CATECHETICAL SUNDAY

Today is Catechetical Sunday. Each time this Sunday is celebrated, I am always reminded of faith formation especially to kids and how innocent they are as to how they understand God and the Bible. To illustrate:

A little boy opened the big and old family Bible with fascination, and looked at the old pages as he turned them. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible, and he picked it up and looked at it closely. It was an old leaf from a tree that had been pressed in between the pages.

"Momma, look what I found," the boy called out.

"What have you got there, dear?" his mother asked.

With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered: "I think it's Adam's suit!"

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A Sunday School teacher asked her class why Joseph and Mary took Jesus with them to Jerusalem. A small child replied: "They couldn't get a baby sitter."

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On this special day, I don’t intend on simply explaining what catechesis is nor do I plan to make you catechists for it is for you to decide. What I have in mind, however, is to focus our attention on the VERY NATURE OF OUR CHRISTIAN IDENTITY. Last year, I joined a group of priests who’s been ordained for the last 1-2 years and we talked about our priestly identity. In my reflections I realized that as priests, we cannot fully appreciate our ministry unless we know our identity as ordained. In the same manner, we Catholics cannot fully identify ourselves in any ministry unless we know what our Christian identity in the first place. And so, moved by the same spirit during that meeting, let me highlight three aspects of Christian identity:

1. We are a PUBLIC PERSON. Of course, this does not undermine our own private lives as we live in a country that pretty much respects and gives importance to privacy. What I mean about being a public person is that we relate to people as social beings and in so doing, we influence or inspire other people in the way we conduct ourselves in public. There is an Aristotlean-Thomistic principle which says, “Agere siquitor esse” which means “Action follows being.” Our being or our over-all make up is manifested by our actions. As Christians therefore, Christ should manifest in the way we conduct ourselves to other people whether they are Catholic or not, regardless of any differences.

I heard about this fascinating story about a nun in the name of Mother Dolores Hart who used to be a famous actress working with Elvis Presley and other famous actors of her time. She’s a convert herself and it’s interesting how she was drawn to Christianity especially that moment when she met Pope John XXIII.

On that meeting she narrated, “When I went to meet Pope John, he was so kind. When they announced to him that I would play St. Clare, he said; "Ohhhh, You are St. Clare." and I said "No, No, Your Holiness, my name is Dolores Hart, an actress" and he said, "No, no I DO understand, but for YOU, YOU are St. Clare." I stopped him again, "Sorry your Holiness, I am Dolores Hart." He insisted, "Yes, Yes I understand, but for you it is Clare." I bowed my head and asked for his blessing and nearly died."

Dolores’ meeting with the Pope made her realize that “Clara” or “St. Clare” was not simply a person totally different from her but rather a person, who by her being as Christian, is herself too. She realized that there shouldn’t be a dichotomy in the way she portrays the Saint and in the way she lives her life as an actress and now a nun!

2. We are extensions of the SACRAMENTAL PRESENCE OF CHRIST. What is a Sacrament? When I was in the high school seminary, our teacher in religion taught us that a SACRAMENT is defined according to three major elements: a. OUTWARD SIGN; b. INSTITUTED BY CHRIST; c. TO GIVE GRACE. As Christians, we too are living sacraments of God for part of our identity is to be living signs of Christ’s mission that people may be able to receive God’s abundant graces through Christ. We do ministry and the sacraments for the salvation of souls. So whenever possible, we should make the WORD of GOD heard as much as we can. We should be living signs of that WORD who is CHRIST.

3. COLLABORATION AND COOPERATION as HALLMARKS OF STEWARDSHIP. Our Christian identity calls us to collaborate with God in the work of redemption. Our Christian identity is based on GOD who is a COMMUNITY OF PERSONS. We do not live in isolation as Christians. We live as one community of CHRIST. And so, if there is one good thing that we can accomplish during our festival next weekend, it would be that we, as CHURCH work together in order that we could truly own our community of St. Clement. Do you love our community of St. Clement? Collaboration and cooperation are concepts that form part and parcel of stewardship. If you want to be a good steward, then be PART of our festival; be part of the activities that would make us work together as ONE.

The main point of today’s Gospel parable is not about equal pay or legal wage. It is about our relationship with our fellow-men regardless of pay or money which clearly expresses true Christian identity. Unless we see identity in that level, it is only then that can we truly discern our particular calling. Are called to be a catechist? A priest? A nun? A father or a mother of the family?