By Zoe Cannon
Gratitude for the Gift of Faith
“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”(2 Corinthians 9:15).
In this Scripture passage from Second Corinthians, St. Paul is speaking to the people of Corinth in the year 57 A.D. These Epistles are the most personal and passionate of his letters because he finds himself defending his ministry. St. Paul is referring to the gift of grace!
When I wake up in the morning I pray, Heavenly Father, help me do everything today because I believe in Jesus, not because of what other people do or don’t do. In our divided country, we are not fighting against other people; we are fighting against Satan and a kingdom of spiritual darkness. Accepting God’s gift of grace through the power of the Holy Spirit strengthens us for the battle! In Jesus, we witness love and the meaning of suffering. Sanctifying grace instituted in the Sacraments is our hope for these times.
A powerful declaration of faith and meaningful dialogue from all Christians are needed for conversion in the world. These words from Pope St. Felix III (492) are timely: “Not to oppose error, is to approve it, and not to defend truth is to suppress it, and indeed to neglect to confound evil men, when we can do it, is no less a sin than to encourage them.” Encouraging others with genuine love builds a healthy society, which is desperately needed!
We enjoy spending time at the little league baseball fields watching our three grandsons play baseball. There is so much to learn about life from a baseball game! As in all phases of life, whether a practice or a real game, being intentional about good attitude and performance provide a respectable outcome. “I tell the kids, somebody’s gotta win, and somebody’s gotta lose. Don’t fight about it. Just try to get better” (Yogi Berra).
The joy I experience in teaching my grandchildren their Religion and History subjects extends far beyond our homeschooled classroom. We’ve had many discussions about living a Christian life in a world filled with distractions. Children understand far more than we give them credit for, and they learn quickly by observing other people. Forming strong individuals with realistic attitudes begins long before the small baseball cleats are running out on the field.
It is called a game; but the challenge of following rules, keeping behavior in check and playing as a team member are at times daunting for children. Hitting the ground with a bat if you strike out, kicking the dirt if you miss a fly ball or ignoring eye contact with a coach when you make a mistake are not acts of good sportsmanship. These simple examples of bad behavior are not exclusive to the baseball field or to little children! As adults, we need to be the person we needed as a child. Be willing to share truth with passion as St. Paul did to the early Church in Corinth.
My grandsons make the sign of the cross with holy water at the start of our school day. They mentioned if the extra grace in this sacramental helped create good attitude and behavior in the classroom that maybe they needed it on the baseball field too. Good plan! Unafraid of questions or interruption of pregame practice, these little guys run up to the fence before the game begins as I discretely make the sign of the cross with holy water of their sweaty foreheads and little hands. They have so much more to learn about life, but by the grace of God they will know where to find truth and real strength. They will rely on their friend and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!