Experiencing the Gift of Catechesis
As many students receive their first Eucharist this weekend, a parishioner and Catechist with our Faith Formation Program shares insight about her experience. Faith Formation is for all in the community to grow and live in joy. We invite you to participate in learning more about the Catholic faith.
Serving as a Catechist challenges me to grow deeper and stronger in the Faith so that I can successfully pass that Faith onto others. Through my training as a Catechist, as well as my experience serving in this role, I have come to learn that handing on the Faith is a powerful responsibility and calling. I am simply the tool that Christ and the Holy Spirit use to transfer the doctrines and teachings of the Church to the younger generation. Therefore, to prepare myself for this calling, I spend a considerable amount of time in prayer and study of the Catechism. As a Catechist, I must grow in the Faith every day if I hope to be able to transfer it to others, and this growth is pivotal to my own faith formation.
Our Catholic faith is an incredible gift, and teaching it allows me to experience that gift even more fully. When I think about how blessed I am to have parents and teachers who inspired the Faith in me, it only feels right that I would do my best to transfer that gift on to others as well. At the same time, teaching the Faith also helps me to increase my personal adherence to the Faith. The questions that the children ask and the small spiritual encounters that I witness through this ministry allow me to further bear witness to the way that Christ works in the lives of each of His Children in a unique way. At the same time, diving deeper into the different aspects of the Faith, such as the Commandments, the Sacraments, and the Church Doctrines, allows me to experience the way that our Faith unites us and makes us one.
Faith Formation is full of spiritual encounters with Jesus. I have found that I simply need to be open to looking for these moments. They are usually not big and dramatic, but rather small, simple moments that have a lasting impact. This could be a question from a child who is experiencing natural curiosity and wonder at the depth and mystery of the Catholic Faith. It can also be the experience of grace as we pray together and ask the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and inspire our learning. Each encounter with Christ is powerful and unique, but ultimately, these encounters serve to remind me that it is not me teaching. Rather, it is Jesus teaching through me to draw others closer to His infinite Love and Mercy.
I have felt surprised at how important being part of a Faith community is. Nothing is more rewarding than when a child who is in my class comes up to me at church on Sunday to say hi or introduce me to their parents. I also find myself inspired watching how those who I encounter through Faith Formation live out their Faith in other aspects of their lives as well. The Catholic Church is truly a family of believers, and meeting these believers through my experience as a Catechist helps me to grow stronger in my convictions. Living out our Faith in our daily lives can be challenging at times, but connecting with others who share this Faith and experiencing the depth of the Catholic community truly helps draw me closer to Christ and His Church.
Elizabeth Burke