Happiness is what we need

It seems as Advent is a time to repent and celebrate the coming of our Christ. However, over the last ten years it has become a time of year I dread. People are cranky. People are fighting with the checkout clerks, that is, if you are lucky to have one. People are fighting over getting the latest toy or electronic. We are complaining about whatever we can find to complain about.

So like Lent, I implemented the rules of Lent during Advent to my Confirmation children. I can tell you that they loved me after they heard the rules. It is the 3-2-1 Rules. I have no idea where I came up with this idea. Whether I heard it from a priest in a homily, found in on a Pinterest board, or just in passing. I decided as a class, we were going to do this. The 3 represents three acts of kindness you must perform each week. For sixth graders, they tried to give me the easy stuff. I told them to look for the harder acts of kindness. The two represents two Catholic teachings you will put into place. Of course, I gave them examples of reading the Bible, attending Mass, praying as a family, and the list goes on and on. Then, it was the dreaded 1 representation. I told them to give something up. Give up something that you adore. Give up something that will make you a better person.

The kicker came when I told them that they could not tell anyone that they were performing the 3-2-1 Rules. I explained to them that in the Gospel of Matthew 6:5-6 Jesus tells us "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

My students love to tell me everything that is going on in their lives. However, this is the one of the few activities that I have not heard them discussing. I wonder at times if they are really doing the activity. Yet, in my heart, I know they are performing the assignment. The reality is that they truly understand what it means to be a Catholic. I love watching them tell each other about their Catholic faith and having the discussion. It is heartwarming to watch them journal about their relationship with Christ. Yet, they still do not understand the concept of telling people what they pray for.

However, it is not about standing on top of the mountain screaming that you are a follower of Christ, it is about having a deep relationship with Christ. We cannot have a deep relationship with Christ if we do not show people how to act like Christ. I am not trying to show them how to be good Catholics. I want them to be disciples of Christ. I want them to know that the happiness comes from within and is not about the latest gadget.

Happiness is about showing people how you are trying to be the best version of yourself. It is about showing people what it truly means to be Catholic. It is about not telling people that you are Catholic. It is about showing people what it truly means to be Christ like and how they can live out their Catholic life so that they can end up in Heaven. Our Confirmation activities each week hopefully show each one of us how we can be strong Catholics in a world where we are struggling to make sense of the chaos.