This week most families in our country will pause on Thanksgiving Day to take stock of all that we have been blessed with in our lives. While it is important for us to express our gratefulness to God every single day, I am no different than most people in recognizing the significance of this cultural practice and using this occasion to spend a little more time reflecting on the blessings from the past months – a little more time to focus on the Giver of all good things – a chance to pour out my heart and say that I am thankful.
This year I am focused on being thankful for the gift of my wife, our marriage and fruits of our love – our children. I am humbled by my wife’s ability to love me selflessly day-in and day-out and her constant example of patience as she daily loves our children. Words cannot express the thanksgiving in my heart for the gift of our marriage – the ups and the downs, the struggles and the joys – all of it is part of this graced journey with our God. I thank the Creator of all life for the miracles of life (fruits of our sacramental love for one another) that He has given Lori and I in our children. There are so many directions that I could go in following such a thought, so let me simply focus on the thanksgiving I have in my heart each day when I gaze upon their faces – their innocence, their capacity to learn, their child-like faith, their reminding me each evening to stop and…play.
In the moments of peace (and play) I realize the enormity of their lives – the fact that God entrusted these young souls to my wife and I. That they are not objects for our amusement. They are not prizes or possessions. They are gifts and they belong to God. And in accepting these gifts we assume a great responsibility upon which we will be judged. Our vocation – our job if you will – is to model for our children our Catholic faith. We must be passionate in our desire to teach the truths of our faith, model a sacramental life and pass on an awareness of our baptismal call to be disciples of Jesus Christ here on earth.
As we celebrate Religious Education month (here in New England) it is easy to connect this thought process to our roles as catechists. In saying “yes,” we take on the awesome responsibility of teaching our Catholic faith to all the children, youth, young adults and adults who God places in our paths. We will be held accountable for our actions – for our words – for the teachings we pass on or fail to pass on. Every catechist has an obligation to represent the Magisterial teachings of our Catholic faith to the best of his or her abilities. It should be the very desire of our hearts.
Jesus, Himself, reminds us of this standard in the Gospel of Matthew when He warns, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” (Matthew 18:6). Prior to these words Jesus speaks of how one needs to have the same humility seen in a child in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. When I gaze into the face of one of my children or think of the faces of the young people I have worked with throughout the years I am reminded to humble myself – to remember that it is not about me – and to teach the Truths of our faith with courage and integrity, thus remembering that the children, youth, young adults and adults we serve are ultimately children of God, who is the Way – the Truth – the Life.
Michael Lavigne
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