Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, “Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ . . .” Matthew 9:35 6-8
This passage from the Gospel of Matthew for the first Sunday of Advent reminds us that the fundamental responsibilities Jesus saw in himself and his Disciples were those of both teacher and shepherd.
I have always felt that it is a privilege to work in a Xaverian school and to be part of the XBSS network. As a Xaverian graduate, the profound impact that my teachers and school leaders had on me as a teenage boy trying to find his place in the world was life changing. My parents and my broader Xaverian family, working through the legacy of the Brothers and Theodore James Ryken, helped me better understand and live my faith.
As educators, the awesome responsibility we have on the young people entrusted to us, not only in shaping their young minds, but helping them realize their places in the world, enlightens all God has in store for them. I often feel that Jesus calls us to play a similar role as the Disciples to help pronounce “the Kingdom of heaven is at hand”. Through my daily encounters with students and faculty I encounter Jesus and the power of the spirit. The Brothers remind us that “through trust, and imitation of Theodore James Ryken, we are joined together in our faith and efforts to build our community, comforted and inspired by the understanding that “in harmony, small things grow.”
Most Holy Spirit, grant me the courage to teach your truth with patience and wisdom, reflecting the love of Jesus in every lesson. Amen.
Daniel Sharib