Issue One 2012
Your Family, Your Faith Making it Meaningful
EDITOR’S NOTE
My parents used to drag us five children to Mass, and look out if we dared talk or even turn around. I agree with teacher Mishel Stefanac, who writes on page seven, that most children and teenagers are bored at Mass because they do not understand why they are there. It was in my 20s that I learned about, and came to love, the Mass. I go for spiritual nourishment and because I need all the help I can to live out my Catholic faith. This is the first “Your Family, Your Faith” for 2012 and it is an issue about the Mass, that much needed time out from our busy lives to focus on what really matters – the spiritual. We pray for loved ones and the world, remember what God gave, and gives, us, and thank him.
A PRINCIPAL’S PERSPECTIVE
by Angus Tulley
Mass is also a social exercise. Paul and I like chatting to people after, and feeling part of our parish family, even though we wish there were more young families like ours! Priests cop a lot of flak and we often hear that sermons are dull. I like how Fr Bill Edebohls responds in his page four article, where he points out that Mass is not designed as entertainment. We took our boys to Midnight Mass at the Cathedral on Christmas Eve and it was so uplifting, with a magnificent choir. At Mass, we like to sit in the front row and explain to the boys, very simply, what is going on. While the highlight for them is putting 20 cents in the collection plate, they know we go to Jesus’ house because Jesus made us and has given us lots of things and we want to say thankyou to him. That’s enough for now.
IN THIS EDITION Healing Power of the Mass ........2 Going to Mass - even when you don’t feel like it ..............................3 A Time to Chuckle .........................3 God is not here to Entertain .......4 The Heart of the Week .................5 Adding God into our Days ..........6 Helping Children to Understand the Mass ..........................................7 The ABC of Faith ............................8 Why We’re At Mass ......................8
FEATURE ARTICLE
Best wishes from my family to yours, Felicity de Fombelle PS: By the time you read this, I will be a mother of three, with our child born on February 1. More of that in the next issue!
Given that it is the start of another school year most schools will be preparing for their Opening Mass. I always look forward to the Opening Mass as it is a way of remembering that we are doing God’s work. It highlights what we are on about for students, staff and parents. Most schools have a different religious theme for each year. This is often related to a scriptural quote or to the charism of a school’s Saint. The Opening Mass provides an opportunity to explore the theme and to make it real for the school
Helping Kids to Understand the Mass: A Teacher’s Perspective ......................... 4
community. Whole school Masses can be a logistical challenge. When you consider that some of our Colleges have in excess of 1600 students, plus staff and parents, you can well imagine the procedures in place just in terms of movement during the Mass. There is also the challenge of ministering to students, staff and parents who are not of the Catholic tradition. The reality is also that just over 10 per cent of Catholics attend Mass on a regular basis. Most Priests Continued over...
A DAD’S PERSPECTIVE
“THE HEALING POWER OF THE MASS” by Shawn van der Linden
One of my most profound experiences of the Mass happened during one of the most difficult times of my life. This February it will be 20 years since my mother was killed suddenly in a car accident. Mum was driving my eight-year-old brother and 13-year-old sister home after swimming lessons at the local pool. An elderly driver did not notice two sets of red lights and impacted the driver’s side of Mum’s car. Thankfully my brother and sister were not injured. However, the impact caused fatal injuries to my Mum and she died at the scene. The trauma of this loss for my family was extreme. We were a fairly standard Catholic family with five children. The week before the accident I had left home for the first time and moved to Canberra. I will never forget the rush to the airport, the drive from Tullamarine to my family home and then falling into the embrace of my family. We were finally together, but we were completely shattered by the trauma. The next few weeks were filled with so many tears as we tried to grapple with the enormity of our loss. It was one of those unique human
experiences where everything gets stripped back, and all of those things in life that once seemed so important, suddenly reveal themselves as so pathetically insignificant. Similarly, those things that we had taken for granted, suddenly arose as the foundation of life, and the source of genuine healing and restoration. The funeral had not yet taken place but like every other Sunday it was time to go to Mass. It had only been a few days since the accident and we were a deeply hurting family as we made our way into our small parish Mass at St Francis de Sales in East Ringwood. While this Mass was probably the most uncomfortable and difficult I had ever experienced, looking back now I can see how during it, and also during the many other Masses we attended in that terrible year, something was happening at a very deep level in our family. Our Parish was in many ways quite simple and fragile. However, it was able to support our grieving family in such a powerful way at that first Mass, at the funeral and in the year that followed. The experience was one of knowing and seeing
