As a college professor, I'm supposed to encourage students not to cram. And I do. But it is hard sometimes not to end up cramming myself. Or in this case, indirectly causing my eight year old to "cram". And of all the things to "cram" for, preparation for first reconciliation.
The meeting for kids at our church who are due to celebrate their first reconciliation this year (in preparation for first Eucharist) was months ago. We had Christmas break. We've had other opportunities.
But finally tonight, less than a week before another workshop for the kids to prepare them for first Eucharist, we began. (Yes, I hate to admit it but there it is.)
In any case, it was interesting to hear his comments as we went through stuff. The book points out that the goal of God's laws (i.e., the Ten Commandments among others) is to tell us how to live with and love each other and to show our love for God. It asked the child to think of a way our family shows our love for each other. From his perspective we apparently don't do that as much as I'd like to think we do. He fights with his brothers. He sees people arguing. He notes that we all have different things we enjoy.
Yet, we do all enjoy a good meal and every week we ultimately come back to coming to mass together. So, he did eventually see that showing love for family is not as hopeless as his first comment would lead a person to believe. And, I suppose that if we can still say we eat together and go to church together, even if what drives the rest of our days most days takes us in a million different directions, we are doing okay.
Never perfect, but who is?
The meeting for kids at our church who are due to celebrate their first reconciliation this year (in preparation for first Eucharist) was months ago. We had Christmas break. We've had other opportunities.
But finally tonight, less than a week before another workshop for the kids to prepare them for first Eucharist, we began. (Yes, I hate to admit it but there it is.)
In any case, it was interesting to hear his comments as we went through stuff. The book points out that the goal of God's laws (i.e., the Ten Commandments among others) is to tell us how to live with and love each other and to show our love for God. It asked the child to think of a way our family shows our love for each other. From his perspective we apparently don't do that as much as I'd like to think we do. He fights with his brothers. He sees people arguing. He notes that we all have different things we enjoy.
Yet, we do all enjoy a good meal and every week we ultimately come back to coming to mass together. So, he did eventually see that showing love for family is not as hopeless as his first comment would lead a person to believe. And, I suppose that if we can still say we eat together and go to church together, even if what drives the rest of our days most days takes us in a million different directions, we are doing okay.
Never perfect, but who is?
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