By Zoe Cannon
Gratitude for the Gift of Faith
“Those who disregard discipline despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction gains understanding” Proverbs 15:32.
Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Sacred Scripture is beneficial in teaching, warning and training for righteousness. We have guidelines: The Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule or Greatest Commandment. “Love God with all your heart, soul and strength, and love your neighbor as you love yourself” Mark 12:30. God provides everything we need to make good choices, but rules can be uncomfortable.
I love teaching religion, especially during the Lenten and Easter seasons. The liturgical calendar sets aside 95 days to intentionally focus on Jesus, his obedience, power and complete acceptance of the will of God — the source of his strength!
During Lent, my students and I focused on the prophecies and the fulfillment of our salvation history. We reviewed each grace-filled ritual and the cast of characters in this important redemption narrative. We created a giant poster with pictures of the 14 Stations of the Cross. The visual images in this sequence are very powerful. We printed out a script called the “Twelve Voices of Easter” and talked about the participation of each one. There is so much to learn about human relationships, mob mentality and our trust in God through the story of the Passion of Jesus Christ. Most importantly, we witnessed the Divine and human nature of the Son of Man and his role in defeating the darkness of sin.
Our discussion began with the betrayal and disobedience of Adam and Eve, the promise of the New Eve and New Adam, the significance of John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus, the choosing of each disciple, the Passover and the Last Supper, and the temptation of Jesus in his battle with the evil one. We studied the events of Holy Week, the significance of the Chrism Mass, Triduum, the washing of the feet, and the institution of the priesthood and the Eucharist at the Last Supper. We talked about the liturgical colors and details for each beautiful ritual leading up to the Resurrection of Jesus. We reviewed the scripture readings and gospels detailing the story of the most important battle and victory on earth — the passion, death and resurrection of Christ!
In the minds and hearts of children, the images of the crucifixion insight anger, confusion and a sincere sadness for Jesus. It is important to explain the life experiences of Jesus and our own challenges with genuine truth, so confusion and chaos are made clear. Our catechesis brought us to the story of Easter joy, and a reminder that in 50 days we will celebrate Pentecost and the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives!
God does not make demands on us. He corrects us so that we do not fall from our own best selves. Jesus taught us that discipline is hard, anger is not always a contradiction of love and you can find redemption in suffering. Jesus showed us how to serve and admonish one another. For the great majority, life is a struggle, and in the great arena of history, we are dependent on one another. There is fulfillment in responsibility, and in our vocation, God needs us to help one another. He provides for us! True love may require fraternal correction because God does not want us to be threatened by sin. How can you help others gain understanding? Let God be glorified in all you do! Amen!