John Baptist de La Salle:
A Saint for Teachers

Celebration of the 100th Anniversary
of the Catholic Church's declaration that
John Baptist de La Salle is a Saint.

There are saints who seem larger than life, who led dramatic lives of heroic virtue and brightened their part of the world in such a way that they became almost household names - St. Francis, St. Teresa, St. Dominic, among others. Then there are other saints who are less well-known, who led lives of quiet inspiration, elevating their given corner of the world to a higher level. They discovered and showed us opportunities for holiness that we had not known about before. John Baptist de La Salle is such a saint. He taught and exemplified, in a way that no one before him had done, that teaching is a religious act and that the teacher has a religious vocation. He guided into being a community of teachers devoted to living out that truth. As one historian has written of De La Salle and the founding of the Institute: "It is the first time in the history of religious communities that the teaching ministry is set out as being by itself a way of Christian perfection."

John Baptist de La Salle never thought that he was saintly or holy. Quite the opposite. He merely tried to live his life as all Christians are called to live – faithful to the Gospel and charitable toward all. But today he is celebrated as the patron saint of teachers. The reason De La Salle is a saint is that he lived the life God asked him to live, with patience, persistence, and genuine humility. He didn't look for quick results, he stuck to what he started, and he didn't much care how others saw him, only how God saw him.

Yet his complete devotion to God made his insight into the world around him all the more revealing, and rendered his encounter with that world all the more fruitful. As one biographer has said, "It was the interplay of human factors, not mystical insights, that served to reveal God's will to John Baptist de La Salle and to move him along the path of his journey." De La Salle's spirituality is embodied in his practical responses to each event in his life. And in his spiritual life we find the pattern for our own. Like the DNA pattern that sets the blueprint for a living organism, De La Salle's unique presence continues to shape our lived reality – a reality that has grown from a hundred Brothers in two dozen schools in France in 1719, to some 70,000 Lasallian educators in almost a thousand educational institutions throughout the world today.

It has been 100 years since John Baptist de La Salle was declared a saint in the Catholic Church, and 50 years since he was declared the Patron of All Teachers of Youth. Clearly, the enduring movement he began for "human and Christian education" is not only educational but also spiritual, a movement that has the school as its setting, the teacher as its focus, and the salvific potential of education as its inspiration. This brief article is the verbal equivalent of a photo album, a collection of "snapshots" of De La Salle's spirituality.

"In order for you to fulfill this duty with as much perfection and exactness as God requires of you, frequently give yourselves to the Spirit of our Lord to act in your work only under his influence . . . This Holy Spirit, then, will come upon them generously, so that they will be able to possess fully the Christian spirit." – De La Salle

Driven by the Holy Spirit

For De La Salle, the Holy Spirit was as real and alive as the students who gathered in the classroom each day. It was because of the Spirit of Jesus that he had become involved in this work in the first place, and it was the dynamic presence of the Spirit that transformed the teaching encounter into a means of salvation for both students and teachers.

The key elements in this transformation are the attitudes we have, the actions we take, and the articulations we make. De La Salle urged his teachers to pray constantly for their students and to bring all their daily teaching concerns to God. He told his teachers that they should look upon their students as Jesus would. When Jesus is taken seriously and when the dynamic mystery of God's life in the midst of the teaching ministry is engaged, the Holy Spirit bursts forth with unexpected strength and abundant grace. Approaching situations with the dispositions of Jesus, and moving forward in deliberate action based on those dispositions, brought God's own dynamic into play.

With the Spirit of Faith and Zeal

What else but faith drove the young De La Salle to take up the task of organizing marginally competent teachers for schools as impoverished and neglected as the families they served? What else but faith fed his persistence in that work when all human indications urged him to abandon it?

De La Salle answered the demands of faith before the demands of society. Where society insisted on class distinctions, De La Salle broke those distinctions by his admissions policies and class seating arrangements. Where society established educational limitations based on status, De La Salle brought education to those without status. Where society had allotted to the poor just enough schooling to keep them under control as they waited to begin a life of labor, De La Salle provided education as a means of liberating the poor and providing them with some hope for the future.

His faith was sustained and expressed not only by the devotional on-your-knees kind of prayer, but also by the relational at-your-side kind of prayer. If De La Salle placed pebbles on his kneeler so that he would stay awake during long hours of prayer, he also wrote thousands of individual monthly letters to his followers, giving advice, urging them on, and sharing in their specific responsibilities.

De La Salle came to understand his work and the work of the schools as an expression of a single spirit that consisted of two parts, faith and zeal. The spirit of faith is the spirit that lets us look at situations from God's viewpoint rather than our own. We begin to find new insights, new talents, and new challenges as this spirit of faith becomes habitually exercised. The spirit of zeal describes a kind of drive that animates a person who is fully committed to Christian education. Zeal makes sure that whatever needs to be done will be done. Such zeal is found each day in classrooms, offices, and sporting fields throughout the Lasallian world. Because it is based on a recognition of God's ongoing life in the midst of the world, zeal inspires a confident and creative approach to one's daily challenges.