these people each week at Mass, to suddenly encountering a living a breathing community, which was so much more than the sum of the people in it. There was also something deeply spiritual about the Mass that brought healing to our family. As we participated in the Mass as an act of faith in the midst of our pain and grief, we were in a mysterious way tipped over into the reality of what we were doing and saying at the Mass. Rather than death, trauma and despair being the final meaning of Mum’s death, the Mass gently, and over time, tipped us into the reality of life and love beyond the pain of death. So 20 years after this experience, I am now taking my own young family to Mass each Sunday. Even though I often seem to spend most of the Mass chasing after my younger children, I am confident that something is happening at a deep level in the life of my family. It’s a place of healing and life for my family, even if most of the time we can’t see or feel that happening. * Shawn is Director of Pastoral Support Services (CatholicLIFE)
A PRINCIPAL’S PERSPECTIVE ...continued from cover
give verbal and non-verbal cues as to when the congregation has to sit or stand. This is important in terms of hospitality – making people feel welcome and comfortable in what can be a strange setting for those unfamiliar with the rituals of the Mass. It is important that the atmosphere is welcoming and inclusive – particularly for those who don’t attend Mass regularly. A Mass isn’t a performance. The music and singing are supposed to add to the prayerfulness of the Mass, not take over and occupy ‘centre stage’. That being said, it can be difficult to get the students to sing, but at the same time, if only the Choir sing then something has been lost in translation. The Mass is supposed to be a communal activity – there is time for individual reflection and prayer but much of the power of the Mass comes from the community gathering and joining in the responses and singing. There is also the opportunity for silent reflection, something that students will respond to positively if it is part of the culture at the school. In many ways the Mass is a very ordinary experience and yet for those who attend regularly it links the ordinary with every facet of their lives. The ritual of the Mass provides a framework in which it is possible to explore the depths of human experience while realising that the hand of God is at work in our lives. The hope is that in the Masses held in schools we can provide a positive experience for those who attend and an insight into why the Mass is such a central part of our faith.
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A MUM’S PERSPECTIVE
“GOING TO MASS - EVEN WHEN WE DON’T FEEL LIKE IT” by Annabelle O’Connell Over the last year or so I’ve been enjoying my faith and have been really trying to keep it all alight. I must admit I would find that very difficult if I wasn’t regularly going to Mass. What I get most out of Mass comes from Jesus’ words – ‘where two or more of you are gathered in my name I will be there with you’ (Mt18:20). At Mass, we greet each other, Christ in each other and Christ himself. We immerse ourselves in the Gospel. I draw great comfort from knowing that the people around me are there for the same reason I am. At Mass, I am supported in my relationship with God, because other people have come, like me, to pray, listen and, perhaps, sing. Some of us keep coming back every week so I figure we’re all drawing God’s goodness from it in some way. Our community at St Augustine’s in Yass is made up of all sorts of people. We have babies crying, children romping, mums, dads and seniors; we have local people and ring-ins like me; sometimes our Masses are particularly beautiful, sometimes
there are lots of mistakes. What I would call normal. We have a great priest in Fr. Mick Burke; he makes it very clear he is walking with us. When I lived in Sydney, discovering Thai and Indian restaurants, pubs and bands, I only went to Mass when I went home to Junee, mainly to see who was there and what they were wearing. In a tired but true cliché, I eventually realised there was more to life and with a happy Cradle Catholic background it was fairly obvious what that was - the foundation of belonging to a faith community had been laid by going to Mass for 19 years straight at St Joseph’s Junee. I went to Mass at the church nearest my flat one Sunday, and while I didn’t know another soul I felt at home immediately. I almost wept with relief hearing all the familiar prayers, readings and songs. I’ve pretty much been going ever since. While that’s a lovely story, it is a huge effort at times, when I’m cranky, anxious, overcome with boredom and can think of 15 reasons not to go. And, recognising Christ in others sometimes takes quite a pointed examination, and at times I don’t feel
like looking that hard. I go anyway. Going to Mass is about building and sustaining a relationship with God and community and as with any relationship, it takes effort. I need this time of gathering with fellow Catholics. I want my kids to decide for themselves that they need it too. By taking them to Mass every week I have faith that their relationship with God will be strengthened and that they will learn about making an effort for something very worthwhile. There will probably be a time in their life where they have their own desert experience but I pray that this well of living water Anthony and I are building in them runs deep. Encouragement also comes from Jesus, who told us ‘I have come that you may have life in all its fullness’ (John 10:10). Fullness means the good, the bad and the ugly. And he’s there in all of it. I enjoy Mass; I am nourished by it and I still love the familiarity and ritual of it. There is far more to my faith than an hour on Saturday night, but for all that Annabelle O’Connell is right now, it is much more than just an hour on Saturday night.
