July 13, 2008

15^th Sunday of Ordinary Time

The Holy Year of Paul, the Apostle

“…some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit, hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”

Dear Friends;

Today we hear the parable of the sower who went out and sowed the field. Some of the seed fell on a path and the birds came and ate it, some on rocky ground and some in soil that allowed it to spring up but then was scorched and withered. The part of the parable that gives us hope is the seed which fell on the rich soil and the bounty it produced…hundred, sixty or thirtyfold. What an abundant harvest!

One of the things we tend to skip over in this parable is the indiscriminate sowing of the seed. The sower did not go out and prepare the soil for the seed; this was not the way planting was done in Jesus’ time. Instead the seed was spread abundantly in all directions with the hope that after plowing, the harvest would be moderate. When the soil is plowed with the Word of God we see returns of thirty, sixty and a hundredfold.

This weekend we begin registration for our Family Faith Formation & Teen Ministry 2008 -2009 year. (I know it is only mid July and our minds are still in vacation mode but the school year will be here before we know it.) Registration will take place after all masses this weekend and continuing until Family Faith Formation resumes on Monday, August 11, 2008 and Teen Ministry on Wednesday, August 13, 2008.

Family Faith Formation, Teen Ministry & Sunday Mass are very important aspects of our children’s faith experience, very important opportunities to help our children grow in the love and wisdom of our faith. But our children also need to be nurtured in their faith at home. As families we are the Domestic Church, we help “plow that soil” so those seeds our children receive during Mass, Faith Formation & Teen Ministry will grow to produce that abundant harvest.

The General Directory for Catechesis tells us:

“The witness of the Christian life given by parents in the family comes to children with tenderness and parental respect. Children thus perceive and joyously live the closeness of God and of Jesus made manifest by their parents…This childhood religious awakening which takes place in the family is irreplaceable…Indeed, ‘family catechesis precedes…accompanies and enriches all forms of catechesis.’” GDC # 226

If we think back to our childhood most of us will remember times when our parents awakened our faith by the example of their lives or family traditions around sacraments and sacred holidays. Our parents plowed that soil for us just as we plow it for our children.

As we look forward to the Family Faith Formation & Teen Ministry new year it is important to remember that we are the first teachers (catechists) of our children. The knowledge our children receive during their time learning together with their St. Anne family needs to be in conjunction with the learning they see modeled in their Domestic Church.

Peace,

Lisa