CCD

 This year I was supposed to be a Catechist teacher for James' CCD class (he requested I teach his this year since I taught sissy's last year). Unfortunately the spot was already filled (James was sad, but he has some awesome teachers!) so I stuck with teaching Madeline's grade. Last year I taught the 2nd/3rd grade First Communion students...this year I am teaching 3rd and 4th grades. Fortunately we've been told that enrollment in religious studies at our parish has gone up! In the past many families pull their kids out of religious ed after they've received their Sacraments like Reconciliation and First Communion, I guess to them it's too much of a chore to bring their kids every week. But learning about our Faith should be a lifelong schooling! That's how I feel anyway.So James and Madeline will continue to attend all the way through receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation in high school until they are adults. Hopefully then they will decide for themselves to volunteer for different ministries, go to bible studies, etc.

Yesterday my students and I studied the chapter on "Christ Will Come Again", focusing on His ressurection, His second coming/final judgement and what we can do to "stay awake" in our Faith and lives for His second coming. I love this age group, because they are such in-depth thinkers. We talked a lot about this verse:

34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

It was great to hear all of their responses, thoughts and questions. Afterwards we made this poster to hang up in our classroom, they all helped color it. It reads:

Jesus Will Come Again
Name some ways you can “stay awake” for the second coming.

 Eyes open to serve God 
Being aware of our words & actions 
Participate in the Sacraments 
Listen to God’s Word

Lastly what was most awesome was that all of them understood these ways were not ways for us to earn our own way into Heaven, but proof of our Faith in Him and our responding to sanctifying grace! Some adults struggle with that concept, so I was proud my students "got it".

P.S. Had to share this cute conversation between Madeline and I as we walked from our car to CCD class. When we parked we saw that our priest, Father Kirby, had just pulled into the parking lot too. So when we walked by Madeline waved. :) As we kept walking she asked, "Mommy, what are those women called in our Church who are married to God?" "They are called nuns my dear, and we call them Sister So-in-so." I love that Madeline understands that priests and nuns devote themselves entirely to God and doing His work.