Both are in the profession of trying to help us learn. Teachers educate us on various subjects such as math, English, art and things we must know and do to succeed in our earthly life. Priests have the equal ly important job of teaching us about God, our Catholic faith and how we can enter heaven.
The two professions can also surprise me in much the same way. It’s that moment when you see a teacher outside of school or a priest outside of the church. My brain stops working for a few moments while I process the thoughts: “You don’t live at school?” or “Are you even allowed to walk around without your vestments?” No matter how many times it happens, I am always dumbfounded at the fact that they have a life that doesn’t revolve around school or the church, probably in part because both work for the greater good.
I have never seen a teacher who was in it for the money. They’re always working for the kids. They want to send out better-educated kids into the world so that they will be able to survive the harsh realities of life. They aren’t in this for themselves, and neither are priests. They are looking to help every single person they can to walk the path God has created for them. They aren’t there because they think that if they become a priest they are automatically guaranteed a spot in heaven. They are there for the people.
In addition, both priests and teachers educate you on the difference between right and wrong. If you take a kid’s toy at school, be sure that a teacher will pop up right beside you like magic and deal out a fair and just punishment. Although, at the time, it may not seem so fair. A teacher educates you on the difference between wrong and right that will keep you out of trouble. Likewise, a priest will tell you the way to live that will open the gates of heaven.
Priests also try to teach the Bible in a relatable way. Last Sunday my priest read a passage from the Bible that seemed unrelated to modern life. So he offered up a personal story that conveyed God’s message. Is a women getting stoned for sinning in life today? No. But does a women get ostracized by some of her closest friends for a wrong deed? Yes.
And teachers do the exact same thing, helping potentially boring topics seem more interesting. How many people care about the molecular structure of water or diamonds? But your teachers tell you that when you freeze a diamond in water, the diamond will not be visible due to both of them having a similar molecular structure. And then he or she informs you that is why diamonds have the popular nickname ice, which makes the subject a heck of a lot more interesting.
Teachers and priests are ultimately playing the same role, just on different scales and under different titles.
(Swist, 16, is a student at Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School in Toronto.)