Course XLVII - Teaching 13: To Do Good among Children (March 17th, 1956)

We should do as much good as possible among children.
We have to apply our Teaching to their education. Even to impart to this education a psychological guide, and so on, we should go the fountain of the holy books. The Gospels say that when Jesus entered Jerusalem with His disciples, being acclaimed by the multitude and with children around, He was unable to move. So his disciples tried to remove all of them gesticulating and pushing. Jesus said: “Sinite parvulos venire ad me” (“Let little children come unto me, and forbid them not”), and put his hands upon them. For centuries this is a message for teachers, educators and monitors.
Was there a contradiction between both attitudes, between Jesus and his disciples? No. Every one was performing his specific mission. For Jesus, his disciples were His sons, His life, and His blood. Do not forget that they were men that had abandoned all. Do not forget that John and Peter were there, and he said to them: “I will transform you into fishermen of men”, and they threw their nets away, and followed him. Do not forget that Matthew was there; he was a tribute collector and abandoned his books. The disciples had to attest to their Master’s words with their own lives and blood. He had said: “The one that hears you hears me; the one that loves you, loves me; and the one that harms you, harms me”. Jesus could “afford” to be sweet and kindly, but His sons had to be severe because this was their duty and obligation, and had to open the way to their Divine Master. Also we form a harmonious group, one body, the unique school-teacher.
Our purpose is to educate children rightly. So there must be only one instruction, and every one must act differently. That is, personal concepts are out of question, and we shall have only one instruction. Many times one thinks: “This is the best way to educate a child”. Another person says: “One must be more severe”, but all this is “my opinion”. Also this happens to me. And after some few months or after one year, you see that this was not the fit way.
Sometimes, before certain situation, we think “it would be better this way”, but we should not interfere with the task of another person; we should understand that every one has to act “on his own spot”, according to needs and tasks to perform. So we notice that sometimes there is certain school-teacher acting as “the ogre”. Always there is an “ogre”: certain person whom the child considers unyielding, and that he feels that she will say “so far”, and will not take one step backward.
By the way, and about the need of an “ogre”: one day I visited the Capuchins, and a kind Sister named Therese said: “See, Mr. Bovisio, I have to play the part of the ‘ogre’. They call me every time that a girl needs a reprimand. I have the fit face”.
Likewise, a Director or Superior can act in a severe or sweet way, according to the moment, but since this contact with the child is fleeting, she can afford this. “Even I can afford this”. But this is different for the one that is inside, at work. Every one must have in the classroom a line or a way to behave that is already traced, and has to persevere on it strictly.
In classroom, since the School-Teacher has to work with the mind of the child, her field is wider, and she can be partially a companion, partially a friend, partially a daughter and a “teacher”, partially sweet, partially severe, partially kindly, and later, above all, a school-teacher that imparts instruction to the child.
A classroom and a boarding-school have two entirely-different functions. Nobody should interfere with the task of another teacher. The one that is “head” cannot be “hands”, and “hands” cannot be “feet”. Also there is the school-teacher that has to reach the mental field of the child in the classroom, in which he has to find understanding, love and sweetness. The child feels that one school-teacher is kinder or more affectionate, but in fact all of them are affectionate even though he does not know. Every one of us should play certain part, as on the stage, but everything is a unique whole. The child naturally needs an escape, he knows, but responds to a wise guide.
So he believes that one school-teacher is tolerant and affectionate, and that this way he can enjoy escape. We cannot be tyrant or tyrannize the child. The child needs more freedom than anyone because his mind is awakening, his feelings are in expansion, and his physical body tries to develop. In spite of freedom, we should impart discipline to form strong characters We should teach him to be useful and able to defend himself, and to know that life shall subject him to restrictions. Tomorrow he shall be confined to an office, a schedule, and a boss. He shall be given freedom, but under discipline. He must study during the study hours; and he shall have total freedom to play during the game time. Girls need to study, prepare things for their dolls, et cetera. Boys need to run, jump, and shout.
There is a serious problem with children, but do not be afraid of it: their problem is the flesh and instinct. Once I talked to a spiritual son that co-operated on the education, and mentioned another collaborator whose opinion was that one has to be severe and punish these instincts in order to control them, but this led children to hide this vice for fear and to assume false attitudes. “I shared this opinion, but this collaborator did not think so”.
When the Knight Great Master asks what his method was, this collaborator takes him to his classroom and observes that his method is successful. This master affirmed that you remove passion with passion. You should fight against vices giving children an ideal; so they shall love and suffer, and transmute these forces. A child that loves and suffers becomes pure. A boy or a girl at the age of 11 or 12 falls in love with anyone that passes by, with the school-teacher, with a distant ideal, and then this boy or this girl suffers, languishes, and you see sadness in his/her eyes. You should awaken their affective and loving part, and then they shall spend their instinct energies.
The one that suffers and loves is a pure being. That is why we should awaken in him an ideal and make him suffer, since a loving suffering purifies him.