Are Catholics and Protestants really that different?
My husband and I went to go see Colin Hay in concert last weekend. He is best known as the crooked-eyed lead singer of the band “Men at Work” popular back in the 80’s. Since that time, slow but steady, he has established quite a lovely solo career. Much of his success stems from his brilliant live performances - which are a mix of song and marvelous storytelling – featuring just him, his guitar and some modest lighting. He spoke with great wisdom and a joyous levity on many topics, from fame to drugs, family to loneliness. One anecdote he shared has really stuck with me.
He said when he was growing up, he was a Protestant. He said he knew he was a Protestant because he wore a blue blazer to school. The Catholics wore burgundy blazers to school. Walking to school was quite terrifying because, apparently, as he understood it as a child, the different color blazers meant that the boys had to fight each other to and from school each day. He said “that was really all I knew about the difference between being a Protestant and being a Catholic. Same God, different blazers.”
Everyone laughed, but seriously. Maybe we all need to take a step back for a slightly wider view, no? Don’t get me wrong. I love my Catholic family. I’m not denying there are some very significant differences in what some of our Protestant brothers and sisters believe about Who God is and how to interpret our shared sacred scriptures - and what we Catholics believe and profess. Big, important differences, that I don’t think we can or should gloss over, but….come on!
Can’t we? Don’t we really stand together in awe of the God who created this amazing 13 billion year old universe? Can’t we practice a bit of epistemological humility and admit that even if we were to combine all the knowledge from every Christian ever in existence, past and present, we still know next to nothing about the Author of love, babies and supernovas? I don’t know about you, but I have learned great and wonderful things from people wearing a different blazer than me. Truth from wherever it comes is truth. I’m thankful to Colin Hay for sharing his truth with such artistry.
Below are some words from Pope Francis on the topic of Ecumenism excerpted from a Vatican Radio report by Philippa Hitchen:
“Christian unity is an essential requirement of our faith, a journey of personal and community conversion to the will of Christ...Unity, is a gift from God and our task is to welcome that gift and make it visible to others. Rather than just a goal to be achieved, we should see the search for unity as a journey that we undertake together with patience, determination, effort and commitment, knowing that all of us are sinners for whom God has infinite mercy…when we work, pray and serve the needy together, we are already united. When theological, liturgical, spiritual and canonical differences are genuinely rooted in the apostolic tradition, they are not a threat, but rather a treasure for the unity of the Church. Trying to suppress such differences, he warned, as happened in the past, goes against the Holy Spirit who enriches different Christians with a variety of gifts.
No one should deny their own faith history, Pope Francis said, and no-one should tolerate the practice of proselytism which he called ‘a poison for the ecumenical journey’. True ecumenism, the Pope concluded, is when we focus not on our own reasons and regulations, but rather on the Word of God which requires us to listen, to receive and to witness to the world.”
Send your "Crazy Catholic Questions" to dre@ctredeemer.org or read past columns at: http://crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com
Saturday, October 7, 2017
Saturday, September 30, 2017
#117 - Chronic Busyness
What do you think Jesus would prescribe for our chronic “busyness” so prevalent in our culture today?
I don’t know about you, but when autumn arrives, my chest hurts. I look at my calendar and think “when am I going to squeeze in a shower?” I think many of us recognize how different our culture is from even 30 years ago. I miss being unplugged and unreachable, how about you? Anybody else answering emails at 2AM? I instruct my teenager to unplug and I know that is a key part of being a good parent these days, but if I’m honest with myself I also see how ridiculously hypocritical it is of me to demand of her.
In talking with other people, I’m quite confident that I’m not alone in feeling like we never have enough time to accomplish everything we want or need to do; to be truly present to those we love (evident too by the submission of this “not-so-crazy” question). The ticking clock has the urgency and alarm that reminds us of some late-night thriller movie. Getting a decent meal on the table every night, shuttling the kids to and from school and “sportsball” (what the nerdy folks in Portland call ALL sporting-like activities according to my cousin who lives there) in relatively clean clothes, meeting work deadlines, keeping our car insurance current, cleaning the gutters…and then we hear the Pope passionately urging us to thoughtfully contemplate our environment and the billions of people on this planet that have it waaaay worse than we could ever even imagine. I feel like such a whiner, missing God’s cues no matter how hard I try, because I know in the deepest part of my being I must do something when 2-year old refugees are dying to escape war. There is little doubt that the pace of our life sometimes causes us to lose touch with what is most important.
