At mass this Friday, the first reading told of a group of men who seek to test the holiness of a just man.  They conspire because “he is obnoxious to us; sets himself against our doings, reproaches us for transgressions of the law and charges us with violations of our training” (Wisdom 2:12-13).  We see these men who know what is right scheming to bring down their compatriot who seeks to follow in the light of the Lord.  Their peer stands for the values and truth of heaven and goodness, which to them is “different.”  As I listened to this reading with my fifth grade class in Los Angeles, the idea of values and what we stand for as Catholics stuck with me.

Values are the basis of our lives – how we act and who we are rests in their foundation.  If our values are strong; we follow the moral path in life.  If weak, we crumble from temptations of those around us, succumbing to the snares of Satan and his minions.  We recognize the importance of values, but several questions arise.  Where do values come from?  How should they be followed?

Our parents and the Church inculcate values in us.  All men are born with a natural sense of right and wrong (or at least so I hold and believe).  However, the environment forms and shapes that sense – sharpening or deadening it.  I can see this quite clearly in my role as a teacher.  The formation of children remains a focus of Catholic schools and my school is no different.  As a young adult, my faith life impacts my presentation of religion for 23 fifth graders.  It amazes me to think about how my actions and words impact the formation of my own students and those in other grades.  We, as teachers, are constantly observed, mimicked, and, sometimes, even obeyed.

However strong our sense of right and wrong may be, it is in following our values that I, and most others, struggle.  At which point do our values become something we give up to satisfy the pressures of the world and those around us?  We are constantly tested by those around us and our situations.  If our values have been instilled and practiced – then these tests can be handled.  We can turn to God, as a child to a parent, and take refuge in Him through prayer and the Sacraments.

It is when we are weakest, though, that the true temptations arise.  When we are tired, shortcuts present themselves and the idea of giving up seems most tantalizing.  It is always easier to go to Mass when you’ve slept well the night before than when your sleep was disturbed.

Teaching is where the formation and practice of values comes most together.  I am called upon to form Catholic values through the practice of my own values.  When I curse in class, I am essentially telling my students it’s acceptable to do the same.  When I take shortcuts and am lazy, my students’ value for hard work is damaged. It’s amazing how perceptive 10 year olds can be when they see a role model doing something wrong.  I can lecture on the Declaration of Independence for 20 minutes and impart not a single fact, but if I do not genuflect one time after leaving Church, 20 children will remember that for next time.

This challenge, though, is a good one to have.  As a teacher, I am called to think of the children entrusted to my care first.  I spend more time with my students than they spend with their parents (in general).  I need to confirm that trust in me by pushing myself not just in planning and teaching, but in acting.

I am pushed more by the 46 eyes that watch me every day than by my own moral compass.  This too reinforces the Catholic message –  we are community.  Just because someone is less than half my age and can’t name the capital of his or her state, does not mean that, like the children who came to Jesus, they should be dismissed.  We need to take comfort in our entire faith community – young to old – to push us along and teach us in the matters of our faith.

Values are things of worth (from Valere in Latin).  If they are of worth, they should be treasured, nurtured, and displayed. They come from God, but are shined and polished by our experience and interactions with others.  I have taken many things away from my 8months of teaching, none more so than that I only teach half the time.  The other half?  I am taught.

Kevin, aka Mr. D, is lovin’ life in LA with his fifth graders. Contact him at kmdra06@yahoo.com.