By Zoe Cannon
Gratitude for the Gift of Faith
“Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him”(Proverbs 30:5).
I had the privilege of helping our daughter homeschool three of our young grandsons. We began on August 30, 2019, and ended on Friday, May 15, 2020. We studied Religion and American History. The joy of sharing two of my greatest passions — the Catholic Church and the history of our great country — was a blessing.
We covered 94 different topics about our faith and 70 topics regarding great Americans and how the country evolved. Our main focus was to learn about the integrity of the people from each subject. We read about saints and some not-so-saintly people in history, and we learned something from both.
History is where we learn from the past to protect the future. The Scripture accounts in salvation history are even more important to study and defend! It was interesting to link the two subjects together, not just by century and date, but also by the belief system and thoughts of the people from each era.
We studied a little Indiana history. We talked about the state motto, which is the “Crossroads of America.” Did you know that Indiana has more miles of Interstate Highway per square mile than any other state? The motto is traced back to the early 1800s when river travel was a major means of transportation. This led to a discussion about this time of history in my hometown, Vincennes. We planned a field trip to the St. Francis Xavier Minor Basilica for noon Mass, as well as a visit to the Bishop Simon Brute Library. I enjoyed sharing the history of 1834 and the first Bishop of Indiana, as his Episcopate created the 13th diocese of the United States in Vincennes, Indiana.
When you are four, six and eight years old, you see things with great awe and, of course, many questions. I am confident the information and visual artifacts shared that day gave them a real sense of life in our country during the 1800s. The most important lesson was hearing about the sacrifices made by the French missionaries who came to Indiana to bring the Catholic faith to others.
It has never been easy to be a missionary of mercy, a disciple of Christ, a true Christian in a battle against all that is sacred, the work of saving souls. St. Augustine said, “God made us without our consent, but He will not save us without our consent.” These are powerful words! I imagine Bishop Simon Bruté understood the challenges ahead of him when he arrived in Vincennes to preach the Gospel and educate young men as seminarians. He knew without the grace of the sacraments through the action of the Holy Spirit, this uncivilized area of the country would fail to know Jesus. He knew this grace would make a difference between a life of good intentions, and one based on clear awareness through faith in living by the power of the cross of Christ. He wanted people to have the means to get to heaven and enjoy eternal life.
The world is in turmoil, and it began long before the coronavirus. The effect of this horrible virus has shed some light on real darkness. We are at a crossroads with a crisis of faith in our society. We need the grace of God to navigate the rough journey ahead. We need to trust in the healing power of God and be faithful in sharing the teachings of Christ! We need the fullness of faith in the sacraments to strengthen us! Always be the person you needed when you were a child. Teach your children to love the Catholic faith by example and deed! God has blessed us! With Him, all things are possible. Do not be afraid! Amen!