I’m not sure what Jesus would “prescribe” for our culture but we can and do observe that during his earthly ministry, Jesus himself escaped the busyness of the crowds occasionally to pray, renew His strength and focus. Mark 6:31 reads “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to [His disciples], ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’” Jesus knew the importance of stopping, eating and finding our calm in order to hear God’s still, quiet voice over the roar of our lives. But I don’t think this stopping and paying attention comes naturally to us these days. The pace of our lives is simply not conducive to spiritual knowing.
Romans 2:12 reads “Do not be conformed to this world, but continuously be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you may be able to determine what God's will is—what is good, acceptable, and perfect.” So, with that, though I don’t want to add yet another thing to your “to-do” list, I do want to invite you to reserve four Thursday evenings this Lent in your calendar now (Feb. 22 – Mar. 15, soup supper & childcare provided) to stop and “renew our minds” together as a community. To spirituality nourish ourselves so that we may hear the will of God more clearly and hone our ability to ruthlessly prioritize!
Send your "Crazy Catholic Questions" to Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org or read past columns at: http://crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com.
I don’t know about you, but when autumn arrives, my chest hurts. I look at my calendar and think “when am I going to squeeze in a shower?” I think many of us recognize how different our culture is from even 30 years ago. I miss being unplugged and unreachable, how about you? Anybody else answering emails at 2AM? I instruct my teenager to unplug and I know that is a key part of being a good parent these days, but if I’m honest with myself I also see how ridiculously hypocritical it is of me to demand of her.
In talking with other people, I’m quite confident that I’m not alone in feeling like we never have enough time to accomplish everything we want or need to do; to be truly present to those we love (evident too by the submission of this “not-so-crazy” question). The ticking clock has the urgency and alarm that reminds us of some late-night thriller movie. Getting a decent meal on the table every night, shuttling the kids to and from school and “sportsball” (what the nerdy folks in Portland call ALL sporting-like activities according to my cousin who lives there) in relatively clean clothes, meeting work deadlines, keeping our car insurance current, cleaning the gutters…and then we hear the Pope passionately urging us to thoughtfully contemplate our environment and the billions of people on this planet that have it waaaay worse than we could ever even imagine. I feel like such a whiner, missing God’s cues no matter how hard I try, because I know in the deepest part of my being I must do something when 2-year old refugees are dying to escape war. There is little doubt that the pace of our life sometimes causes us to lose touch with what is most important.
I’m not sure what Jesus would “prescribe” for our culture but we can and do observe that during his earthly ministry, Jesus himself escaped the busyness of the crowds occasionally to pray, renew His strength and focus. Mark 6:31 reads “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to [His disciples], ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’” Jesus knew the importance of stopping, eating and finding our calm in order to hear God’s still, quiet voice over the roar of our lives. But I don’t think this stopping and paying attention comes naturally to us these days. The pace of our lives is simply not conducive to spiritual knowing.
Romans 2:12 reads “Do not be conformed to this world, but continuously be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you may be able to determine what God's will is—what is good, acceptable, and perfect.” So, with that, though I don’t want to add yet another thing to your “to-do” list, I do want to invite you to reserve four Thursday evenings this Lent in your calendar now (Feb. 22 – Mar. 15, soup supper & childcare provided) to stop and “renew our minds” together as a community. To spirituality nourish ourselves so that we may hear the will of God more clearly and hone our ability to ruthlessly prioritize!
Send your "Crazy Catholic Questions" to Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org or read past columns at: http://crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com.
Saturday, September 23, 2017
#116 - Purpose of "Works"
What is the purpose of the “works” in the atria?
All the atria materials – officially called “works” - are linked closely with our Scriptures. These include maps of Jerusalem and Palestine, Christian and liturgical symbols, and figures and materials for biblical presentations.
Tina Lillig, the National Director of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, writes “You may be wondering how these materials help the religious life of children. Think on this - if an adult hears a beautiful passage from the Bible, the adult might take a Bible, find the passage, and read it slowly again and again. He or she may think deeply about the words and perhaps speak to God in a thankful or hopeful prayer. But a little child, too young to read, needs another way.
