Who are the persons who taught you important life lessons? - Daily Reflections April 23,2015

CONTINUING ON THEIR WAY REJOICING   My first lessons on prayer remain embedded in my memory. My mother taught me how to do the sign of the cross, recite the basic prayers, and form the habit of lifting up my mind and heart to God before leaving the house or going on a journey.        I remember, too, how my two grandmothers would never go out of the house without first reciting prayers, including a prayer to the “angel de la guardia,”which I did not fully understand then.        These have remained with me through these years. I learned the basics of my faith on account of this simple fact: someone close to me instructed me. It is also why I cannot forget the day my father walked me to school, showing me the many intersections I needed to pass through.        This is how it works when it comes to knowing and living the faith. Somebody has to walk you through it. This is what Philip did — he guided the unnamed traveler to understanding what he read.        Being an educator has taught me precious lessons. One of them is that it is not always the most brilliant who remember what you taught. Faith goes beyond merely knowing. It has a lot to do with relating. What is important is not so much the mind, as the heart. Former students who have kept in touch with me all these years were not necessarily those who were in awe about what I said, or those who religiously and painstakingly recorded what sounded memorable to them. Those who come back grateful are those I have accompanied through the ups and downs of life; those whom I have walked through difficulties to solutions that they themselves discovered; those that I have guided through the exciting, exhilarating process of relating — with me, with others and with God.        The eunuch asked to be baptized after being guided and he went away happy. Some point to ponder: Do people we meet also “continue on their way rejoicing?” Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB   REFLECTION QUESTION: Who are the persons who taught you important life lessons?   Thank You, Lord, for the many people, saints included, who taught me about my faith and showed me how to live it through the witness of their lives.