"The Almighty has planted His see in the earth:
He tended well the grain, he waits for [our] rebirth"
(Didier Rimaud, found in Breviary, Vol II, p 42)
The Lenten season is an annual time for the evaluation of the soul's harvest and the turning of the heart's soil to receive the seeds of God's graces. It is the season when we should carefully look at and listen to the greatest of teachers, Jesus Christ. Today's gospel presents Jesus as unique teacher. We might ask ourselves what are the lessons, the graces of the Holy Spirit that are opened in my heart today and every day.
As a follower of Jesus Christ, in whatever vocation we follow, it is the teaching by example in my every day life that will break open for others those moments when they recognize in us the values of Jesus Christ. We might ask ourselves today "What do people see in my example?" Is it someone like themselves? Someone better? Someone they want to follow or whose ways they want to imbed in their own lives? Being an example to others, modeling one's life on Jesus, what might my conversation be on a regular basis? Is it too down to earth? During his lifetime, Jesus often spoke to others without vulgarity, without gossip. His words were always expressions of truth and compassion. Even his challengers recognized power in his words: "... he speaks with authority."
The power of a follower of Jesus is to be seen first in what he/she "does" then in what he/she "teaches." It is my actions that will ultimately be embedded in the hearts and minds of those who know me. Yesterday in the Washington Post there was an article by a Catholic man who wrote about the person(s) he considered his best teacher(s). It was not their genius, although he admired how much knowledge was put before him in class. No, it was simply this: that teacher was the religious sister and the Jesuit seminarians who taught him what was critically important was always being available to the student(s). What the writer came to learn is that each day needs spirituality as well as learning; each life needs the effort to help another as well as care for one's self: like Jesus the teacher of truth and compassion!