In an atrium the child can ponder a biblical passage or a prayer from the liturgy by taking the material for that text and working with it-placing wood figures of sheep in a sheepfold of the Good Shepherd, setting sculpted apostles around a Last Supper table, or preparing a small altar with the furnishings used for the Eucharist…by encouraging young children to reflect deeply on the meaning of scriptureal passages, they are able to work with the materials for long periods of time, often stunning their teachers with their insights…Older children who [can] read often copy parables from the Bible, [place in sequence] written prayers from the rite of baptism, or label a long time line showing the history of the kingdom of God.”
Personally, I can related with scripture scholar Andrea Molinari, who wrote this when she became involved with CGS:
“In my own years of theological training and church ministry, I had come to experience a profound spiritual tiredness - the kind that is born of repeated disappointment in the way things are in the Church today. I had become sickened by the factionalism, the lack of love, the political infighting and blatant hypocrisy… It was in this state that I first encountered CGS. As I studied Sofia's book and visited the atrium, I began to realize that I was being healed on the inside. Seeing the wonder in the children's eyes at hearing the parables of Jesus for the very first time and witnessing the way that their little hearts were so open to God touched me profoundly. It was as if something deep within me stirred again, something that I thought had died long ago. I began to remember why I came to study theology in the first place - not for prestige, accolades and degrees imparted by humanity but because of a search for a closer relationship with God. The deep faith and spirituality that saturates this program is a powerful reminder that the Holy Spirit is still intimately involved with our Church. It is hope for the future.”
Visit www.crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com to review past articles or send your question/comment to Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org.
All the atria materials – officially called “works” - are linked closely with our Scriptures. These include maps of Jerusalem and Palestine, Christian and liturgical symbols, and figures and materials for biblical presentations.
Tina Lillig, the National Director of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, writes “You may be wondering how these materials help the religious life of children. Think on this - if an adult hears a beautiful passage from the Bible, the adult might take a Bible, find the passage, and read it slowly again and again. He or she may think deeply about the words and perhaps speak to God in a thankful or hopeful prayer. But a little child, too young to read, needs another way.
In an atrium the child can ponder a biblical passage or a prayer from the liturgy by taking the material for that text and working with it-placing wood figures of sheep in a sheepfold of the Good Shepherd, setting sculpted apostles around a Last Supper table, or preparing a small altar with the furnishings used for the Eucharist…by encouraging young children to reflect deeply on the meaning of scriptureal passages, they are able to work with the materials for long periods of time, often stunning their teachers with their insights…Older children who [can] read often copy parables from the Bible, [place in sequence] written prayers from the rite of baptism, or label a long time line showing the history of the kingdom of God.”
Personally, I can related with scripture scholar Andrea Molinari, who wrote this when she became involved with CGS:
“In my own years of theological training and church ministry, I had come to experience a profound spiritual tiredness - the kind that is born of repeated disappointment in the way things are in the Church today. I had become sickened by the factionalism, the lack of love, the political infighting and blatant hypocrisy… It was in this state that I first encountered CGS. As I studied Sofia's book and visited the atrium, I began to realize that I was being healed on the inside. Seeing the wonder in the children's eyes at hearing the parables of Jesus for the very first time and witnessing the way that their little hearts were so open to God touched me profoundly. It was as if something deep within me stirred again, something that I thought had died long ago. I began to remember why I came to study theology in the first place - not for prestige, accolades and degrees imparted by humanity but because of a search for a closer relationship with God. The deep faith and spirituality that saturates this program is a powerful reminder that the Holy Spirit is still intimately involved with our Church. It is hope for the future.”
Visit www.crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com to review past articles or send your question/comment to Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org.
Saturday, September 16, 2017
#115 - What is a Charism?
"The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” – Frederick Buechner
As we fill out our volunteer sheets today, perhaps we can pray and ponder a bit on our calling and charisms.
What is a charism? Charism is the Greek word used in the New Testament for “gratuitous gift.” A charism is an ability, skill, or talent given by and through the activity of the Holy Spirit working in the life of each individual believer that enable him/her to be powerful channels of God’s love and transforming presence in the world. Charisms are not learned or inherited from our parents, but are given especially to each of us by the Holy Spirit. According to both the New Testament (Eph 4) and our own Catholic Tradition (CCC, 951), we are all given charisms to share. Charisms are always focused outward for the good of the community and are inspired and directed by God. Collectively, the spiritual gifts possessed by the members of a parish enable that parish as the body of Christ to perform the mission and ministry to which it has been called by God.
Are my charisms related to my “mission” in life? Every believer has a “mission” or vocation in life, a work of love for which each individual was created (Eph 4:7-16). Charisms are both tools given to us to accomplish our mission and important clues as to what that mission in life might be. All of us are called to follow Christ, by being Jesus’ compassionate and transforming presence in the world: the on-going incarnation.
