From today's gospel: "I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another."
From the reflection by Jonathan Leslie for the 2018 Holy Week prayer service: "I know for a fact that teachers here at San Miguel regularly work more than they should to prepare lessons, grade assignments, and help those students who are struggling in class. Like Jesus, they do all of this out of love. . . Teachers are the gardeners in our lives. They are the ones who plant the seed of knowledge and curiosity within all of us. They love us as their teachers loved them, so let us do the same, and love our teachers as they love us. We are appointed to bear fruit, so let us bear our gifts and share in love with one another."
From a reflection by Brother John Johnston, FSC: "We can imagine John Baptist De La Salle looking directly into the eyes of the Brothers and saying to them, 'Brothers, God has given YOU such a ministry ... You are the ones he has chosen.' God is confiding to your care, God is entrusting to you, the children and youth that you have in your schools. . . God wants you to represent Jesus Christ - to re-present - to make Jesus' loving and saving presence a visible and effective reality in their lives. He wants you, in Jesus' name and in his place, to touch their hearts and their minds. Lasallians, De La Salle addressed these words first and foremost to the Brothers . . . Today, however, Lasallians, I say that John Baptist De La Salle is addressing these words to each of you . . . In total accord with your primary life commitment, look upon yourselves as God's ministers, ambassadors, co-workers. Look upon yourselves as Jesus' presence in the lives of the youth God is confiding to your care."
Our students are the fruit that we bear as teachers. Think about the beautiful and wonderful children that have graduated, have been in your classes. That you loved your colleagues and students is a major reason why they become the young people that they are. The gifts that they are creating and sharing in their own lives is a reflection of the love that you, in so many ways, lavished on them. In this way, as Jonathan said, they love us back. God has told you that you are to be his presence of love in student lives, and so you are chosen and appointed to make his presence a saving reality for them. I believe this is true because I see it in every one of you, every day. You make every day here as an educator at San Miguel a privilege of knowing God's love, and I thank you.
Live, Jesus, in our hearts!
