Weekly HOMILY for September 12, 2010: Themes for Faith Formation

24th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle C
Terranuova Hermitage
September 12, 2010

Themes for Faith Formation
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato


CHILDREN

One day a father was on the beach at the ocean with his children. His little six-year-old Tommy ran up him, grabbed his hand, and led him to where a seagull lay dead in the sand.

Tommy asked, “Daddy, what happened to him?” The father replied, “Well Tommy, he died and went to heaven.”

Tommy just starred and thought for a moment. Finally, he asked, “So did God throw him back down?”

There is another story about a family who had invited a number of relatives over to dinner. They were gathering around the table and the mother asked seven-year-old Brianna to say the grace before dinner.

Brianna said, “Mommy, I wouldn’t know what to say.” Her mother responded, “Just say what you hear mommy say.”

Brianna looked a bit confused but then she bowed her head and prayed. “Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?”


FAITH FORMATION

These humorous anecdotes highlight the beauty of children and the importance of their faith formation.

And that, in a very special way, is what we celebrate each year as we begin a new year of Religious Education and Catholic School.

Immediately after a community begins worshipping in a common space, the first question that is asked is, “What of the children? Let’s begin a Sunday School.”

Then, as the Mass attendance grows so too does the number of children receiving religious education.

Today, as we begin a new year of faith formation in the parishes throughout the Archdiocese, let us recognize the importance of bringing our children to the Lord for them to hear his voice.

What is primary is what we are imparting to the children, namely, a relationship with Christ that once formed will continue to grow and flower as the child grows. What a gift it is for them to know Christ in an experiential way and from within our Catholic tradition!

Today, I would like to mention four main areas for this formation. I see these rooted right in the Scripture readings that we have for this Sunday.


THEMES OF FORMATION

First, the gospel images of the shepherd looking for one lost sheep and the woman looking for one lost coin show God’s great love for us. God’s love in unconditional and we are valuable in God’s eyes. Note also that it is God’s initiative – God looking for us!

This is the foundation of our faith formation and it gives the children a healthy sense of themselves in relation to God. We see this as leading them to becoming whole, holy and loving persons in return.

Next, in our first reading we hear of God’s forgiveness of his people at the time of the Exodus. With this as a basis, we try to impart a strong moral code to the children.

We give them a sense of right and wrong, a knowledge of the commandments of God and the teachings of the Church, and an understanding of our capacity to do good and also to sin. We are clear that God will forgive and gives us the chance to start all over again.

That takes me to the understanding of sacrament that we try to give the children – an understanding of God acting in our lives right now. We introduce the children to the Sacrament of Reconciliation – what we used to call First Confession – and to First Eucharist in the second grade.

We enrich the understanding of these sacraments in all the years following that. We want the children to enjoy coming to Mass every week and we teach them how to pray and to see their faith as a friendship with God.

Finally, the images in today’s gospel picture God as reaching out to all persons, especially those in need. We want our children to have a respect and care for others, beyond themselves.

Children in catechetical programs and Catholic Schools work on special service projects to help meet the needs of the less fortunate.


CONCLUSION

So, as we begin a new school year, we have much to celebrate.

We celebrate our programs in Religious Education and Catholic Schools, all faith formation programs that feed and nurture our children.

We celebrate, we thank God, and we as a parish ask God’s continued guidance and blessing for the programs we offer our children.