At ime t o chuckle
A teacher asked her pupils why they had to be quiet in Mass. Annie replied: “Because people are sleeping”. At Mass the priest was talking about how God created everything, including humans. Johnny was especially intent on learning how Eve was created out of one of Adam’s ribs. Later in the week his mother noticed him lying down as though he were ill, and said, “Johnny, what is the matter?” Johnny responded, “I have pain in my side. I think I’m going to have a wife.” “The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending; and the two as close together as possible”. – George Burns
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“GOD IS NOT HERE TO ENTERTAIN” by Bill Edebohls
It is not unusual to hear people, and especially young people, say “Mass is boring”. But think of this analogy. IImagine going to a birthday party and immediately sitting in the corner, or down the back, and not interacting with anyone. Imagine when it comes to the singing of the song “Happy Birthday” that you refused to sing or you sang it without feeling. Imagine if you didn’t bother to listen to any of the speeches, didn’t bother to talk to the other guests, didn’t bother to join in any of the games.
to entertain you. Worship is not entertainment. We are not here to be entertained by God. Here we bring ourselves, our lives, our hopes and fears and eagerly offer them up with Jesus in the perfect offering of Eucharist. The obligation to worship at Mass every Sunday with your sisters and brothers in Christ is not about an old fashioned rule that nobody believes in anymore; it’s not about fear of damnation; it’s not even about mortal sin. The obligation to be at Mass each week is an obligation of Justice. One
If you then left the party and said “that was boring” we would rightly say, “I’m not at all surprised! You didn’t join in, how could you possibly get anything from it, and you most certainly didn’t give anything to it either!”
We seem to live in an age where we, and especially our children, have lost the ability to entertain ourselves – and worse still we expect others to entertain us. We can no longer use our imaginations to entertain and inspire us; we need gadgets, the latest electronic whiz bang games, computers and mindless social media connections and friends to replace real relationships and interaction. Well I’m sorry to tell you that your parents don’t have an obligation to entertain you. Your teachers don’t have an obligation to entertain you, the Church doesn’t have an obligation to entertain you, and God certainly doesn’t have an obligation
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Perhaps we could all address these questions and our active participation in Mass by thinking about some of the tasks I set for our children preparing for their first Communion, and their families. • Have a family discussion about making time to come to Mass each weekend and deciding together which Mass suits. • Make a family ritual of fasting together for one hour before Mass. • Think about a special intention for the Mass – that is, offering your Mass for a special purpose or intention, eg; someone who is sick or who has died, a neighbour in need, a family member, peace, the hungry or homeless – the list is endless! • Get to Mass at least five minutes before it starts so you can spend a short time in silence to prepare yourself.
The same applies to our worship at Mass. We are called to “full, active and conscious participation” in the liturgy. The problem is not that the Mass is boring. The problem is not that the Church is boring. The problem is with the person who is bored!
in Christ – before Mass, during Mass and after Mass?
