Course XLVII - Teaching 23: Treatment of Children at College (December 17th, 1956)

Lecture of the Knight Great Master based on written remarks made by Mrs. Amelia at request of him. He used those remarks exclusively related to education and treatment of children at college. To educate children is the work given by the Divine Mother to this Community. Mrs. Amelia says that the name that we have taken –Integral School-Teachers– is very beautiful, but if we do not fill it up in every aspect, this name may make one laugh.
Since the beginning, the college has offered especially to children a material treatment. We were servants, and they were owners of the house. So they were educated in such a way that the memory of the teaching and the love that they received shall remain in them forever. This was possible as they were some few children, but as their number increased, we could detect several defects. This year, the Divine Mother made us experience a very hard trial, and other ten years have to pass in order to forget its effects. We spent ten years to build our present Work, and now we have to start again. To start again is not to fail; it is the best that a human being can experience, and above all in case of a spiritual being. The Divine Mother wants a totally new spirit in us, and not an spirit of surrender, but of super-surrender.
Let us see this. The Daughters are excellent educators of children, but when these children are some few, because as they are tested with many children, they fail, and cannot control these children. You can see it in broken yards and in neatness of these children.
Other schools, which are considered very good, have one person for every 40 or 50 children, and are rightly in charge of them, but we have no more than 10, and fail.
A factor observed by Mrs Amelia: The Daughters love these children, but their love is more potential than active. They love in a collective way, but individually they lose their temper, orientation and perspective, and this damages the individual direction of a child.
For instance: the maternal aspect of love is absent if when a child falls, you ask if something is broken, and you do not see if this child is hurt; also the game aspect. Games are promoted in our college. A college with no game is a prison. But according to Mrs. Amelia, in games of our children there is hatred and rancor; as longs as they try to win, they kick each other.
The Knight Great Master feels that you should watch over children, not while they sleep, but when they expand, during their games, by observing their reaction, and guiding and reprimanding him. You should not observe them being seated; this is to rest and leave the children to develop alone. No, we must be right there, paying especial attention to them during their games. We should not rest them, since our action is there. Usually, now you use a whistle, but this not as effective as the voice vibration. A whistle is easier, but children need to play within our magnetic area. The education of a child depends upon one’s example and one’s word. Our example is that of renunciation, but our words not only are on the level of the uniform that we wear. Many times, one addresses strong words to these children, which gradually inhibit and transform them into those epithets that we used.
All this is obvious now that we have more children; therefore, our responsibility is greater for these children that the Divine Mother gave us for their education.
We must be more and more, and live only to help them in the true sense of the world. Never say “I cannot”; this is not proper in the Divine Mother’s Daughters, who can do all. We should be as a mother at her home; she has time for all; time does not exist. We are Integral School-Teachers, that is, mothers, school-teachers, sisters, friends, and everything that circumstances may require. We must meditate rightly on this. Under Salesian Brothers are 800 children, and under Mother Cabrini’s Sisters 6 to 8 of the latter are in charge of 800 children, and these Sisters have no problem.
We must reach the integral power of the Mother’s Daughters. We should say, “She is in my heart. Forward!”.
One’s body is weak, gets tired and ill, but the Divine Mother is close to us, and we get strength from Her for all.
All Sons are very good and have the true spirit; but this spirit still exists potentially. One has a virtue, and other has a defect. Sometimes one Son practices the Observance and has no common sense, and is a good manager, but does not work hard. The seed of the Master’s sowing has to sprout: to be good organizers and administrators, and true Daughters of the Mother.
May we learn to die at this retirement. May the whole past remain on Earth. May all of us start again, from the Mother, not partially, but as a whole, in one piece, because we can do all from Her. May we have true detachment. May we avoid to think: I do this right or wrong. May we forget it. Then we shall have strength to lead the Argentinean Nation, and the United Nations if necessary. Otherwise, we need an entire lifetime to make something.
This year we have to make new changes. Hope all of them for good. And after tears, may we harvest joy.
We cannot have difficulties, since we have left all. This is for the world. Our difficulties are only related to our spiritual progress, to our soul. We have no inner problems, and our skill to solve all has to manifest this outside.
Our Renunciation Vow is the lever that can move and save the Humanity, but this strength must be effective and convincing, real, active, and not only potential.