From today's gospel: "Jesus said to his disciples: 'Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. . . 'You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment . . . You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. . . Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors, Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow. But I say to you, do not swear at all . . . Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.'"
As Jesus begins to explain the Law in the Sermon on the Mount, he reminds his listeners, including us, that there is more to the Law than its letter. We are told that the Law is not just a list of rules or "don't do"s. It calls us to examine the inner disposition of our hearts (See Dennis Hamm, SJ, http://liturgy.slu.edu/6OrdA021217/theword_hamm.html): avoid the anger that leads to violence, the lust that leads to adultery, the feeling that we are bigger than God that causes us to swear. What does this mean for our teaching? Brother Jeffrey Calligan, FSC has a story that illustrates this point ("Lasallian Reflections on Mission", Feb. 2004):
"I asked the teachers [at the convention] to think about a student who was a particular difficulty to them. That difficulty, I said, could be either failure in good behavior or studies. I asked them to close their eyes and picture this young person and his/her difficulty. Then I asked them to turn to the person next to them and in a way that protected the child' identity, tell them about the young person.
The quiet that had been there during the minutes of direction and meditation gradually gave way to animated monologues punctuated frequently by gestures of anger and frustration.
After some time (in which the energy did not seem to subside), I tapped the microphone and asked for their attention. 'The student you have pictured - the student you are talking about - is the reason for your school and your vocation as a teacher!'
Silence and looks of disbelief greeted my statement. I continued, 'Why is that student the reason for your school and your vocation? Because we who run Catholic schools are in God's business of salvation!'
De La Salle states this clearly. 'God wills not only that all come to the knowledge of truth, but also that all be saved.' [193.3]" (emphasis in original)
This is the last week of grading before progress reports and conferences, a week of talent show rehearsals and practices, Honor Society inductions, baseball and softball practice, and the blossoming of spring. It is a time when we hear "but I have ___ after school", or "what can I do to raise my grade?", or just see young people responding to sun, and warmth, and the growth of nature. We may not see the academic or behavioral focus we would like to see or that the rules and guidelines of the school point toward. So let us ask ourselves, in those moments of grading or disciplinary frustration: What is the inner disposition of our hearts toward the students who cause us these frustrations? Do we see them as the reason for our school community? Do we live out the idea that we have a place in their salvation?
Live, Jesus, in our hearts!