From today’s first reading: “I am reminding you, brothers and sisters, of the Gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures; that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. . . ."

From De La Salle’s First Meditation for the Time of Retreat: “This is what God does by diffusing the fragrance of his teaching throughout the whole world by human ministers. Just as he commanded light to shine out of darkness, so he kindles a light in the hearts of those destined to announce his word to children, so that they may be able to enlighten those children by unveiling for them the glory of God."

I wish it were called Educator Appreciation Week. “To educate" comes from the Latin for “led out" or “lead out." “To teach" is from the Old English “show, present, point out." I can show or point out something to my students, but unless I lead them there, they will not, in Paul’s phrases, stand within it or hold fast to it. Unless I lead them there, they will not truly understand that what I am trying to hand on is the most important, or that it was handed on to me. To simply show or point out something will not enlighten my students’ hearts. Education demands a level of engagement or personal interaction with a student that will allow the teacher to touch the heart, to move the mind, to bring the student to an understanding of the glory of God in all the forms in which it can be found in every academic discipline. Unless we lead students in this way, we cannot be sure that they will continue to hand on to and lead others as we hope we have done for them.

What I have always treasured most about being a part of the San Miguel community is that you are the best educator models around. During this Educator Appreciation Week, please accept my thanks, for myself and for the students who might not always articulate it, for being the older sister, the older brother, the one who cares for and educates every one of the young people entrusted to your care.

Live, Jesus, in our hearts!