Spent the evening, following mass, with some parents for this year's Religious Education classes. It presented me with another opportunity to reflect on the role of the local parish in forming the lives of young christian people. By extension I could apply this to the formation of christian disciples of any age.
Once again I found myself speaking of the importance of catechizing children beyond the classes themselves. In other words, the insistence that parents are the first teachers of faith in the lives of their children. I encouraged those present to take this responsibility seriously and to engage their children actively in their relationship with Jesus Christ.Sr. Mary Kastens, OP, our parish director for Religious Education said it best when she remarked that the ultimate goal of this program is to, "place what they have learned in their head and heart, into their hands." A Gospel that is touchable and visible in their lives.
I couldn't agree more. So often we have this sense that God is connected to our lives from a distance. The Gospel that we have been preparing to preach is really one that must have a strong root in our day to day lives if it is to ever grow.
I commend the parents who were present tonight and assure them of my prayer - our prayer - for the year ahead. May this truly be a season of new beginnings.
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