Suzanne, thanks for posting so many notes from the diaconia. It was great meeting and you and Scott, and others I'd never met; along with all the old friends that I don't see as often as I'd like.
The meeting with educators was particularly helpful for me. Two weeks ago I wouldn't have thought to go, but for the past few weeks my new parish (the one in my neighborhood) has been begging for catechists. I began to get the distinct feeling that they were talking to me... so I sent the parish an email offering to help out. The director of religious education sent me back an email saying "Jim, I came to the CL Beginning Day at your house in October!" So I had an immediate verification that I was doing what I needed to do.
But as I sat in the meeting with educators at the diaconia, I really began to feel a profound sense of gratitude... gratitude for having met the Movement, and gratitude for having been shown where I was needed the most in my own circumstances. I didn't have to push the Movement, or worry about how many people were coming to School of Community. I just have to follow for myself and my own needs, then let Christ show me where he needs me to be.
Don't get me wrong... I'm really nervous about my first class with the 5th graders at my parish. But I know that I'm not there to give them the answers, or to be The Perfect Catholic. I'm there to witness to what has happened to me, to the fact that I've met Christ.
2 comments:
As a DRE myself, I have no doubt that you'll do great!
Hi, Jim! It was very good to meet you and the others, too. My main "cultural work" is as a catechist -- so, I thought I'd share a link to the catechetical stuff on my blog:
http://veniteavedere.blogspot.com/search/label/Catechesis%20of%20the%20Good%20Shepherd
I have a lot of thoughts about fifth graders -- I've been working with this age group for many years, now. The most important thing for this age is the plan of God. They are particularly interested in history -- the WHOLE of it -- and it is good always to place whatever you are teaching into the context of Creation-Redemption-Parousia and to repeat the two big facts: that all of history is unified by God's constant presence and activity and that history is moving toward a moment of final fulfillment, when Christ will be all in all.
May God go with you!
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