If I have a charism, why don’t I know it? Charisms need to be discovered and developed just like our natural gifts.…Charisms must be discerned by taking action…we must experiment, that is, prayerfully try a specific activity and see what God does as a result.” - Sherry Weddell
What are some ways to authentically identify a charism?
· An unmistakable inner experience of peace, energy and joy when you’re using your gift.
· Unusually effective and successful results in what you’re trying to accomplish.
· Other people’s direct or indirect recognition of the gift’s presence in you.
Adapted from https://siena.org/charisms-faq
Visit www.crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com to review past articles or send your question/comment to Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org.
As we fill out our volunteer sheets today, perhaps we can pray and ponder a bit on our calling and charisms.
What is a charism? Charism is the Greek word used in the New Testament for “gratuitous gift.” A charism is an ability, skill, or talent given by and through the activity of the Holy Spirit working in the life of each individual believer that enable him/her to be powerful channels of God’s love and transforming presence in the world. Charisms are not learned or inherited from our parents, but are given especially to each of us by the Holy Spirit. According to both the New Testament (Eph 4) and our own Catholic Tradition (CCC, 951), we are all given charisms to share. Charisms are always focused outward for the good of the community and are inspired and directed by God. Collectively, the spiritual gifts possessed by the members of a parish enable that parish as the body of Christ to perform the mission and ministry to which it has been called by God.
Are my charisms related to my “mission” in life? Every believer has a “mission” or vocation in life, a work of love for which each individual was created (Eph 4:7-16). Charisms are both tools given to us to accomplish our mission and important clues as to what that mission in life might be. All of us are called to follow Christ, by being Jesus’ compassionate and transforming presence in the world: the on-going incarnation.
If I have a charism, why don’t I know it? Charisms need to be discovered and developed just like our natural gifts.…Charisms must be discerned by taking action…we must experiment, that is, prayerfully try a specific activity and see what God does as a result.” - Sherry Weddell
What are some ways to authentically identify a charism?
· An unmistakable inner experience of peace, energy and joy when you’re using your gift.
· Unusually effective and successful results in what you’re trying to accomplish.
· Other people’s direct or indirect recognition of the gift’s presence in you.
Adapted from https://siena.org/charisms-faq
Visit www.crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com to review past articles or send your question/comment to Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org.
Saturday, September 9, 2017
#114 - Why are all Atrium works handmade?
Why are all the
“works” in our atria handmade by our catechists?
Gianna Gobbi, co-creator of the Catechesis of the Good
Shepherd method of faith formation, wrote that the materials (or “works”) in
the atrium are “...indications of the hidden reality of God. They are concrete
helps to know the language, times and places of the mystery of God. It is
important that, as much as possible, the catechist makes his or her own
catechetical materials. Making the materials by hand is an essential way of
entering more deeply into the theme we will present to the children. It
helps us to slow down and to pace ourselves more to the rhythm of the child, as
well as to be more attentive to the Holy Spirit. Furthermore,
material-making is an invaluable opportunity for us as adults to experience the
integration of hand, mind and heart.”
Not unlike our celebration of the sacraments, in which use
simple, everyday items such as bread, wine, oil, & water to help us ponder
the mystery of God in our ordinary living – so too the materials in the atrium
help the child to enter more deeply into the mystery and truth of God’s
presence. Like our liturgy (our Mass), the CGS method “recognizes that our relationship
with God is established through sensible objects, respecting a fundamental
human exigency.” People sometimes make fun of our Catholic “smells & bells”
but there is a deep wisdom to our “sensory dense” way of communicating divine
truths; so too in our atrium. Each atrium "work" becomes a conversation
with God. Sophia Cavalletti, the other co-creator with Gobbi of CGS, states it
this way: "All works in the atrium
are either a passage to prayer or prayer itself."
Sincere
gratitude to all our parishioners who contributed in the building
the works featured in Atrium II!
Saturday, September 2, 2017
#113 - Atrium Stories
Can I still enroll in the formal Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) Catechist training? Does it meet our Archdiocesan catechist “certification” requirements?
YES and YES! Catechist Training for Level I began on Sept. 16, however Sr. Nancy Ayotte, IHM who runs the class said if we have any more interested parishioners that she would get them up to speed. Classes are held one Saturday a month from now until June.
