1. The opportunity to journey with young people on their faith journey.
a. For most young people the days are gone where they would have nourished their faith with support from their family, parish and school. For most now the main voice to help support and foster a faith life is their RE teacher. With so many options now for young people to spend their time between school, sports, hobbies, family commitments, household chores and more there can be little time for God. As a teacher I have the great privilege to share the faith with my students through prayer, catechesis, scripture reading, the sacramental life and the sharing of my own faith story.
2. The ability to propose an amazing way to live life.
a. With young people trying to find their way and work out who they are and where they find meaning I can sometimes be the only voice calling for them to consider the teachings of Jesus. While there is a lot of negative press when it comes to the Catholic Church the fundamentals of living a Catholic life can not easily be denied. To love one another, to forgive, to help the less fortunate are all great life lessons and pave the way for a fulfilling life.
3. The “off topic” discussions.
a. I love the “off topic” discussions I have in a class. Being asked who made God? What is heaven? Did Jesus have brothers and sisters? Does the Church hate Gay people? What’s a brother? All of these opportunities allow me to provide a real answer that hopefully makes them think and ask more questions. I recall many times where I have lost 10 minutes talking to a small group of students while the rest of the class move ‘off task.’ I always consider these discussions to be the highlights of my day.
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