"One of the main concerns of those who instruct others is to be able to understand their students and to discern the right way to guide them. There are those who call for much patience, those who need to be stimulated and spurred on . . . This guidance requires understanding and discernment of spirits, qualities you should frequently and earnestly ask of God, for they are most necessary for you in the guidance of those placed in your care." – De La Salle

A Different Kind of School

In De La Salle's day, the quality of one's educational life depended on social standing, financial resources, and academic interest. De La Salle and the Brothers bypassed these determinant influences by insisting that all students be treated the same and as if they were sons of the King (social standing made no difference), by requiring that everyone receive their education gratuitously (no tuition or gifts were accepted), and by providing an education that cultivated academic engagement (the curriculum was practical). As a result, no one could easily categorize the Brothers' schools within the structures of the time, and many "professional educators" were upset with what they saw as intrusions into their livelihood.

Here were schools that took the Gospel seriously, teaching those whom society had labeled socially unworthy, financially undeserving, and academically inadequate. The students were taught reading with a text by De La Salle that outlined how to become socially adept. They were accepted without reference to family wealth, while those of better means were encouraged to share their benefits with those of lesser means, both academically and practically. They were seen as academically rich in individual talents, and each pupil's gifts were specifically identified by their teachers.

Depending Fully on God

De La Salle's trust in God's continual and loving care shaped the educational enterprise that he developed. His surrender to the designs of God's Providence was a conscious, continual decision, a daily recommitment. This does not mean, however, that De La Salle was passive or submissive. It isn't that he passively "abandoned himself" to the circumstances placed in his path, but that he came to rest in a radical trust in God's activity. He wrote, "I will always look upon the work of my salvation, and the foundation and government of our community as the work of God, hence I will abandon the care of both to Him . . . I will often consider myself as an instrument which is of no use except in the hands of the workman."

And De La Salle was put to vigorous use. His personality, social standing, priestly vocation, religious demeanor, and multiple responsibilities brought him into full and deep engagement with the world around him. He was quite aware of everything happening in the political, social, and religious worlds within which he and the Brothers dwelt, and he was not timid about responding to the problems and puzzles that came his way. His constant response to all was "God be blessed." His deep conviction was that God's Providence spoke to him in the events of his life. God remains in the lead: "I don't like to make the first move in any endeavor . . . I leave it to Divine Providence to make the first move and then I am satisfied."

Virtually every educational project he undertook was a practical response to a direct request. The Gospel came to life in serving real educational needs in concrete situations. The schools were thus an extension of God's care to students who had experienced little care in their lives. De La Salle's profound dependence on the graces hidden in day-to-day circumstances led to schools where young people could depend on teachers who shared such hidden graces in their day-to-day ministry.

"Christian schools should be in no respect inferior to others; parents who give them preference on moral and religious grounds should not have occasion to regret that their children do not find therein all other educational advantages." Ð De La Salle

Accessible and Comprehensive Education

The more De La Salle became involved in education, the more needs he saw and tried to fulfill – needs for terminal primary schools, continuation schools, teacher-training schools, and more.

Two qualities in his response were constant. First, the education was given without compensation from students or parents. The schools were to be accessible to all. Each student was treated alike in terms of opportunity and treated individually in terms of capacities. Second, the schools prepared students for Christian life within their particular society. Their education included whatever was necessary for them to be successful in that society and whatever was necessary for them to live as mature Christians. The students' salvation required both religious formation and pragmatic education, both habits of Christian life and skills for success.

The education that De La Salle and his followers provided paid attention to the heart of all education – integrated lives in right relationship with reality, which includes the reality of God. If education enables one to acquire all the skills and all the knowledge necessary for life in secular society but fails to instill particular habits of charity, personal principles of spiritual life, or a growing wisdom that places one's endeavors within a wider context, then such education will have essentially failed to provide the necessities of life.

Education and the Poor

"Every day you have poor children to instruct. Love them tenderly . . . following in this the example of Jesus Christ. Prefer them to those who are not poor. . . Be faithful and exact to do this without any payment, so that you can say with Saint Paul, 'The source of my consolation is to announce the Gospel free of charge, without having it cost anything to those who hear me.'"

Commitment to the education of the poor works hand in hand with a commitment to the Gospel itself, and for Lasallians it is a great legacy and a great challenge. The centrality of this commitment began with De La Salle and the first schools. De La Salle established educational institutions that directly addressed an ingrained and debilitating societal cycle in 17th century France. The "poor" of his day were the vast majority of the population, limited in resources, abilities, and security. Their opportunities for personal advancement were virtually nonexistent. Illiteracy, vice, and indigence fed on one another, allowing little light – either spiritual or intellectual – to pierce the darkness. De La Salle's response was to provide well-organized schools with caring, dependable teachers who provided a comprehensive, free, and faith-centered education.