The “retreat-like” training is not only engaging and a great help to our efforts here at CTR, but it is some of the best ADULT formation our team has every encountered AND is recognized by our Archdiocese as valid training for “official” certification. CGS’s focus on the “essentials” of our faith and unique, Montessori style presentation truly help both the catechist and the child break open the deep and beautiful mysteries of our faith. Visit www.cgsusa.org to register or for more info.
A couple quick CGS stories from the past couple weeks to share....
Last night I taught our first Monday evening session in our newly opened Atrium II. The class is a mixture of 3rd, 4th and 5th grade children. At the end of the session, one of the 5th grade boys in the class said "Wow, that felt like 5 minutes not 2 hours!" and another two boys nodded in agreement and said they couldn't wait to hear the geography lesson at our next session and get their hands on our maps and pin flags! (Yeah God!)
Also, so funny! We had a real "no-nonsense" Mom of 5 who came from a neighboring parish to volunteer as a catechist (which is already quite curious). When we asked her to introduce herself and say a little bit about what brought her here to volunteer she said "Well, I was talking with the mother of a friend of one of my children at school, kvetching that the schedule for faith formation at my parish is so difficult with 5 kids and she recommended I look into the classes here at CTR. After hearing a little bit about the program, I turned to my 4th grader and said 'Well, looks like you are going to CTR for faith formation this year' and my kid made this long, tired groaning noise, like she was definitely NOT looking forward to faith formation. But then her little friend (from CTR) quickly chimed in and encouraged her saying "No! You are going to love it! It is really fun at Christ the Redeemer in the atrium!" The volunteer went on to say that all 5 of her children looked at this joy-filled child and then at each other with utter disbelief, like "What did she just say?!?!” shaking their heads like “There must be something wrong with this kid..." The no-nonsense Mom ended her story by saying "So, I had to come and see what the heck was going on here!!"
Parents of preschoolers, if I had one wish it would be that I had taken this training when my children were little (and all the women on our staff have said the same). The more our staff and catechists learn about and grow with CGS, the more we find it to be a truly miraculous (and I don't throw that word around lightly) method of formation. In my humble opinion, it is the hope of the church.
Visit www.crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com to review past articles or send your question/comment to Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org.
The “retreat-like” training is not only engaging and a great help to our efforts here at CTR, but it is some of the best ADULT formation our team has every encountered AND is recognized by our Archdiocese as valid training for “official” certification. CGS’s focus on the “essentials” of our faith and unique, Montessori style presentation truly help both the catechist and the child break open the deep and beautiful mysteries of our faith. Visit www.cgsusa.org to register or for more info.
A couple quick CGS stories from the past couple weeks to share....
Last night I taught our first Monday evening session in our newly opened Atrium II. The class is a mixture of 3rd, 4th and 5th grade children. At the end of the session, one of the 5th grade boys in the class said "Wow, that felt like 5 minutes not 2 hours!" and another two boys nodded in agreement and said they couldn't wait to hear the geography lesson at our next session and get their hands on our maps and pin flags! (Yeah God!)
Also, so funny! We had a real "no-nonsense" Mom of 5 who came from a neighboring parish to volunteer as a catechist (which is already quite curious). When we asked her to introduce herself and say a little bit about what brought her here to volunteer she said "Well, I was talking with the mother of a friend of one of my children at school, kvetching that the schedule for faith formation at my parish is so difficult with 5 kids and she recommended I look into the classes here at CTR. After hearing a little bit about the program, I turned to my 4th grader and said 'Well, looks like you are going to CTR for faith formation this year' and my kid made this long, tired groaning noise, like she was definitely NOT looking forward to faith formation. But then her little friend (from CTR) quickly chimed in and encouraged her saying "No! You are going to love it! It is really fun at Christ the Redeemer in the atrium!" The volunteer went on to say that all 5 of her children looked at this joy-filled child and then at each other with utter disbelief, like "What did she just say?!?!” shaking their heads like “There must be something wrong with this kid..." The no-nonsense Mom ended her story by saying "So, I had to come and see what the heck was going on here!!"
Parents of preschoolers, if I had one wish it would be that I had taken this training when my children were little (and all the women on our staff have said the same). The more our staff and catechists learn about and grow with CGS, the more we find it to be a truly miraculous (and I don't throw that word around lightly) method of formation. In my humble opinion, it is the hope of the church.
Visit www.crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com to review past articles or send your question/comment to Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org.
