Today's second reading: "Brothers and sisters: If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it! If I do so willingly, I have a recompense, but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship. What then is my recompense? That, when I preach, I offer the gospel free of charge so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible. To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some. All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it."
De La Salle taught the brothers, the teachers of the first schools, that they were to teach the lessons of the gospel, as such teaching was their apostolic calling, offered gratuitously to all for the salvation of their students, as well as for their own salvation. Yet this is the calling that each of us, in association with the brothers, receive. As the late Superior General, Brother John Johnston, FSC, said, "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 your 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." And so today's second reading may well read like this for us:
Brothers and sisters:
If we model the gospel with our lives,
this is our calling, and woe to us if we do not do so!
We accept willingly,
and even if, from time to time, we are tired and weary,
we still rise up to accept and honor our call from God.
What do we receive for what we do?
When we teach the gospel, each in the way we have been individually blessed,
we do so freely and gratuitously.
We do so for all whom are entrusted to us, so as to offer them salvation.
To those who are poor and weak, we become poor and weak, to win them over.
To those who need something in particular from us,
we become what they need, to bring the salvation offered by God.
All this we do for the sake of salvation, not only that of our students, but our own,
that on the day of judgment,
our students themselves will advocate before God for our salvation.
Live, Jesus, in our hearts!