The modern Catholic school is often inundated with demands for new plans, strategies, programs and initiatives. The pressure to be constantly innovating and improving outcomes can feel relentless.

However, there is a special superpower available to every Catholic teacher that can create remarkable results. In this episode I share an insight from St. Jane Frances de Chantal that can reconnect us to something that can create real and lasting change.

Grab your free access to my awesome resource for Catholic teachers right here:

https://cf.onecatholicteacher.com/oct-opt-in

Find out about booking Jonathan to come and speak at your school or event

https://cf.onecatholicteacher.com/catholic-speaking

Youtube version here:

https://youtu.be/st3dWb2ahm4

Transcript
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Well, everybody Jonathan do with you for the Catholic teacher daily message.

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So good to see you.

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Thank you for the beautiful privilege of your time of lavishing this time upon me.

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It's a great gift.

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Uh, what have we gotta do, please make sure you subscribe,

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hit that subscribe button.

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And uh, I want you to go check out the links.

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I am back speaking to Catholic teachers around the world.

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There is a link under here.

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You hit that link.

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It's gonna take you through.

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You can see some of my keynotes, you can find out all the information to

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book me, to come and speak live, uh, afternoon sessions at your school full

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day programs, whatever it is you need.

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If your teachers are a little bit weary, I come in there, we have an exciting

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dynamic time and it really encourages people to get back in there and press back

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into the mission of Catholic education.

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So go check out those links, right?

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You ready?

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Let's get started.

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Persistence.

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Is a beautiful word.

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And it's a beautiful thing.

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In the Christian life.

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We are faced with many setbacks difficulties and trials.

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I was on a conference call yesterday, and I remember quoting that famous

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line from Theresa of Avala who's in, in the 16th century, she's

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going through Northern Spain.

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There's a thunderstorm she's on the back of a cart and they're going through a

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river and the wheel breaks in the river.

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And Teresa Avala falls off into the water and almost drowns.

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And she gets to the other side of the bank, the other sisters drag her out

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and she famously says, if this, oh, Lord is how you treat your true friends.

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It's no wonder you have so few of them, I always like that line because if you

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really want to press into the Catholic education vocation, if you really want

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to cooperate and partner and participate with what God wants to do in your

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life and through you, there's gonna be difficulties, hardships, and setbacks.

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So persistence is gonna be really crucial.

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Now I wanna give you a quote first from one of the great.

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Saints.

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It was her feast day.

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About a week ago.

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It's a really beautiful quote.

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Let's do it in prayer.

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One must hold fast and never let go because the one who gives up loses all,

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if it seems that no one is listening to you, then cry out even louder.

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If you are driven out of one door, Go back in by the other boom.

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That is so good.

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Persistence.

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What has this got to do with your vocation in Catholic education?

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You might be in leadership.

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You might be teaching, you might have another role.

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What's it got to do with you?

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There are students we need to be praying for.

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There are colleagues we need to be praying for.

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Prayer is central accessory, petitionary prayer.

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We think, I think sometimes success in Catholic.

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Education's gonna come from better systems, better programs,

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better administration, friends.

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There's a place for all of that.

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It's really important.

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There's great benefits that have come from the.

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Different forms of psychology and different insights from philosophy

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are really important, but let's not forget that this is a spiritual battle.

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We are fighting for the souls of young men and women, precious souls who want

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to get back to the father's house.

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And there is an enemy that does not want that to happen.

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If you've been paying attention, you know, that's true.

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So I wanna encourage you today to be persistent in prayer, to be

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persistent in pursuing excellence.

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Why?

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Because it's an act of.

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To become the best you can be.

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Can I give you that reframe?

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Can I suggest to you that it is an act of love to pursue excellence,

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to take those beautiful gifts that God's given you and hone them,

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sharpen them, keep going in setbacks.

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You know, if you've got a difficult student and you can't seem to break

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through, keep going, be persistent, you know, like that beautiful quote.

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If you get knocked outta one door, go back in by the other.

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It just seems it's like that beautiful parable.

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Jesus tells of the widow who kept persisting with the judge.

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And the judge is like, well, You know, I'm an evil dude and I don't care about

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a case, but you won't stop bugging me.

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So I'm just gonna grant what she wants.

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It's this idea of persistence.

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And that's the message I wanna put on your heart today.

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Maybe you're dealing with a different difficult colleague.

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Maybe you gotta be persistent in charity.

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Maybe you gotta be persistent in forgiveness.

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Maybe you gotta be persistent in kindness.

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And it's hard.

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That's what we need grace.

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Right?

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That's why we need the sacraments and prayer, but get

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in there, get back in the game.

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Keep being persistent, my friend, we need your best.

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Your best matters.

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Your best is changing your little corner of the world in powerful ways.

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Please make sure you've subscribed, hit that subscribe button, and I would love

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to come and speak live at your school.

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So go and check out the speaking link here, share this video with some people.

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I just wanna get this message out and reach more and more

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Catholic teachers every day.

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This is my passion.

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I miss being in front of teachers.

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I miss you guys.

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I.

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Back on the speaking, uh, path.

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So if you are ready to have me come and speak at your

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school, go check out that link.

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But for now, God bless you.

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Be persistent.

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The father in heaven is so proud of what you're doing every day.

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My name's Jonathan Doyle.

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This has been the Catholic teacher daily message.

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And you and I are gonna talk again tomorrow.