These schools would not accept societal distinctions among students based on wealth, status, or influence. All were welcome, and it was understood that no tuition or favor would be accepted. Concern for the poor was fundamental but not exclusive. Indeed, the Brothers faced lawsuits because they did not confine themselves to teaching the certified poor. Gratuitous schools open to everyone are a dangerous thing.

De La Salle was convinced that the essential gratuity of education was a Gospel value. "It is a great gift of God, this grace he has given you to be entrusted with the instruction of children, to announce the Gospel to them and to bring them up in the spirit of religion . . ." Authentic teaching, such as the kind of teaching that occurs throughout the New Testament, is a gift that can neither be measured nor paid for. It is a manifestation of God's grace – something that happens without expectation of acknowledgment or immediate reward.

A Christian and Catholic School

De La Salle became acutely aware of two realities: (1) God wanted everyone to be saved; (2) many neglected children were far from salvation. He came to see that his teachers could make the Gospel a reality in their students' lives by making it a reality in their own lives. By their own example, and with a well-organized program of Christian formation, the Brothers could help bring the Gospel within reach of their students.

De La Salle's followers called themselves "Brothers of the Christian Schools" because their focus was the school. One of the major tasks of these Christian Schools was to bring the young to understand and enter into the fullness of life that was their inheritance as children of God. The practical maxims of the Gospel, along with the many details of school life that bore witness to a deliberate, Christian perspective, brought the reality of salvation into the classroom. Concern for "salvation" on the practical level went hand-in-hand with "salvation" on the spiritual level. Students grew into their faith in an environment that by its very nature and methods saturated their school lives with God's life and its engagement.

The schools were solidly schools within the Catholic tradition. The context of a vibrant Catholic heritage provided the means for developing what we today would call a "faith community." De La Salle instructed the teachers, "Teach them to lead good lives, by instructing them in the mysteries of our faith and by inspiring them with Christian maxims, and thus give them a suitable education." Brother John Johnston has said, "Our charism in the Church is to make the loving and saving presence of Jesus Christ a visible and effective reality in the world of education."

"Every day you have poor children to instruct. Love them tenderly . . . following in this the example of Jesus Christ. Prefer them to those who are not poor . . . Be faithful and exact to do this without any payment, so that you can say with Saint Paul, 'The source of my consolation is to announce the Gospel free of charge, without having it cost anything to those who hear me.'" – De La Salle

A Practical Approach

De La Salle's spirituality has been called "mystical realism," for he combined a deep appreciation for God and a deep understanding of God's world. He didn't avoid the practical but embraced it. De La Salle did not write about educational philosophy – he wrote educational handbooks and textbooks, on everything from French syllables to Gospel maxims to the rules of politeness. The schools were eminently practical: written work concentrated on contracts and ledgers; arithmetic lessons dealt with finance and business; young men who worked all week could come on Sunday to learn mathematics, drafting, and commerce; and schools on the seacoast included classes on navigation and seamanship.

Such a commitment to the real needs of students was not without difficulties. When the Guild of Writing Masters sued the Brothers for teaching writing – and won – De La Salle ignored the judgment and found other ways of teaching writing. When the Bishop of Chartres challenged the practice of teaching reading by starting with French instead of Latin, De La Salle held his ground and wrote a detailed, and persuasive, defense of the practicality of this method. The welfare of the students entrusted to his care always inspired him to find practical means for practical ends.

His spirituality was such that he looked upon both his blessings and his challenges as gifts from God. He wrote, "If my work does not come from God, I would consent to its ruin. I would join our enemies in destroying it . . . But if God declares himself its defender, let us fear nothing . . . " This fearlessness was part of the practical side of his "mystical realism."

With Creatvity and Courage

"The students must understand what you say, so you must give them instructions adapted to their capacity; otherwise what you say would be of little use."

The marvelously practical side of De La Salle's spirituality is shown in the creativity and courage with which he carried out his mission. Courage? He gave up his inheritance, social position, and chances of ecclesiastical preferment; he distributed his fortune to feed the poor; he took an "heroic vow" to establish the Institute even if they had to live on bread alone; he withstood years of relentless attempts to destroy or co-opt the young society of Brothers. Creativity? De La Salle and the Brothers came up with innovative methods for teaching reading, handwriting, mathematics, and religion, and for grasping each student's needs by means of a personalized record of strengths and weaknesses, family relationships, and the approaches that worked best.