A family prays at Mass of the best bits of the new translation of the words of the Mass is that we now say or sing, at the start of the Eucharistic Prayer, what the original Latin always said: “Let us give thanks to the Lord our God: It is right and just”. Our obligation to workship is an obligation of justice! God is our creator and sustainer and in justice we owe God our worship and love. Are you bored at Mass? What do you get out of Mass? You cannot ask or answer that question until you ask yourself “What do I put into Mass?” To answer that you need to look at how you prepare yourself for Mass: how you participate in the words and the actions; how you listen to the words; how you regard and care for the other people at Mass, your family
• Make sure you pick up a newsletter and Mass Card when you come in so that you can actively join in. • Actively listen to the readings (the word of God) – and have the courage to struggle to discover what God might be saying to you? • Sing and say – actively join in the prayers. Pretend it’s a wild and raucous birthday party. If what we are on about is the gift of eternal life we should be lifting the roof! • At the end of Mass don’t rush off – speak to someone – someone you don’t know – a stranger, a visitor, a newcomer! In doing so you may just be entertaining angels unaware! * Fr Bill Edebohls is the parish priest at Holy Eucharist & St Mary’s East Church in East Malvern, Melbourne.
“THE HEART OF THE WEEK”
by Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan
On St Patrick’s Day in 2010, the Archbishop of New York, Timothy Dolan, issued a pastoral letter urging Catholics to make Sunday Mass “the heart of your week” and not miss Eucharist, which he described as “the most beautiful, powerful prayer that we have”. Here is some of what Archbishop Dolan had to say… “I received a Christmas card from an old friend a few months back, with the usual annual update of family news. The year previous, in 2008, his card had brought good news: he had landed a very prestigious and high-paying job as a geologist – the profession he cherished – at a mining exploration company in Montana. “I was so happy for him, a friend since high school. He had explained in his card that the job was three weeks at a time, in a very isolated area of the mountains, then a week back home in Illinois with his wife and three children. He regretted being away, but he and his wife had agreed this career opportunity was well worth it. “Then came this year’s Christmas card with the news he had quit that job! Was it the money? Hardly, the card explained, since the salary was exceptional. Lack of challenge? Just the opposite, the news went on, as he
really enjoyed the work. Why, then, had he quit? “Listen to this: ‘I missed my wife and kids, and I missed Sunday Mass. Up in the mountains, at the site, we were over a hundred miles from the nearest Catholic church, so I could only go to Mass one Sunday a month, when I was home. The job – as much as I loved it – was ruining my marriage, my family, and my faith. It had to go!’ “Talk about an inspirational Christmas card! Anybody 50 or older can remember when faithful attendance at Sunday Mass was the norm for all Catholics. To miss Sunday Eucharist, unless you were sick, was unheard of. To be a ‘practising Catholic’ meant you were at Mass every Sunday. Over 75 per cent of Catholics went to Mass every Sunday. That should still be the case. Sadly, it is not. Now, the studies tell us, only one-third of us go weekly, perhaps even less in some areas. “If you want your faith to wither up and die, quit going to Sunday Mass. As the body will die without food, the soul will expire without nourishment. That sustenance comes at the Sunday Eucharist … “How about giving this message to someone who has stopped going to Sunday Mass? Get ready for the excuses:
“Sunday is our only free time together”. (Great, what better way to spend that time than by praying together at Mass?) “I pray my own way”. (Nice idea. But, odds are, you don’t.) “The sermon is boring”. (You may have a point.) “I hate all the changes at Mass,” (See below.) “I want more changes at Mass.” (See above). “Until the church makes some changes in its teaching, I’m staying away.” (But, don’t we go to Mass to ask God to change us, not to tell God how we want Him and His Church to change to suit us?) “Everybody there is a hypocrite and always judging me.” (Who’s judging whom here?) “And the simple fact remains: the Eucharist is the most beautiful, powerful prayer that we have. To miss it is to miss Jesus – His Word, His people, His presence, His Body and Blood”.
UMBERT THE UNBORN
Meet Umbert the Unborn, the feisty comic strip character who demands respect. His mother’s womb is his private universe, playground and think-tank.
