Bringing forth from our storerooms both new things and old.

Thursday, 8/1/13

  

Jesus said, “Every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both new things and old.”  

By one who “has been instructed in the kingdom” Jesus meant a person who by  being trained to live a God-like life is equipped to lead others to so live.

A full God-like life calls for a knowledge of the Bible and the catechism, but it also calls for knowing how to work and play and to appreciate what is worthwhile.

It seems to me that the Church made a good effort at that with our twelve-year seminary courses that took boys from grade school to ordination. Those courses stocked the storerooms of boys with the books of the Bible, with literature and math, along with lessons on working hard and being cheerful.

In a directive the diocese sent out last week Religion teachers were asked to follow approved text books. That is a fine directive. We do not want teachers filling the minds of their listeners with their own pet peeves and pet projects.

But teachers must be cautioned against treating the textbook lessons as material that can just be shelved on the minds of their listeners. 

Look at how Jesus talked to farmers about farming and to fishermen about fishing. He used what people were familiar with to lift their thoughts to similarities in the spiritual world.

So, to start with, a teacher must bring from his or her storeroom what is already a real part of the lives of his or her students. Then he must use those materials as clues for finding a new path into the world of spiritual mysteries.