In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, both the U.S. men’s and women’s 4 x 100m relay teams were heavy favorites.  Both relay teams included some of the world's fastest athletes, and together they were the fastest relay teams on the track.

 

A critical component for a successful 4 x 100m relay team is the baton pass. One runner must pass the baton to the next runner with precision within a 20-meter zone, with both runners moving at full speed. That is why relay teams spend so much time practicing the baton pass.

 

The U.S. women’s team ran first, with Torri Edwards running hard, preparing to pass to Lauryn Williams.  Edwards yelled the cue that signaled Williams should start running and be ready to accept the baton.  She started running and reached back for the baton, but their timing was off. The baton fell to the track and the team was disqualified.

 

The U. S. men’s team ran shortly afterward, determined not to repeat what happened with the women’s team.  The men’s team was running well as Darvis Patton prepared to pass the baton to the final leg of the relay to Tyson Gay, the reigning world sprint champion. Patton shouted the cue; Gay took off and reached back for the baton.  The timing was off. The baton fell to the track, and the team was disqualified.

 

Both U.S. teams failed to execute a successful partnership with the next runner as they raced to the finish line.  They did not accomplish their mission.

 

What does it mean to be a “partner in mission”? Our Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools (XBSS) refers to our school community - faculty, staff, parents, students, and alums – to serve as partners in mission.

 

This call is based on the fact that the schools in our network have evolved from primarily being led by Xaverian Brothers to being led by lay people. Being a partner in mission means accepting the “pass of the baton” from those who have come before us.

 

Being a Partner in Mission means accepting the shared responsibility for the formation of young people spiritually, intellectually, and physically. It is helping young people become the people that God is calling them to be.  It is based on the belief that every student is uniquely gifted, just as He has gifted all of us. We are reminded of our duty by the phrase “The gift you have received, give as a gift.”

 

Being a Partner in Mission calls us to build “enduring personal relationships” through supporting and creating environments where relationships can grow and thrive.  We need to be present ourselves so we can listen with empathy and be ready to support or celebrate as needed.  Being present matters, as the Xaverian tradition tells us God works and provides opportunities to make a difference through the “common, ordinary, unspectacular flow of everyday life.”

 

Being a Partner in Mission calls us to role model the Xaverian values of humility, compassion, simplicity, trust, and zeal.  These values encourage us to be transformational members of our community, focusing not just on ourselves, but on all in the Malden Catholic community.

 

The XBSS has published a Partners in Mission booklet that covers what I have shared plus much more.  I encourage everyone in our school community to review this important document. It outlines the “baton” the Xaverian Brothers are passing to us.  To be a Partner in Mission, we must run the same race and connect with this baton so we don’t run in vain.

 

The Apostle Paul said, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1). The Brothers who have come before us are our great cloud of witnesses, calling us to run the race, baton in hand.

 

After both U.S. relay teams were disqualified, the USA Track & Field determined that relying on the talent of individual runners was not enough. They needed to focus on the baton pass, and over the next four years, every relay runner drilled it until it became muscle memory. Because of this hard work to perfect the baton pass, the men’s team set a new U.S. record at the next Olympics.

 

May we dedicate ourselves to ensuring the baton pass from those Brothers that came before us is done with the same precision and dedication.