Jesus Was a Teacher – Homily for Catholic Schools Week 2024

As Catholic Schools Week begins this year,
today’s Gospel reminds us of a very important truth—
Jesus was a teacher:

“…on the sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught.
The people were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.”

Jesus was a teacher.

He taught in synagogues,
he taught in the temple,
he taught from hillsides,
and he taught from boats.
Jesus was a teacher.

Jesus taught in a way that was different from other teachers.
And the people recognized that.

In contrast to the scribes who merely recited laws,
Jesus’ teaching was marked by a connection
to the heart of the Law – love of God and love of neighbor.
His teaching had authority because he was authentic.
He lived what he taught.
And the people could see it,
even though he did not have the title the scribes had.
He was authentic,
even to giving his life on the cross to demonstrate the love he taught.

There was once a teacher named Sharon.
She, too, was an authentic teacher.
One day she became the most famous teacher in all the world,
and she ended up giving her life in the service of teaching.
She was born into a Catholic family and went to a Catholic high school.
Her mother was a substitute teacher
and when Sharon grew up
she became a 7th and 8th Grade teacher.

I was a junior high teacher for over 25 years,
and I can tell you that 7th and 8th graders are experts
in spotting what is false and phony.
To be an effective junior high teacher you have to know your stuff,
you have to be authentic.

Sharon was authentic.
She took her class on field trips,
she brought in guest speakers,
and she “emphasized the impact of ordinary people on history,
saying they were as important to the historical record
as kings, politicians, or generals.”
Her passion and knowledge of her subject matter
gave her the authenticity that she needed to be a great teacher.

I have seen many new teachers who thought that
just because their name was posted outside the classroom door,
or just because they wore a whistle or an ID badge,
the students would automatically listen to them
and do what they were told.
Well, it didn’t take them long to find out
that it takes more than an ID badge.
It starts with being authentic.

And that’s why it’s so important in a Catholic school,
where we teach the Good New of Jesus Christ,
to have an authentic relationship with Jesus.
We need our students to see that our relationship with Jesus is real,
so that there is no phoniness in what we teach.
And that is something that takes constant nourishment.

That’s why at SJV we begin each school year
with a day-long faculty retreat at Immaculate Heart Retreat Center,
focusing on our faith, our relationship with Jesus Christ.
It’s why the teachers gather for prayer every morning
right before school starts.
We read a passage of Scripture,
we meditate on it,
we share with each other what it means in our life,
we offer intentions for ourselves and for the world,
and we end by praying the Prayer of St. Francis.
We do this as a faculty each and every morning
because regular, sustained prayer
is essential in building our relationship with Jesus,
and we must have a real and authentic relationship with Jesus
if we are going to effectively teach about Jesus to our students.

But I’m not just sharing this with you
to explain how we do things at the school.
I share this with you because you are teachers, too.

The call to teach is not reserved for a select few,
but is a universal commission given to all followers of Christ.
Before Jesus ascended to heaven, he said,
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

Jesus was a teacher.
And so, we that dare to call ourselves Christians,
“little Christs,”
are to be teachers, too.

We are all called to be teachers,
sharing the Good News
and instructing others in the ways of love.
It is not easy.
That’s why Catholic schools exist.
The Church recognizes both the importance and the immensity
of the task of teaching the Faith to our children,
and so Catholic schools were instituted to assist parents
in their role of educating children in the Faith.
That’s why we celebrate Catholic schools at this time time each year.
Catholic schools have an essential role in the life of the Church.

This is how the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops puts it:

It is the responsibility of the entire Catholic community—
bishops, priests, deacons, religious, and laity—
to continue to strive towards the goal
of making our Catholic elementary and secondary schools
available, accessible, and affordable
to all Catholic parents and their children,
including those who are poor and middle class.

We are convinced that Catholic schools continue to be
“the most effective means available to the Church
for the education of children and young people”
who are the future of the Church (To Teach as Jesus Did, no. 118).

That is why your parish school exists,
and why your support of the school is so important and appreciated.

St. John Vianney Catholic School and all Catholic schools
exist to assist you in fulfilling your call to teach as Jesus did.
Catholic schools play a crucial role in this mission,
but each one of us,
as baptized disciples of Jesus,
regardless of our profession,
regardless of our vocation,
is called to be a teacher.

Opportunities to teach the Gospel abound in our everyday lives.
In our families,
we teach the Gospel by the way we prioritize faith, prayer, and love.
In our workplaces,
we teach the Gospel by the integrity with which we conduct ourselves
and the respect we show to our colleagues.
In our communities,
we teach the Gospel by our acts of service and compassion toward those in need.

Sharon used her teaching abilities beyond just her classroom.
She became a catechist
and taught confirmation classes in her parish.
After all she was a teacher.

Jesus was a teacher.
Sharon was a teacher.
We are teachers.

And that means that each of us also has the responsibility
to teach with authenticity, like Jesus did,
and not like the scribes.
Just as a title or an ID badge is not enough
to be an effective classroom teacher,
so, too, our baptismal certificate is not enough
to be a teacher of the Gospel.

To be an authentic teacher for Christ,
we need to be authentic disciples of Christ,
and not disciples in name only.

We know that if we are not living the life we teach about,
we become like the scribes.

Sharon was not like the scribes.
She lived what she taught.
She had the opportunity to do something no teacher in history
ever had the chance to do,
something that she knew would make her an even better teacher.
She applied for the opportunity along with 11,000 applicants,
and she alone was chose by NASA to be the first teacher to fly into space.
She was born with the first name Sharon,
but she always went by her middle name Christa.
Christa McAuliffe.
She trained for an entire year to be a payload specialist
on the Space Shuttle Challenger.
She went on Good Morning America, CBS Morning News,
and the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
Talk about an authentic teacher.
She taught the world.
Many of us remember what happened on this day 38 years ago.
Christa and the rest of the astronauts boarded the Challenger,
and after only 73 seconds in the air, the shuttle broke apart,
and no one survived.

Just as Jesus gave his life
to be an authentic teacher,
Christa gave her life to be an authentic teacher.

During this Catholic Schools Week,
we are challenged to renew our commitment
to our own vocation of teaching.
We are reminded that, in various ways,
we are all called to be teachers like Christ –
not just imparting knowledge
but embodying the transformative love of the Gospel.
As parents, as educators, as friends,
and as members of this faith community,
we share in the mission of making disciples.

Christa McAuliffe used to say,
“I touch the future, I teach.”
Our call is to be able to say,
“I touch eternity, I teach the Gospel.”