Zoe Cannon
Gratitude for the Gift of Faith
“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:1).
Every baptized Christian should strive to be a good soldier of Christ Jesus! Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus spell out the duties of a Christian in a world filled with confusion and division. I love to share the importance of gratitude for the gifts of faith and grace in our lives. These unmerited gifts of divine help are for the benefit of our salvation, and operates in us for the sanctification of our souls.
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:11-14).
The grace of God is sufficient for all our needs because the power of God and our human weakness work very well together. There is nothing we can do to earn this divine favor from God; it is a gift that enables us to do things we could never do without Him. A great example of true grace is the ability to let go of past hurts and wrongdoing. Through our faith in a merciful God, all things are possible.
“Through the power of the Holy Spirit we take part in Christ’s Passion by dying to sin, and in His Resurrection by being born to new life; we are members of His Body which is the Church, branches grafted onto the vine which is Himself” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1988).
We celebrate Pentecost June 5; and as we watch our society suffering in the battle of good and evil, it is a perfect time to call upon the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit to empower us. We are the Body of Christ, and now is the time! I was excited to share this good news and catechesis in my classroom. We memorized prayers to the Holy Spirit, and read Scripture passages about the fruits and the gifts of the Spirit to prepare for Pentecost. This important Solemnity is recognized as the beginning of the Church instituted by Christ for us! Celebrate!
In our religion class, we were discussing how the power of the Holy Spirit provides grace in all the sacraments we receive. This thought came from an eight-year-old who just received his First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. He explained that he understands that our soul needs cleansed from the marks placed there by sin, but he wanted to share his perspective. “In Baptism, we receive the light of Christ to remove original sin. The light is very bright. But each time we sin the light in our soul dims; so we go to Reconciliation to recharge the light of Christ.” I loved his version of how grace works in us. There are nine days until Pentecost; a novena to the Holy Spirit would be a powerful way to send forth the Spirit in your life.
Enjoy sharing this Children’s Prayer to the Holy Spirit: Come Holy Spirit bring me today, love joy and peace in all that I say. Come Holy Spirit help me be like You ,showing kindness and goodness in all that I do. Come Holy Spirit please bless my family and friends in all that we do! And bless the many people that might not know and love You. Amen.”
Strengthen children by the grace that is in Christ Jesus! Keep soldiering, soldiers! Christ is counting on us! Amen!