Teachers come in all shapes and sizes and at every level of effectiveness. The best teachers are the ones who inspire, who bring out the best in us, and who do not just impart knowledge, though they have to do that as well. Good teachers encourage our curiosity, leave us wanting to know more. Good teachers believe in the potential of the people they are teaching.
Jesus was called Rabbi, teacher, by the people of his time. It was not an uncommon title at the time, but He exemplified how a teacher goes about his task. He used stories, daily images and examples to get his message across. Yet, at the end of his life not many people understood what that message was.
And then came the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who would teach us everything and remind us of what Jesus taught, as St. John puts it. The Spirit blows where it wills and is active in our world and in the Church. We have the teachings of Jesus; the Spirit enables us to trust those teachings, even when we do not fully understand them. The Spirit enables us to grow in self-belief and God-belief in the teachings and their power.
The Holy Spirit is now our teacher who enables us to turn our knowledge into faith, our doubt into confidence. What is required of us is to open our hearts and minds to that Spirit through our prayers, our sacraments and through listening to each other. And we believe that this Spirit will lead us to the complete truth.
Image: Pixabay https://pixabay.com/users/geralt-9301/
Pat Palmer C.S.Sp.
