Scripture: Isaiah 30:19-21,23-26. Psalm 147:1-6. Matthew 9:35-10:1, 6-8.

The word that caught my attention this morning in the reading from Isaiah was that God is called Teacher. I readily identified with this since I have taught at all levels during the past fifty years including the most difficult level first and second grade! That was only for an hour and what an experience. Yes, many of us who are Marianists have had a teaching career. I myself am a product of Marianist teachers who helped me in highschool and also at the University level. Teaching was very prominent during my first twenty-five years as a Marianist and now it continues to be one of our apostolic works. We like the saying that we have as Marianist teachers: "We teach in order to educate." We mean by that the whole person is our concern in the classroom. I try to live up to that saying whenever I teach--even on the graduate level. Isaiah's mentioning that God is a Teacher occurs twice in the selection and as a Teacher God is visible to the Israelites in the successes that they enjoy from their farming and from their concern for the land. God is also their guide through difficult paths; they are restored to wholeness. Security, peace, and the gifts of light and water are mentioned--Advent symbols .

In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus is definitely a teacher--a master teacher and his disciples are all learners. Jesus gives them and us the beatitudes, the Lord's Prayer, the parables of the kingdom, and the great Sermon on the Mount in Matthew's Good News. Jesus is holistic in his teaching for he heals the people and rids them of their demons of mind and spirit. As teacher he clears the air for them so that they can breathe and learn how to live their lives in the Spirit. His message is clear:"The Kingdom of God is near." Moreover, he summons the disciples (the word means "learners") to do and teach as he has and to bring healing to the listeners, that is, to their students. We know that God is never outdone in generosity, so we, the learners and disciples are told, "The gift you have received, give as a gift." Isn't that what teaching is all about? Amen.