I am becoming a fair-y

This time of year is always kind of a jumbled mess, in my mind anyway. I always seem to feel like I have not used the time wisely during the summer (at least for the last two years anyway) before the Religious Education program begins and RCIA begins. I think I am probably being over critical of myself, but I also always feel such needless anxiety around this time of the year before everything begins.

I guess I can really relate to that story in the bible about Martha and Mary. You know, Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus and Martha is "freaking out" about all the details, to colloquialize. I ususally feel like Mary, but it seems like these few weeks before everything begins find me more like Martha. Jesus said to Martha, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her." I guess we all need times of testing though.

Its funny thinking about this, because today I just received one of the Elementary Religious Education parent surveys back. I always find it interesting to see what people answer to the question: "I feel that sports and/or activities are more important than Religious Education." Some of us seem to feel, as I am right now, that doing things (like sports) can bear more fruit in a child's life than "sitting at the feet of Jesus" in Religious Education.

I wonder sometimes what it would take for us to re-assess where our priorties should lie. The other day I was reading a little book I was recently given on Our Lady of Knock. In case you don't know, the Blessed Mother is reported to have appeared in Knock, Ireland at a time when many of the Catholics were being persecuted for their faith, even during the Great Potato Famine. In 1879, many Catholics were still being persecuted in Ireland for their faith by their fellow Protestant countrymen. In fact, it appears historically that many Catholics were being tempted to reject the ancient Catholic Faith for the sake of receiving food for their families. Heroically, many did not reject their Catholic Faith and even still survived. In fact, it is believed by many that Mary appeared in Knock in order to strengthen the Irish people to not reject their Catholic Faith.

For those Irish Catholics, as with the ancient martyrs of the early Christian Church, giving up their faith or placing it second to anything was not an option. What would it take for us to come to this conclusion. Almighty God has offered us His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who has established the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church so that our lives might become intimately united to Himself. Yet, many things in our modern world tempt us to leave the persistent practice of our faith, including things like Broncos games, Rockies games, water parks, etc. Not that most of these things are necessarily bad, but when they become a hinderance to the devotion of our Love of God, then we should consider what we worship and whether we place any thing before the one living and true God.

It is certain one of the temptations in our age of over-abundant information and entertainment that the first Commandment of God is challenged more than I think any of us are aware: "I am the Lord your God you shall have no strange gods before me." Perhaps as we go through our day and/or prepare to sleep we should consider what is it, if anything, that makes me take the Catholic Faith as less important than education, sports, entertainment, pleasure, money or any number of things that tempt us. For in this was the whole message of the silence of Knock, where Our Lady did not say a word. Rather, she appeared silent on Aug. 21st, 1879 in Knock, Ireland . As if to say, "You have been given all in Jesus, my divine Son. Now only you can make the decision whether or not to accept him most fully with your minds, hearts and souls."

It is with this thought that I am preparing for the ministry fair this weekend at St. Jude. Hence, I think I am becoming a fair-y, a ministry fair-y. Fortunately, this too shall pass after this weekend when hopefully we will fill the volunteer catechist (teacher) positions that we need for Elementary Religious Education and we might find some RCIA sponsors as well. Unfortunately, I will have to pop back and forth between the ministry fair and the Rel. Ed. Registration. Maybe, as a fair-y I will find the wings to move back and forth quickly... because I will need to move quickly to cover both places at once!