“God has shown you what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: To do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” Micah 6:8
As we are getting close to the start of another school year, I offer this reflection for our educators. First, let’s look at how the Scriptures differentiate between true prophets and false prophets: Prophet – from the Greek meaning one who speaks on behalf of another. It is a call to speak the truth – from God who is the source of all TRUTH. False prophets – speak their own message on behalf of God (Making people comfortable, sacrificing the truth to gain acceptance). The reality of TRUTH is that it tends to sting at times. “The educator is a witness of truth and of goodness” Pope Benedict XVI. As baptized Christians we are called to be prophets, to take responsibility for the TRUTH. That responsibility is even greater for Catholic Teachers. God helps us to know how we can live our vocation through the words of the prophet Micah:
“To walk” – we are on a journey of faith. That faith cannot be static. We must grow, by continually learning, changing, growing. “Love God with all your mind, heart, soul and strength”.
“To walk humbly” – humility is a virtue that we all need to be grounded in TRUTH. The more authority we carry in this world, the more difficult it is for us to remain humble. The virtue of humility reminds us who we are. It helps us not to take ourselves too seriously, never thinking that we are greater or lesser than we really are. True humility frees a person from the need to be someone else. It helps us to accept ourselves, to love ourselves (not with a selfish love, but with a grateful love). It brings peace.
“To walk humbly with our God” – our journey of life is useless unless we are walking with God. This is because only God can lead us home to Heaven. And if we are walking alone, then we will never reach Heaven: “What does it profit a man if He gains the whole world but in the process loses His soul?”
Let’s support our Catholic educators in being faithful to God and faithfully in their own lives, and thus bring our youth to Jesus.
Fr. Wojtek Kuzma