In these challenging times it can be very easy to give in to despair and fear. The modern news cycle and the fear-based narrative of social media can make us feel that we are alone and that things are going from and to worse. What we all really need is a reminder of the power of faith and the decision to be people of faith and not victims of circumstance. In this episode I want to share with you a great quote and help you realise just how influential and important your faith is in the lives of those around you.

Well, Hey everybody, Jonathan Doyle with you.

Once again, welcome back to the Catholic teacher daily podcast,

your daily source of inspiration and encouragement in this precious vocation

that you have of Catholic education.

You know, the main website that I developed around this is one Catholic

teacher.com and there's a reason I chose that name one Catholic teacher.com.

Is simply because it's all it takes to change the life, the future.

The fight experience of a young person, just one Catholic teacher.

I'm really convinced that none of us can really solve the

great problems of the world.

Right now.

There's so much happening around our world.

There's a connectedness.

There's a global perspective that I think technology has really changed.

The experience of so many of us.

And by that, I mean that, you know, things have always been

happening in human history.

Of course, you know, there's always been.

Issues and challenges, but the connectedness right now can

make us all feel like it's all happening at the same time.

So I drew some comfort from the fact that, uh, that I can't fix the problems

of the world and no individual person can.

But what we can do is make a significant impact in the world, around us,

in the world of our classroom, in the world of one young students.

So one Catholic teacher can always make that difference

and never lose sight of that.

Whether you're having a good day, a bad day.

I keep saying this just about every episode, you can't know the particular

conversation, if a particular moment of presence and pastoral care.

Is going to change the life of any student.

Now, today.

I want to share with you a great quote from a brilliant Catholic

theologian father Romano Guardini.

Who, uh, has gone home to his eternal rest, but, uh, I brilliant

philosopher and theologian.

And you can tell he's one of the big guns, because

Entity 16, who of course was a phenomenal theologian in his own.

Right.

Was a great fan of Romano Guardini so this is quite, it's very simple.

Listen to this.

He says as one candle, Is lit from the flame of another.

So is faith.

Kindled by faith.

As one candle is lit from the flame of another.

So is faith kindled by faith.

All right.

What's this got to do with you while I've been on a faith?

Crusade in the last few weeks, I've got a wonderful mentor.

Who's.

I've been helping me to reflect on the power of faith.

And I think we really need faith in these difficult times.

Right now.

It's so easy to be surrounded by all the negativity, all the fear of the future.

And isn't that how the enemy works.

He always trades in fear.

You know that I was studying this stuff in the zone.

There's a line from the Yale anchor Bible dictionary about faith.

And it says faith by its very nature.

Opposes fear.

Isn't that powerful that faith by its very nature.

Opposes fear.

Faith refuses to accept the core premises of fear.

Faith refuses to accept those core premises of fear that, uh,

that we are not safe, that we are not going to be taking care of.

That there are forces outside of subtle overwhelmness.

Faith speaks into those things.

And reminds us that it's not up to us to protect ourselves from reality.

It's up to us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author,

and perfecter of our faith.

And if we keep our eyes fixed on him in faith, in faith, that he will

bring about his purposes in faith.

That he will bring history to its appropriate end.

Then we get insulated from the power of fear.

And it was also, as I was studying last week have been going across to

adoration each day at about 2:00 PM.

And we're just working through faith scriptures.

And it's amazing when you look at the life of Jesus.

How often he speaks about it and how often his miracles are

deeply related to people's faith.

So, you know, when Jesus goes back to Nazareth thin.

Um, Mark's gospel is that moment where he says, you know, he

couldn't work many miracles there because of the lack of faith.

So, you know, I was also speaking last week and studying the, the

woman with the hemorrhage and gyrus his daughter, all of these.

Miracles happen because of radical faith.

What about the Centurion servant?

This insurance is, Hey Jesus.

You don't even need to come to my house.

You can just do it from here.

I mean, what kind of fight is that?

So, I'm on this crusade to remind us all of the crucial importance of faith.

Now what I want to talk about faith now about in the context

of Catholic education, is this.

Police do not underestimate for a second, the power of your faith to

impact your colleagues and your students.

You see our faith.

Kindles the flame of faith in all those around us, you know, you've ever

been around somebody that's really confident, not arrogant, but just

confident in what God's going to do.

Just, you know, a person of real faith that Jesus will do this.

He'll come through the holy Spirit's going to move.

That kind of faith.

So you either get cynical and you go, yeah, whatever.

Okay.

You're one of those people, or it's intoxicating.

It's inspiring.

You get energized by it.

So each Friday, I go to mass at my son's Catholic high school

and do a great job there.

They've got a wonderful mass there every Friday.

And you know, it's just, there were days they, when it's really full and

you see all these teachers and they're busy and they're, you know, he can

see that the minute mass is over, they have to basically run out of the

room to get to the classes on time.

But it's fascinating that, that once they get around each other,

the faith of each of them, I think impacts the faith of the rest of them.

So they see that they're not alone, that there's other teachers of

real deep faith who prioritize the Eucharist who want to be with together

with other teachers of deep faith.

So, I guess what I'm trying to say to you is this quote says, you know, as

one candle is lit from the flame of another, so is faith kindled by faith?

So.

Our faith is not a private matter.

And by faith, I don't mean a Catholic Praxis of religion.

I mean, Our faith in Jesus Christ.

It's not an insulated.

You know, individual act that the more on fire we are with the faith of Jesus

and faith in Jesus, the more that impacts those other staff around us.

So don't be shy.

Friends.

Don't hide it.

Use your speak about what he's doing, speak about what he's done.

Today I was studying, I think it was Chronicles.

Um, you know, we're we're David is talking about.

You know, remember what he's done.

Be reminded of his action in your life and speak about it.

And rather than give into all the fear that's around us, look back into your life

at the times where Jesus has really moved.

And the spirits really moved in your life.

So friends.

Your faith is a flame, and I want you to go set fire to some other people today.

Live your faith in front of your students.

Talk about your faith.

You know, pray for people, just constantly keep that faith.

Your eyes fixed on Jesus front and center.

All right.

That's it for me.

It's been a blessing to share and speak with you today.

And I want to thank you for what you're doing in Catholic education.

I mentioned recently that, uh, my wife, Karen is doing an awesome

program for Catholic women.

So if you are a Catholic woman or even in fact, you know, a Catholic woman.

Jump across to discover my gifts.com.

Discover my gifts.com and she's put together this beautiful free.

Uh, strengths finder for Catholic women.

So do that come and find me on Twitter at J D Catholic.

And you can find us on Facebook at one Catholic teacher come

across the one Catholic teacher.

On Facebook and join the group there.

We'd love to have you join us.

All right friends.

That's it for me, please make sure you've subscribed to the podcast.

My name's Jonathan Doyle has been a blessing to do this.

Thanks so much for what you're doing.

Go and radiate that faith.

And i'll have another message for you tomorrow