Monday, March 10, 2008

Pom Pom Sunday?

What a Great Night!
RCIA is always fun but there is something very special about teaching the Inquiry Class. The people have not yet made any kind of real decision - they are still searching. To be able to give them information and then watch lights come on in their eyes is the type of experience no one should ever be without in their lifetime.
Tonight I taught the doctrine of Original Sin. We read through the chapter on The Fall from Genesis and talked about what the Original Sin of our first parents really was; pride, self-love and lack of trust in God. We talked about how that affected them, how it affects us today and whether or not the promise of 'you can be like gods' still exists in the world today - the idea that we can have something for nothing, that people 'in the know' are keeping something from us and if we buy this, take that pill, have that lover or job or stuff we will 'have it all'.
We gave them the 'deal breakers' - the beginning of Catholic Teaching that cannot be disputed or disgarded if one is to become a Catholic. The belief that we did have two original parents, that there was some sort of personal sin committed that robbed them of their Original Justice and Holiness and close communion with The Creator. We spoke of the plan of salvation God put into action as a way to help us regain what our parents lost for us. We discussed the presence of Satan and a real and viable being and that there are sins in this world - things that are flat our wrong and, if we do, represent the creatures spitting into the face of the Creator. Most of all, we discussed that God is a gentleman...He does not force Himself on anyone and that their task, over the next year, was to truly work towards discernment: is the Catholic Church where I want to be as a Christian? Can I accept Her teachings even if I am unable to understand all of them, or even the reasoning behind all of them, right now?
Most important in my mind was telling them that God is the author of all TRUTH and that Truth is not, and cannot be, relative. Because God is the author of all Truth it stands therefore that faith, without reason, is not true faith - it is, in fact, tyranny or anarchy. God did not create us with the ability to reason and give us the incredible gift of Free Will because He had nothing else better to do. We are to use our facilities to seek Him....and while Catholics know that Jesus gave us the fullness of the Christian Faith we also recognize that not everyone is going to be able to accept that fullness. This is what Inquiry is for - to ask, to pray, to think....we do not believe in assembly line Catechesis at St. Joseph's. And if you are or want to be a cafeteria Catholic, then you will have to go somewhere else; at our parish the cafeteria is closed.
I also went to put in gas in my new little car today - I have travelled 96 miles...the car took 2.154 gals of regular gas.
Thank you, Lord, for technology.
Tomorrow, it is back to work. I am anxious to get back into the game. I go to the doctor this week for a follow up on my neck and shoulder injuries from the accident and am going to ask for a referal to a chiropractor.
On March 12, Jillian turns 7. In Mass yesterday she heard Father talk about Palm Sunday next week and asked me later if I would be sure to bring her her own 'pom poms next week because I won't be with you to go to Mass". I could not figure it out at first, and then realized she thought Father had said Pom Pom Sunday....I showed her the video on Story Keepers about Jesus' triumphant ride into Jerusalem...and she got a little twinkle in her eyes and said, "Look, see Auntie? They are waving pom pom branches...they are cheerleaders for Jesus".
Yeah...ok...works for me.
I also want to congratulate Presidential Candidate John McCain for rejecting the endorsement of a wildly anti-Catholic evangelical preacher. This madman has called the Church a 'whore', a 'cult' and condemned all us Catholics to hell. McCain angrily defended Catholic teaching to newsman and unequivacly (did I spell that right?) rejected this 'preacher's' endorsement.
Good for you.

1 comment:

Christine said...

LOL! Kids say the cutest things. Pom Pom's indeed.