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FAMILY MATTERS
“ADDING GOD INTO OUR SECULAR DAYS” by Cathy Drumore
Growing up on a farm 22kms from the nearest village, Mass was a social as well as spiritual outing. We knew we were going to see our friend, Jesus, but what really occupied our minds was what dressy outfit to wear and which friends would be there. I had “Mass friends” – children from other schools who I would play chasey with after Mass while Mum and Dad stood around in gender groups discussing children and crops respectively. At university in Canberra, a young priest used to say daily Mass at 12.30pm. It was quick and simple but added a bit of “God” into our otherwise secular day. Afterwards, Fr Steve came to play cards at our table while we ate lunch. His youth made him very approachable - my husband, Julian, was a convert at 22. I began learning piano as a 14 year
old so I could play the organ at Mass. I was at the age where I found Mass dull so I decided that I would find myself a useful job to do – as the organist you are forced to pay attention! Mass is not always entertaining. Not all priests are brilliant orators, our musicians range in skill level (my playing is very dodgy!) and we can’t do anything about the enthusiasm levels of the congregation. However, we attend because we believe it is the right thing to do, to be with Jesus in person at least once a week. We are also bolstering our faith community because it is good for us all to know that we are not alone – Jesus is important to others, too. My children love to see their teachers at Mass – it is probably the most important affirmation of what they are teaching. I hate to admit that I fell asleep during Pope Benedict’s homily at the final World Youth Day Mass
in Sydney. All I remember was his exhortation to “say ‘Yes’ to Jesus”. I’m sure the Pope would forgive me for dozing; making the effort to be there required all of our family to have said “Yes!” to Jesus, and to have made some sacrifices to give him priority. Speaking of sacrifices, my Pop used to tell us about running across a frosty field in bare feet to altar serve early on winter mornings – his family were too poor to afford shoes during the Depression. But that was nothing compared to another family. Apparently the Dad got up at 4am on a Sunday morning to harness horses to the dray which took their large family to Mass. Imagine Mum and the children getting up in the dark then shivering on an open dray for hours to go to 8am Mass – without being allowed to have breakfast! In comparison, giving Jesus one hour each week doesn’t seem so difficult.
FAMILY & FAITH
“THE CHURCH IS OUR EXTENDED FAMILY” by Archbishop Mark Coleridge
The life of the nuclear family can be tough, lacking the ongoing support of the extended family, which until recently was taken to be the natural habitat of the family. Nowadays, grandparents, uncles and aunts can live miles away, so that contact is at best sporadic and ongoing support virtually impossible. Yet there is another form of the extended family that is always close at hand – the Church. Sometimes people think and speak of the Church as a large, impersonal institution. But the Church is really a huge extended family – part of the natural habitat that God has provided for the nuclear family. This is something that people often sense at Catholic
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funerals, where there is a feeling of family that is missing in other funeral celebrations. The family of the Church is huge – not just the billion Catholics around the world, but also those who have gone before us, the Church in heaven as well as on earth. It is a family that extends far and wide in both time and space. Yet it is a family that takes root in every parish and community. It is both big and small. It is that family that gathers each Sunday to celebrate the Mass. We gather as one on the day of the Lord’s Resurrection, the weekly Easter, to be touched by the power of his sacrifice, by the love that is bigger than death, the love that makes family life possible. We celebrate the sacrifice and then, as the altar of the sacrifice becomes the table of
the feast, we come as God’s family to eat the Bread which is Christ’s Body and drink the Cup which is his Blood. This is the family meal which not only looks back to the Last Supper but forward to the feast of perfect joy which will come at the end of time when God is all in all. The Mass is not primarily something that we do. It is something which Jesus does. He draws us more and more deeply into the life of his own sacrifice, the life of his Death and Resurrection, each time we come to Mass. Family life is not easy these days. That is why Mass can be so powerful for the family, allowing families to draw on the support of the great extended family of God, a family which is itself made possible by the love we find in the sacrifice of Jesus.
