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| Picture courtesy of http://www.morguefile.com/archive/display/115012 |
As Catholics, we have a great teacher. The greatest teacher in history. I believe I am right in saying that teaching itself is a calling. The best teachers, or the best arbiters of knowledge are always the ones who's main interest is to better the brains at the desk's, and not how much their tenure will be worth. I feel we are truly blessed to have so many great teachers in the Church. The early fathers, and men such as Augustine, and Aquinas. When we learn, we are taking part in the love that God has for us. It is up to us to not waste it on petty things.
I know for some classes may be hard. Maybe you are in a big class at a major university. Maybe on a regular basis you get busy work as it is called. Work that really you do the same thing over and over that really doesn't accomplish any lasting thing. Even as we go on to become upper class men and women. We always end up being able to think of things that are much better to do than listen to a person up at a board talk for a couple of hours. Or when out professor goes off on a tangent we feel he has nothing meaningful to say.
As Christians, we have the knowledge placed before us that we are part of something great. Something cosmic, something Eternal. Every day we wake up on this earth there is one more thing in infinity that we could learn. Our ceiling does not end at the scientific method. Our intellect does not end at the closest star or farthest away galaxy. We are able to learn because we are loved.
Now let me move away from the classroom sage. Let me move into more out of class room mentors. I type this because I want you all to know that there are many people in our paths, that help us become more fully us. As students, but even more so as young Catholics we have a duty to seek them out, and to mode not only our behavior out in the world but also take it to the classroom to where can plant seeds.
TV has had a rough patch as far as hero's go. This isn't the days of McGiver anymore. Plus most of our lives are spent well "plugged in", a great article about this about E-Slavery can be read at Catholic Answers. Any way I know of a T.V character that can really show us what a good man, as well as what a good teacher can give us. This man is none other than Leroy Jethro Gibbs. The boss of the NCIS team, a Marine Sniper, and a craftsman in his spare albeit sparse spare time.
I think the biggest reason I want to point him out is because of his Conviction. His foundational person is rooted in conviction, a value too few of us have or understand. He is like Peter, the rock. Gibbs is set in his ways, but weather some may meet him and think other wise he is selfless and strong. He shows what it means to stand up for what is in your heart. or in Gibbs' case, your gut. Wherever he is, he always takes himself with him, and he always brings him back.
He also in his way mentors, and raises his team up to be the best they can be, he brings out in them all the qualities that make them great agents, and he always reminds them about the path they walk on this road of life. he also passes down to them the way that Mosses gave us the 10 commandments, well of course God gave them to us but you know Mosses still brought them down from the mountain; the "rules" we heard about these on many occasions, we know how they were in homage to his late wife, and he has kept them close to his heart. They are the well Rules. In this way he reflects Christ ministry although in a more blunt and less depthful way, in the parables Jesus told.
We should go through this time between two eternities look for people like him. Even though we have Christ, God has brought people into our lives to better us, and try to bring out the person we are able to be. Have open ears to hear the wise words spoken by teachers. A little bit may go a longer way than you think, and little more time can open up vast new avenues of information.
