We are Called

I am one of millions of cradle Catholic’s who had no idea of the richness of the Faith. Good thing God doesn’t require us to be experts; only willing.

It wasn’t until I was pregnant with our first child that I realized how much I didn’t know about my Faith. While attending a mandatory Baptism Class, I was hit smack dab in the heart to the enormity of what it meant, not only to have our child baptized, but to be their primary educator in matters of the Faith. I walked out of there with a pit in my stomach and an ache in my heart as I felt totally unprepared for this life-long challenge. I did not have the faintest clue as to where to begin.

Luckily, as fate would have it, our Parish was sponsoring a yearlong RENEW project and were in need of small group leaders. God never said you had to be qualified, you just have to be willing, and so my husband and I volunteered to facilitate a group. We opened up our home twice a month to discuss matters of the faith, read scripture and most importantly share our lives. It is in sharing our lives that we see God working EVEN when we are unaware of his presence.

Then our Priest expressed that our CCD program was in need of teachers. After hearing and reading about this need for a few weeks, I nervously made the call and became a teacher. Again God never said you had to be qualified, only willing, and willing I was. However, I was not remotely qualified. I taught fourth grade, I thought how hard could it be, until had to teach about The Immaculate Conception.

There they were, eager to learn, asking all kinds of questions, and I was racking my brain as I had NO idea what Immaculate Conception was!! Being from Pittsburgh, I thought I could pass it off as the Immaculate Reception but that probably wouldn’t sit well. So I did what any cradle catholic would do. I made it up!

I told them it was when Jesus was conceived. It sounded right, perhaps it was. They seemed happy with that answer and all was well. I always ended my class by saying, “Remember to tell your parents what happened in class today and what you learned about Jesus.” It was my way of promoting dialogue in the home, which was lacking in my home growing up.

I went home to look up the Feast of the Immaculate Conception!!!   Oh No!! That’s not right, now I have to go in and recant my lesson, amend the story. I rationalized, maybe they wouldn’t even remember, they are only fourth graders after all, that quelled my fears for the rest of the week.

I did have to endure my husband’s teasing throughout the week and his spontaneous outbursts of laughter at my expense but other than that I was confident that all would be well. My now 2 year old and newborn kept me busy as I prepared for the teachings of the next class. My goal was to explain the error and then just move on to the next lesson.

As soon as the children entered the classroom to take their seats, I knew this was not going to be good. They all had this gleam in their eyes. We started our lesson with a prayer, so far so good, I took role, we opened up our books and then it happened, hands up everywhere. We hadn’t even started reading. I let the first on speak and that was all it took to lose control. They all wanted to tell me what the Feast of the Immaculate Conception was, and how their parents said that I was wrong, that it was when Mary was conceived and not Jesus.

Listening to them, mortified, heart racing, I thought about saying that was the point, you know, to make sure they were talking to their parents about CCD class. But, as I stood there watching and listening to each of the students recounting their conversation with their parents; I realized that my mistake was a catalyst that lit a fire, a thirst for seeking the Truth. It was a story in their lives that they will undoubtedly tell over and over again, just for the sheer joy of making fun of the CCD teacher, and perhaps tell as they get older, they might even share it with their own children one day.

It was then that I realized, it is in our humanness that He uses us, we just have to be willing to step out in faith and trust!