Thank you, teachers!

With the apostolic letter in the form of Motu Proprio Antiquo ministeriuma few days ago, the Pope instituted the ministry of Catechist. In his first lines, Francis recalls the word by which, since apostolic times, those who were entrusted with transmitting the treasure of the faith have been known as "teachers". 

From this platform that is given to me, I would like to thank all of you today, my dear teachers.

First of all, to my parents as my first teachers of the faith. To my mother especially, since she was also my parish catechist for Christian initiation. She taught me how to address my Father in prayer, introduced me to Jesus as a model of life, explained to me how to let myself be led by the Spirit and discovered to me that "my mothers are two" because in heaven there is "the Virgin who is also God's mother". Not only did they fulfill their obligation to form me in the faith, but they also fought so that my siblings and I, especially in the difficult years of adolescence, would not take the easy alternative of abandoning Christian formation.

I remember how reluctantly I went to perseverance catechesis every Friday afternoon, while my friends were already starting the weekend and enjoying their hobbies or doing nothing at all. But there was no choice. My parents put up with my tantrums, showing me what I later understood to be fundamental in the life of a person: that in God we live, we move and we exist; and that to live ignoring this, diminishes the capacity of a young person to understand himself, to understand the world, to build himself as a person, to be a happy adult, in short, to be a happy adult.

From my youth until today, I have continued to grow in the faith thanks to the patience, apostolic zeal and tremendous generosity of men and women, mostly lay people, who have lovingly watered the seed they planted in my heart one day. My catechists, like exquisite gardeners, took care of me from the time I was a seedling, and they changed pots with delicacy as I needed more space until they made sure that my roots were well anchored to the rock. Sometimes, they had to prune a crooked branch, put a little more fertilizer in times of drought and scrutinize my fruits well to see if any aphids or diseases had started to appear. With love, dedicating much, much time to training, to preparing the catechesis well; they left and continue to leave behind their comfort, their family time, their weekends and the modesty of exposing themselves to complete strangers.

Thank you, masters, because, although some may think it is crazy to talk to plants, from your mouth came words of eternal life that made this and many other dry sticks bear fruit: some a hundred, others sixty, some thirty.

I know that you do not like to give thanks, since you recognize yourselves as mere instruments in God's hands; but if I ask you to remember, in your turn, those who catechized you, you will surely join with me in this great thanksgiving to God for each link of that millenary chain of love and faith of which you are a part.

Thank you teachers!