In Antoine Saint-Exupery’s ‘‘The Little Prince,’’ we are reminded of a simple truth, “it is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” But how do we teach children to distinguish what is essential and lasting from what is fleeting? How does the heart learn to see rightly, when it is so easily misled?

The goal of education is to help children learn to make intelligent choices rather than impulsive ones, to help them love well and pursue what is good. Children need to understand what is at the root of all their desires: a longing for happiness, what John Paul II calls in ‘‘Fides et Ratio,’’ a “nostalgia for God.” He explains that, “in the far reaches of the human heart there is a seed of desire and nostalgia for God.... Through literature, music, painting, sculpture, architecture and every other work of their creative intelligence [men and women] have declared the urgency of their quest.” To help them “see rightly” parents can nurture their children’s longing for God by redirecting their misappropriated desires toward worthier goals.

Several years ago I led a group of students on a literary and theatre tour of London. One of my tenth graders, a TV junkie, confided her fear that our schedule might not accommodate her wide range of shopping interests. Sarah was a capable student, but completely disengaged from academics; she slid by, meeting minimum requirements. She spoke articulately about ‘‘All My Children’’ and ‘‘As the World Turns,’’ two of her favorite soap operas, and faithfully recorded the programs, sacrificing sleep to watch taped episodes.