Greetings of peace and joy to you all in the Name of Jesus.
Once a teacher was asked in an interview, " Why do you choose the profession of a teacher?" The teacher replied to the interviewer with a smile, " Generally, money is the main criteria of our happiness. A doctor gets more money with the increase of the patients. A lawyer gets money with the increase of the clients with cases. Whereas the happiness of a teacher does not depend on the money. But in the growth of the student in knowledge and wisdom which yields the future of the country." So, the role of a teacher is very important in our lives. Every teacher is a treasure of knowledge. This is why the students were living with their Gurus in the olden days. They respect the teacher just like god. This is why the Indian culture states, Aacharyadevobhava.
MARY, TEACHER OF US ALL
Mother is the first teacher. She teaches the child how to walk, how to eat, how to call the relatives and most importantly she teaches how to walk in our life journey. She gives her life as an example to her children. So every mother takes the role of teacher too. Mary, Our Mother, takes the role of a teacher for all who take her as their mother. She shows her children the way of God. Her life itself is a great lesson for all of us. To the question who is a teacher, here are three reasons I give.
1. A TEACHER IS A STORE HOUSE OF KNOWLEDGE
Yes! Every teacher is a store house of knowledge. Once a person asked Arjuna in Mahabharata, " Arjuna, You are a great person. Such a mighty man. You have a good wife. You have so much wealth. And why do you give more respect than others to your teacher Dronacharya, who has no wealth, no kingdom, nothing?" Arjuna replied, " na rajyam, na danam, na kanakam; which means no kingdom, no beauty, no wealth, nothing is permanent. What is permanent is the knowledge. No one can steal, bury nor burn. The more you give is the more you receive". So as Mary is our teacher in our spiritual journey. Christ is the wisdom of God. Mary is the storehouse of the wisdom of God because she bore Christ, God's Wisdom, in her womb. Paul wrote, “Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
There is a saint by name, St Alphonse Ratisban. He was a Jew. He criticized his brother because of believing the truths of the Church and became a Priest. From then on he started criticizing the catholic faith. Once he had gone to Rome. He visited a famous person there who was a catholic and started speaking heresies. The man patiently listened all that and told him " I feel you are such a courageous man. If so, wear this medal for three days and recite this prayer 'Remember us O.......... ' To prove that he was courageous and strong to his doctrines, he wore the medal. One day both them went to the chapel and sat. After some time the man left the place because of some work. The man was afraid of being there alone. Suddenly he had a vision of Mary at the sanctuary just as the image that is on the medal. Mary looked at him and said " Good" Then she instilled in him the truths of God. The doctrines of the Church. He became a genius in the catholic doctrine. He did not read any doctrines or any faith principles needed for Baptism. Mary, the teacher of us all, gave him knowledge and wisdom of God. This is why she is called House of wisdom. She gave her son to the world and God gave her as Mother to the Whole world.
2. EVERY TEACHER IS A ROLE MODEL
When we love a person and his way of life, we take them as role models and try to imitate them. If I am not wrong many of us imitate our teachers in our school days or college days. Especially on Teacher’s day, children dress themselves as teachers and try to imitate their favorite teachers and I think the real teachers really love that day seeing children behaving like them. So as Mary is a great role model for us. She is a model for many virtues, the virtue of love, humility, patience, sacrifice etc. If our normal teachers feel happy to see their students imitating them on teachers' day, how much happy will our Blessed Mother feel when we imitate her with the virtues of love, humility, patience all through our life.
3. EACH STUDENT IS SO PRECIOUS TO THE TEACHER
For a teacher, every student is so precious ,very unique and very talented. Mary is such a good teacher. Every of her student is so precious to her. She makes us know the purpose of our lives, the divine plans of God in our lives. Another good quality of a teacher is to strengthen the weak students. Mary , our mother, always strengthens her students to follow God and encourages them to lead our lives according to the will of God. She shows us the path to walk and she will surely guide our steps in that path, because she has already walked in that path.
Let us all take Mary as our teacher too, so that we may gain the knowledge of God, take her as a role model and be strengthened in her care and love. Amen.
Written by
Bro. Rajendra
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