Saturday, August 26, 2017
Crazy Catholic Question #112 - Why we pray
CCQ #112 Why do we pray?
Below is a wonderful response to this question found at Loyola Press (http://catechistsjourney.loyolapress.com/2016/12/why-do-we-pray/) written by Catechist Lisa Jones.
Have you ever asked kids why they pray? We spend a lot of time teaching children to say their prayers, teaching them about different ways to pray, and even spend time teaching them to write their own prayers, but we don’t often talk that much about why we pray.
In class this week we began by reading 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Someone asked what “pray without ceasing” meant, so we talked about the different ways we can pray throughout our day. The textbook explained that spending time with God in prayer strengthens our friendship with him, just as spending time with our friends helps us grow in our friendship with them. I had not thought of prayer in this way, and several of the children seemed to appreciate the idea that we grow in friendship with God when we pray.
The textbook suggested that I ask the kids why they pray. I didn’t think this was an important question at first, and I almost didn’t ask the class. During a lull, I decided to ask them anyway. What would they say to a friend who wanted to know why they prayed? I held my breath, expecting someone to say “because my parents tell me to.” Thankfully, no one gave that answer.
At first students offered typical responses: to help others get better, to ask God for help or for something, and to thank God for their blessings. As the discussion continued, a student said God comforts her when she prays; a boy said God gives him strength to do what is right. A student who usually remains quiet spoke up and said she prays to tell God she loves him.
Another girl told the class that praying with others is a way she can share God’s message as we are told to do in the Bible. I remained silent for a good 30 seconds, because this was such a deep answer for a nine-year-old. When I finally found my voice, I used her answer to point out that praying can also bring people together as a community, just like when we pray together at Mass.
A girl then shared that at a recent Mass, which was on the anniversary of her mother’s death, everyone prayed for her mother. She didn’t have to tell the class what this meant to her family—we could see it on her face.
The conversation continued as more of the kids wanted to share their thoughts on the question, and I fell in love with their answers and thoughtfulness. Listening to them made me ask myself that same question: Why do I pray? Is it out of obligation, to ask for something, or because I love spending time developing my friendship with God?
It’s a good question for students, but it is also a great question for us to ask ourselves.
Send your "Crazy Catholic Questions" to Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org. Read past columns at: www.crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com.
Below is a wonderful response to this question found at Loyola Press (http://catechistsjourney.loyolapress.com/2016/12/why-do-we-pray/) written by Catechist Lisa Jones.
Have you ever asked kids why they pray? We spend a lot of time teaching children to say their prayers, teaching them about different ways to pray, and even spend time teaching them to write their own prayers, but we don’t often talk that much about why we pray.
In class this week we began by reading 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Someone asked what “pray without ceasing” meant, so we talked about the different ways we can pray throughout our day. The textbook explained that spending time with God in prayer strengthens our friendship with him, just as spending time with our friends helps us grow in our friendship with them. I had not thought of prayer in this way, and several of the children seemed to appreciate the idea that we grow in friendship with God when we pray.
The textbook suggested that I ask the kids why they pray. I didn’t think this was an important question at first, and I almost didn’t ask the class. During a lull, I decided to ask them anyway. What would they say to a friend who wanted to know why they prayed? I held my breath, expecting someone to say “because my parents tell me to.” Thankfully, no one gave that answer.
At first students offered typical responses: to help others get better, to ask God for help or for something, and to thank God for their blessings. As the discussion continued, a student said God comforts her when she prays; a boy said God gives him strength to do what is right. A student who usually remains quiet spoke up and said she prays to tell God she loves him.
Another girl told the class that praying with others is a way she can share God’s message as we are told to do in the Bible. I remained silent for a good 30 seconds, because this was such a deep answer for a nine-year-old. When I finally found my voice, I used her answer to point out that praying can also bring people together as a community, just like when we pray together at Mass.
A girl then shared that at a recent Mass, which was on the anniversary of her mother’s death, everyone prayed for her mother. She didn’t have to tell the class what this meant to her family—we could see it on her face.
The conversation continued as more of the kids wanted to share their thoughts on the question, and I fell in love with their answers and thoughtfulness. Listening to them made me ask myself that same question: Why do I pray? Is it out of obligation, to ask for something, or because I love spending time developing my friendship with God?
It’s a good question for students, but it is also a great question for us to ask ourselves.
Send your "Crazy Catholic Questions" to Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org. Read past columns at: www.crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com.
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