There is a grave danger in Catholic education; a danger which follows from the very Catholic atmosphere, which, we insist, must surround the early years of childhood: nor does this peril cease with childhood or with the end of school-life, but continues for just so long as we remain within the direct and exclusive influence of Catholicism. For the purpose of education is to train the character of the child; yet it is just possible that the whole time we remained within this Catholic environment we were making no effort to train ourselves. The whole effect of our surroundings may have been that instead of guiding us to a healthier state of self-dependence, and realizing our own individual responsibility, we were lapsing into weakness and indecision. It is true that such a result is a mere possibility, not even a probability. Yet why is it that we see about us so many wrecked souls whose education has been of the best? Why is it that again and again boys at school with us, brought up by competent masters and under the strongest religious influences, should, within a few years of their leaving college, have come upon such evil ways? Girls, too, after a considerable time spent within a convent school, where the whole atmosphere spoke of purity, faith, and self-sacrifice, have become selfish, creedless, and of evil life. It is no longer possible to deny these facts, for every year brings to our notice further examples of them. Why should Catholic education so often fail?
We may admit that the evil effect here noticed is due precisely to the Catholic atmosphere in this sense, that the whole danger arises from the greater ease with which goodness is achieved in Catholic surroundings. I may quite easily myself be taking as many a child, certain later to fail, has taken the line of least resistance. The good boy loses his faith and the bad boy turns out best. That is the judgement of the cynic; and it contains just this element of truth, that it is possible that the good boy was good because he found it to be less trouble, whereas the bad boy was bad because he had a will of his own and found he could only realize his will by acting in contravention of all rules and regulations. Perhaps I can remember at school, or within my family circle, that I was in the habit of fulfilling regularly my religious duties, going to daily Mass, reciting my morning and night prayers, etc., not from any sense of duty, but because I found by experience that doing so really worked out as least trouble in the end. If I did everything regularly, no fuss was made; but if I neglected anything, questions were asked and penalties assigned. Is it not quite possible that by my method, or rather motive of action, I got myself into the way of doing whatever caused least trouble? At school I went to Mass and the sacraments; during the holidays I stayed away from both: and this for the same reason it was the easiest thing to do.
All this, to repeat, is the danger to which I am liable just so long as I remain within the direct and exclusive influence of Catholicism. Yet I must have become conscious by this time that religion to be solid and worthy of the name requires from me a good deal of strength. Often I hear that it is the weak-willed who take refuge in religion; yet does not my personal experience give the lie to this legend? In my own life, has it been through decision or through laziness that the practices of the Faith have ever grown lax? Surely for myself it is the very strenuousness of Catholicism that makes it hard for me to live up to its ideals. It is the very ideals and the demands they make upon my poor human nature that have proved my stumbling-block or at least my difficulty. Says Hilaire Belloc, with just that touch of wit that brings home the truth, "To be a good Catholic, one must be a strong man; this is why so many women are good Catholics." It is the strength of heroism that will alone be wanting to me, if I am not a good Catholic. My prayer should be for strength; to cling to God not by my weakness, but by my strength. I must never be afraid of a deliberate and decisive will. Where authority decides, I must give way. But this, too, requires decision on my part, a resolute act of will based on reason. When authority leaves the course open to me, I shall take my own line, for decision is my need in life. If I decide at all, I shall probably be right. It is "the sluggard who willeth and willeth not."
- text taken from Meditations for Layfolk by Father Bede Jarrett, O.P.