Wednesday June 14th: Each One,Teach One

“…but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven”

Matthew 5:17-19

According to Wikipedia, the phrase “each one, teach one” originated in the US during slavery when Africans were denied education and adopted this approach so that knowledge could be shared. This saying has since been adopted in different countries referring to various circumstances, though clearly from today’s Gospel its origin might be from Jesus as part of His sermon on the Mount.

Jesus wants us to understand that obeying the commands is just as important as teaching others about it. We should not limit teaching or imparting knowledge about faith and God’s love only to the clergy, catechists and lay ministers. No, that’s our mission too. This doesn’t have to be a formal class, but we can also achieve this by the way we live, how we forgive, how we use opportunities presented to be a witness of God’s love for us, and how we give our time, talent and treasure to the building of the kingdom.

Lord, give me the courage not only to observe but to also teach your command.