth
Saint John Baptist de La Salle’s insights revolutionized education, shaping modern-day Lasallian principles for educating marginalized youth.
De La Salle elevated teaching from a job to a vocation. He emphasized that teachers were doing spiritual work by bringing God to children.
De La Salle prioritized teaching in the children's native language, French, instead of Latin. This made the work more accessible because the children did not have to learn a new language before they could begin to understand the lessons.
De La Salle introduced group instruction, ensuring children wouldn't be left unattended and minimizing disruptions.
De La Salle advocated for gentle discipline focused on guidance, not punishment. He said a teacher should never act in anger, and instead always think about why he wants to correct a child. In turn, they would understand why the correction was happening and would accept it willingly. He believed in respecting children and recognizing them as God's creations.
De La Salle implemented a peer tutoring system where advanced students assisted struggling classmates. This benefited both parties, increasing engagement and providing additional support. Advancement to a higher level then depended on proficiency at the previous level rather than age.
De La Salle ensured daily meals for students, fostering a sense of community. Food became a lesson in itself, promoting sharing and caring for those in need. Children with food put it in a basket and the basket was passed around so everyone could have something to eat.
De La Salle believed education was a fundamental right, not a privilege. He offered free schooling to everyone, regardless of financial background. This practice challenged the Writing Masters, whose income relied on charging tuition. However, De La Salle saw education as an extension of God's free love, a gift meant for all. His schools, therefore, embodied this principle by providing accessible education, mirroring God's generosity.
De La Salle understood the importance of in-depth student knowledge. Teachers were required to maintain detailed records for each child, including attendance patterns, reasons for absences, behavior observations, and any other factors that might impact learning. This allowed teachers to provide more personalized instruction.
De La Salle believed the school was a community, and so were the teachers. After a while, the teachers trained by St. De La Salle became the Brothers of the Christian Schools—a religious community. They developed more ways to teach their students to care for one another.
De La Salle thought that schools should not reserve Catholic Catechism to Sunday School. Religion became part of the curriculum along with other subjects like reading and math. His schools were designed to prepare students for a life of faith and success in the world.
The Patron Saint of Teachers
De La Salle’s Pedagogic Philosophy
In 1950, Saint John Baptist de La Salle was named the Patron Saint of Teachers, a recognition of his profound impact on education. Rooted in a strong spirituality, he forged close-knit communities of Brother teachers who prioritized the well-being of students above all else. His approach resonated widely among educators, emphasizing the teacher's role as a Guardian Angel, protecting students both physically and spiritually, and as a Good Shepherd, guiding them towards faith and a life guided by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Saint John Baptist de La Salle and his community of Brother teachers helped change the way educating students was done. Even though he borrowed many of his techniques and strategies for working with students, he and his Brothers refined and developed them into some of the most effective educational tools still in use throughout the world today. Central to their mission was serving the young, particularly the underprivileged, and instilling in them a commitment to the Gospel. Viewing the school as a sacred space, De La Salle envisioned teachers as the embodiment of Christ, both within the classroom and beyond. Their aim was nothing short of salvation, imparting values, nurturing faith, and equipping students with the skills to navigate the world.
Educational Legacy and Canonization
Because of his tremendous and effective work training teachers, the schools he opened and that the Brothers ran were the most popular in France during his lifetime and after his death. And that good work, the salvation of the young, spread throughout the world. His schools are now more than 1000 strong and educate more than 1,000,000 students.
Recognizing his extraordinary contributions, Pope Leo XIII canonized him as a Saint in 1900, and in 1950, Pope Pius XII designated him the Patron of all teachers. Saint John Baptist de La Salle's legacy in education remains unparalleled, a testament to his enduring influence and commitment to shaping young minds and souls.
“Wherever I go I will find you, my God.”
De La Salle’s Work and Spirituality
What is Spirituality?
Spirituality comes from the word Spirit meaning “the core.” In Catholic religious life, it includes the way a person relates to God, self, others, and the world. The heart of the life of Saint John Baptist de La Salle is the Blessed Trinity Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
De La Salle is very clear about trusting in the Wisdom of God and placing ourselves completely in God’s care. He calls us to become like Jesus Christ. He calls us to live our relationships as Jesus did in the Gospels and as presented by the Church, and also to beg the Holy Spirit to aid us in making decisions.
