It is not about where we've beenit's about where we are going!
In 1982, in response to a plea from the pulpit, followed by the song “Here I Am, Lord” basedon Isaiah 6, my wife and I began to teach catechism classes at St. Thomas Aquinas parish toHigh School age children. At first we did not realize that the parish was looking for a four year commitment, following the ninth graders as they made their journey towardsconfirmation as seniors, but we stuck it out and my wife actually became confirmed alongwith the seniors in our fourth year.When the chance came in year five to pass up the opportunity to continue teaching, I decidedto press on and my wife, with our second child on the way, decided to let me “go it alone”. Now, two pastors, three different curriculums, four DRE’s, and five confirmation classeslater, I am still showing up to share the excitement I feel for my faith with high schoolchildren. This year, however, I finally have one of my own children in my class. A wholenew dimension is now added to the annual experience of teaching!At first I taught because I knew I needed God, His church needed me, and if I could just stay afew chapters ahead of the children I would learn a lot and, hopefully, help some folks alongthe way. Now, I know I still need God more than ever, His church still needs me, andalthough I am more than a few chapters ahead of the children in my understanding I am stilllearning new things and new ways of bringing the message alive in the hearts of my studentsevery year. But I also have come to believe that if there is any “helping of folks along theway” going on it has more to do with the grace of God than it does with anything I say or do.When I started teaching I was a young man in a hurry, but I don’t think I really knew where Iwas going, or where I should be trying to get to. In my life at that time I could quickly tick off on the fingers of both hands all the accomplishments, awards, ribbons, and projects I hadsuccessfully completed - but deep down I felt that it all seemed pointless. Now, although Icould come up with a similar list nowadays if prodded, I feel that where I am going is somuch more important than where I’ve been. Like St. Paul said,
“Not that I have alreadyobtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesushas made me his own....but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God inChrist Jesus.
”
(Phillipians 3:12-14)
So like St. Paul I know I am not perfect, but I owe it to God, my wife, my family, my friends,my employees, and the children I teach to try my best to be perfect - as we are all called to be.By the grace of God, I can continue to process the experience of learning and teaching theCatechism of the Catholic Church until the day that I have integrated it fully into my own lifeand I can see God “face to face”.
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