“HELPING CHILDREN TO UNDERSTAND THE MASS” by Mishel Stefanac
Bored, disengaged, uninterested; three words that any teacher would prefer not to use to describe students in a class … let alone during Mass. In order to understand my students more I reflect on my own experiences as a student. When I think of mathematics all I remember is nerves and anxiety whenever the teacher would ask me a question. I was never engaged and evidently I found it boring. However, I wasn’t bored because of the topics we learnt; rather I was bored because I didn’t know why we needed to know these things. I never saw reason, and it all seemed unimportant. I tell this story because our students experience this same disengagement during Mass. Of course, I cannot say all children find it boring. However I can say, from experience, that most children and teenagers do. We, as teachers in Catholic schools, know the battle we are up against before we even step foot into a church or school Mass. The big question is ‘how can we fix this?’ Bishop Fulton Sheen preached on this issue saying, ‘children don’t enjoy Mass because they don’t bring anything to it’. His analogy was the opera. Many people find the opera boring because they bring no knowledge of music with them. Regarding the Mass, Bishop Sheen said ‘certainly you won’t get anything out of it, because you’ve made no effort to understand it.’ It is only when we strive to make an effort to understand the Mass that we will begin to get something out of it. Students see Mass as a duty or obligation to fulfil. It is imperative for them to understand why we
attend, why we sing and why the priest does what he does. This in itself is a challenge because many teachers don’t know the answers. One suggestion is to go straight to the Catechism. Start with only one statement, such as ‘we go to Mass because Our Blessed Lord commanded this on Holy Thursday “Do this in remembrance of me”.’ Of course questions will arise, such as ‘what do we remember?’ And the simple answer is ‘we celebrate and remember the Lord’s sacrifice, his passion, death and resurrection’. Of course, there are also many graces that derive from the Mass. However the aforementioned statement, which is taken straight from the Catechism, can be a simple starting point. Once children understand that the Mass is a memorial of Christ’s passion, they will recognise it as a solemn and sacred occasion. I have heard this question asked by a priest, and I use it with my students. ‘When the Virgin Mary and Saint John were standing at the foot of the cross between 12.00 and 3.00 on Good Friday would they have thought that the death of Jesus was exciting or solemn?’ When I recently asked my students this question, their responses were incredible. Nine year olds suddenly realised that at Mass we recall the death of Christ. Most of these children have always thought of Mass as a time to gather together and celebrate. While they are not wrong, they have missed out on a very important aspect; the memorial of Christ’s passion and resurrection. We cannot entirely blame children for being irreverent at Mass if they merely saw it as an obligation and a time to celebrate. Once children understand that the Mass is a remembrance, or memorial, of Christ’s passion their behaviour begins to change. The next step is to help them realise the real presence of Christ at Mass. If children recognise the true presence of Christ, their manner will change.
A question I asked my children was ‘how would you behave if the Queen came to our classroom?’ They all giggled but responded that they would be on their best behaviour and ensure they were dressed well. Then I asked how they would react if the Pope came to our class. Well, the students thought they would behave even better for the Pope. Finally, I asked how they would respond if our Blessed Lord entered our classroom. The giggles were no longer present. They were serious. They recognised the fact that Christ’s presence would be incredible. I reminded them that we do experience this presence, and He is there during Mass. A few days after having taught this class, we went to Mass. I was intrigued when I saw one little boy licking the palm of his hand and scrubbing the ink off his arm. When I asked why he was doing such a thing his response was ‘I can’t have these pictures on my arm if I am going to receive Jesus’. Many educators have tried to make Mass an exciting experience. They try to include new and popular songs and have students acting and dancing. These novelties are great for a quick fix, but as we know novelties wear off. When children realise the Mass is sacred, and a time to recall the Lord’s passion, they become aware of the importance of their attendance. Don’t be afraid to use words such as sacrifice, solemn, memorial and thanksgiving as it will arouse their interest. Kids are curious. But don’t we all love a sense of mystery? It keeps things interesting. In order to love something, you must know it first. If students don’t know why they are going to Mass, they will remain disengaged from the very beginning just as I was in my maths class. * Mishel Stefanac is a teacher in the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. This is reprinted from www.beingcatholic.com.au
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THE
YOUR SCHOOL MASS by Shane Dwyer
Most of us are familiar with the fact that Catholics go to Mass. This month’s issue is a reflection on different aspects of that. We might understand how that’s relevant to those who choose to go on Sundays, but what has it got to do with the school your child is attending? That’s a good question.