Community is very important in making decisions and carrying out God’s work. De La Salle asks us to see Jesus beneath the rags of the poor children. He tells us there is no difference between our work as teachers and our lives as those who seek God.
Faith and Zeal
At the heart of the Brother’s life are the spirits of faith and zeal. They are two sides of the same coin - faith lived. De La Salle calls the Brothers, “to look upon everything with the eyes of faith, not to do anything but in view of God, and to attribute all to God.” He also calls them to, “the spirit of … an ardent zeal for the instruction of children.”
Lasallian spirituality has certain points of emphasis that make it a distinct spiritual way. Certainly, these same elements are found in other forms of spirituality, but the Founder uniquely integrated them in the light of his experience to help his Brothers live their vocation, which was something new in the Catholic Church.
Points of Spirituality
In the vow formula, as Brothers, we proclaim, “most Holy Trinity… I consecrate myself entirely to you to procure your glory.” This unifying experience as Brothers places our lives in the hands of a God who is Father, Son, and Spirit.
Our Founder, moved by the situation of young people in his time, set out to commit himself to serving young people through the ministry of education. Lasallian spirituality is a spirituality of the Incarnation, which gives us a way of looking at reality and seeing it with eyes of faith, which leads us to act in the way Jesus would.
Rooted in the Lasallian mission, the Lasallian charism is a spirit of faith that gives rise personally and communally to a spirit of zeal. Faith and zeal: with eyes open and hearts burning, we desire “to make the presence of Jesus Christ a reality in our lives and in this world”
“I always need to live in the sacred space of the presence of God. Awareness of his presence makes me turn toward others,” wrote one of the early Brothers. Recalling God’s presence should lead us to unite ourselves with him and feel ourselves being sent by him to others.
Prayer nourishes our interior lives. Jesus shows us this example in the Gospel. Our founder wrote and developed a method of prayer so that the Brothers could encounter God in the depths of their minds and hearts daily.
Evangelizing one another through sharing our experience of God during moments of prayer and community gatherings is essential. Lasallian spirituality views the spirit of community as one of the cornerstones of our religious family.
In his writings, De La Salle shows admiration and a special love for Mary as a model for life. Mary provides the best example for the Brothers of union with God, consecration, and apostolic commitment.
Our charism invites women and men in all states of life—consecrated, married, ordained, and single—to receive the Holy Spirit’s gifts through their association with the Lasallian mission. Today, lay people who are not vowed religious associate themselves with the Lasallian mission.
As Brothers in association with our AFSC and our Lasallian Partners, we embrace a spirituality rooted in a spirit of community and relationship, faith and zeal, and a practical understanding that God calls us together to witness the Gospel together associated with a common mission.
The Guiding Light: The Lasallian Rule
The Lasallian Brothers operate according to a document called the Rule, which outlines their way of life, promoting consistency across their nearly 80 countries of operation. The Rule is centered on a "double spirit" of faith and zeal. Deep faith in the Holy Trinity motivates the Brothers, and zeal translates that faith into action through education.
The Rule is not fixed; it adapts to changing realities. The most recent revision took place in 2015. Living in community for the purpose of educating young people, particularly the underprivileged, remains a fundamental principle.
The Rule also establishes a self-governing structure. Instead of being a dictated document, it is collaboratively designed by the Brothers themselves. Representatives from across the globe come together to shape how they live and serve. This democratic approach makes the Brothers a unique community where the highest authority lies with those who gather to make decisions about their shared way of life.
Live Jesus in Our Hearts. Forever!
Christian spirituality teaches us that the heart is the center of our being, our identity, and the place of conversion and moral decision-making. It is also the source of prayer. As the core of our very being, it is where we are most profoundly ourselves and where we encounter God in covenant.
The term "heart" is deeply rooted in the Bible. For instance, Matthew 5:8 says, "Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God," while Matthew 6:21 states, "For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be." Another example is Mark 12:30, which says, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength."
When we say, "Live Jesus in our hearts," we are expressing our desire for Jesus to be at the center of our being, guiding the decisions we make and the way we live. This is quite challenging and connects us to the prayer invocation: "Let us remember that we are in the Holy Presence of God."
In the presence of God, we are mindful of our actions and words, and we are guided by Jesus in our hearts in all of our decisions and actions.
Meditations
Sunday in the Octave of Christmas