According to one author, there was an "unruffled boldness" in how De La Salle responded to the needs around him, opening and closing schools according to the designs of Providence. This boldness came from a conviction that God works through us and through our creativity. John Baptist de La Salle came to realize that when we are creative in responding to what we know needs to be done, and when we act with fortitude, we share in God's life in our midst and are able to step forward to even greater tasks, which he saw as a kind of reward. "God gives two kinds of rewards in this world to those who commit themselves untiringly to the work of the salvation of souls. First, he gives them an abundance of grace; second, he gives them a more extended ministry and a greater ability to procure the conversion of souls."

Together and by Association

De La Salle realized that the schools would be successful and stable only if the teachers were united by a common vision, a shared dedication, and a supportive community. From the first retreat that he gave them in his house in 1681 to his last General Assembly with them in 1717, he worked to knit his teachers into a religiously animated group of Christian educators who worked in, with, and through association.

The experience of association is found on a number of levels within the Lasallian educational enterprise. The early Brothers lived in a common house centrally situated among several schools, and established practices that would deepen their association, such as monthly correspondence with De La Salle, "Brother Visitors" for each region, and an annual retreat. In the schools, the students were associated in new ways, with classes taught to an entire group (the novel "simultaneous method"). Students found that they all had the same expectations placed on them, regardless of their social status. Students worked together, prayed together, and grew into Christian maturity together.

And the Brothers did all of this work together in a particular way. They discussed and dealt with school methodologies, community affairs, and common concerns in a way that was largely unlike that of their contemporary religious orders. De La Salle provided a kind of leadership that trusted both in God's Providence and in the best intentions of his Brothers. An early biographer writes that De La Salle "had resolved to introduce nothing by authority and wished to give them attraction for virtue without constraint . . . "

This kind of association has persisted through the centuries, has shaped Lasallian school life, and emerges from the consistent spirituality that was De La Salle's own.

"You must, then, look upon this work entrusted to you by pastors, by fathers and mothers, as one of the most important and most necessary services in the church. For you lay the foundation for the building of the church." – De La Salle

A Lay Spirituality

Brothers are often asked, "Why didn't you become a priest?" The short answer is usually, "Because I didn't have a vocation to the priesthood." The Brothers' vocation is a vocation to educational ministry, not to sacramental ministry. It is a lay vocation that has more in common with the people in the pew than with the pastor in the parish.

De La Salle established a teaching order of men who were to be neither "seculars" nor "clerics." They were to be dedicated to teaching as "Brothers," consecrated to procuring God's glory and the salvation of the young through the ministry of Christian and human education. Brothers were not to be involved in clerical affairs; their place was with the students. The Brothers' communal prayer in those days was not the recitation of the Divine Office, but rather the prayers recommended by the church for all its members. The Brothers were not clerics but laypeople. Thus they were situated, and challenged, to provide an example of "horizontal" Christian virtue to all with whom they came in contact. Their ministry lay in their encounter, as teachers, with students and parents. And the value of the teaching encounter is what Lasallian educators today still use as a touchstone.

This lay character allows for, encourages, and empowers the sense of companionship, the down-to-earthness, that characterizes the relationships found within a Lasallian school. There is a care for one another like that of an extended family. There is a sense of solidarity among all Lasallians, who know from daily experience the many modalities of the lay vocations that have sprung from the spiritual inspiration of John Baptist de La Salle.

"Be satisfied with what you can do, since God is satisfied with it, but do not spare yourself in what you can do with grace; and believe that, provided you want it, you can do more with the grace of God than you think." – De La Salle

"It is not enough that children be kept in school for most of the day and be kept busy. Those who have dedicated themselves to instruct them must devote themselves especially to bring them up in the Christian spirit, which gives children the wisdom of God that none of the princes of this world have known."

For those who follow De La Salle, the world of education continues to be the world in which the Gospel can come to life, especially through the relationships that are fostered in school community. At Lasallian schools students and parents and teachers begin to feel what it's like to take part in a genuine community. With all of its struggles and challenges, a subtle and profound thing happens in a Lasallian school that doesn't happen everywhere – a purposeful, shared effort toward education through companionship and compassion.

The spirituality that is our legacy from John Baptist de La Salle forms authentic persons, inspires true relationships, and builds effective communities. Today, as in De La Salle's day, it is the mystery of the human person and the mystery of human relationships that are the true subjects of Lasallian education, ones that bear unavoidably divine echoes.

Resources for further reading:

Touching the Hearts of Students, by Brother George Van Grieken, FSC

The Work is Yours, by Brother Luke Salm, FSC

Articles listed on the San Francisco District Web Site at http://www.delasalle.org

Editor's Letter | Brother Visitor's Letter | John Baptist de La Salle: His Life and Times
John Baptist de La Salle: The Educator and Visionary | John Baptist de La Salle: A Saint For Teachers
General Chapter | The District Today

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