It is funny what life throws at you sometimes. The last week or so has seen a situation thrown at me, pretty unexpectedly, which has forced me to deepen my trust in God the Father.
Without going into the details (this isn’t my diary, people, and I am British…) trusting when it is painful causes our hearts to open, that little bit wider. You know when God is asking you, “Love Me just a little bit more; Trust and let go just a little bit more” and it is difficult because the circumstances on the outside seem impossible, unrelenting, or even like a twisted game. When faced with difficulties or impossible situations, of course, we don’t have to open wider – our Original-Sin-state naturally wants us to turn in, self-pitying and bitter. But the Holy Spirit calls us to the impossible – to surrender and love even more. Only in Him is it possible for us to do this. I experienced that this week, and I am infinitely grateful to the Holy Spirit 🙂 (OK, that’s the self-exposure bit over…)
Today I am preparing three days’ worth of teaching I will be doing at a seminary soon on catechesis. I came back to the wonderful quotation from Catechesi Tradendae 30:
“In order that the sacrificial offering of his or her faith should be perfect, the person who becomes the disciple of Christ has the right to receive “the word of faith” not in mutilated, falsified or diminished form but whole and entire, in all its rigour and vigour”
We are often used to focussing on the last part: “mutilated, falsified or diminished”. But have you noticed the first part? “That the sacrificial offering of his or her faith should be perfect…” This is the goal of formation of adults – that they may offer the full, sacrificial offering of their lives, in their daily life, and in the Mass. This week has been a small, personal experience of this “sacrificial offering”, and it makes me wonder: How can our catechesis truly make this a reality in the lives of adults in our parishes? How can we help each one know the joy of surrendering their lives in the Holy Spirit, of widening the tent pegs of their hearts?