OF FAITH
Most Catholic schools have an occasional Mass that your children will be invited (or even required) to attend. If your child doesn’t attend Mass on Sundays regularly, this can be confusing for them and, possibly, bemusing to you. There may be many reasons why a Catholic school chooses to offer the occasional Mass. Among them is the realisation that for the majority of children attending the school, if they are to have any experience of the Mass at all, it will only be through the school. Let’s face it – the majority of children attending our schools (Catholics and children from other backgrounds) do not have a regular experience of Mass outside the school context. It is part of the mandate of a Catholic school that the students attending it are formed in the understanding and practice of the Catholic faith. Catholic schools are an integral part of the Church’s mission to the young. This can be news for a number of parents who choose to send their children to one. So why is the Mass so important? Isn’t it enough that our children are simply taught to be good people? Certainly learning to be a good person is a good start. However, almost any school would consider that it is there to help with that. The Catholic school exists to do that in a way that reflects the understanding and teachings of the Catholic Church. Central to that understanding is the centrality of the Eucharist (often called ‘the Mass’). Catholic understanding is that in the Eucharist each of us participates in the saving life, death and resurrection of Jesus. The Catholic faith, therefore, is about responding to what Jesus has done for us and is doing in us. To assist us with this we regularly renew our life in Christ by participating in the Eucharist. It is actually not possible to be Catholic and not have the Eucharist as the centre of our spirituality. Any Catholic community, therefore, will seek to organise itself around the Eucharist. Your local Catholic school is no different. *Shane Dwyer is Archdiocesan Coordinator, Faith Formation & Spirituality. This is his fourth column about the Catholic faith. Your Family, Your Faith is proudly supported by the Australian Catholic University
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TEACHING
OUR KIDS
WHY WE’RE AT MASS by Jonathon Doyle
Some things in life are easy and some are hard. Easy things are climbing Mount Everest naked with no oxygen or wrestling five-metre crocodiles with your bare hands.
Hard things are when Karen and I take our three children under the age of four to Mass every Sunday! In some ways it has the elements of an Everest climb and croc wrestling all in one. Every week Karen and I have what might best be called ‘creative tensions’ about how best to get three recalcitrant Bedouins the seemingly impossible distance of about 20 feet from their rooms to the car. A friend recently said it was like ‘herding cats!” As we leave, round one of hair pulling, book throwing and food spilling begins. There are screams and grunts that would make a zoologist think they’ve found a new species. And yet all around me are people still deep in slumber, or reaching for a latte. Bliss. So why do we bother? My father died recently and if there was one thing I remember about what he taught me spiritually it was written on a small plaque that sat near the front door of every house we lived in. It captured some of the most powerful words ever spoken. The great Old Testament leader Joshua was faced with abandonment by many of the other Israelite tribes as he led them to the Promised Land. He gave them a life changing speech about all that God had done in their lives and forced them to choose what they were going to do. He finished with the words, “…but as for me and my house…we shall serve the Lord.” Now I have a family of my own I see that Joshua is asking me, and all parents, the same question. I take my kids to Mass because as Abraham Lincoln once said, “I have been driven to my knees more times than I can remember by the overwhelming awareness that I had nowhere left to go.” I need to honour the One who gave me the gift of children in the first place. I need to be with people who made a choice that gives my life meaning, my kids a spiritual home and our family a shared story. And I bother because my little girl likes the candles and my son asks every week, “Where’s God?” See you in the back row on Sunday! * Jonathan and Karen Doyle run Choicez Media – www.choicez .com.au
Published by the Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra-Goulburn Produced by CatholicLIFE PO Box 7174 Yarralumla ACT 2600 Tel: 02 6163 4300 Fax: 02 6163 4310 Email: info@catholiclife.org.au Website: www.catholiclife.org.au