Today, throughout the United States, Catholic Churches are celebrating what is called Catechetical Sunday. This is an opportunity for us to think about how our faith has been handed on to us, and how we can hand it on to the next generation. I am thinking about those who have taught me, inspired me, and encouraged me in walking the journey of faith, and I am grateful for them. When parents present a child for baptism, the minister reminds them that “it will be your duty to bring him or her up in the practice of our faith” and asks directly “do you clearly understand what you are undertaking?” It is a significant responsibility; one that we might not feel completely prepared for. But your fellow parishioners stand ready to help! We are grateful to the parents who present their children for classes and especially for our catechists and aides. Our classes for our young people are on Sunday morning after the 10:00 am Mass. Our Confirmation students meet on Wednesday evenings.
But you know, even after we finish our formal education, it is important that we adults continue our faith formation. We never stop needing to learn and grow. We hope to provide some opportunities throughout the year for adult education. Each Tuesday morning, Terry Taylor offers a Bible Study from 9:00 am to 10:15 am. This year he is focusing on Parables. Each Thursday evening from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm, St. Helen Therese studies the upcoming Sunday readings. In October we hope to use a program provided by the US Catholic Bishops on our responsibility to participate in the political life of our country. I ran across a saying from Henry Ford: “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning, stays young.” Let’s stay young together!
Fr. Jeff