Reflections from a catechist
Photo from Photos.comBack in the early 1960s, it was impossible to obtain nuns to staff the school for religious education, so the people of the parish had to try to fill in. There was only one requirement—a car. If you didn’t have a car, you cared for the children of a mother who had one. Unfortunately, I had a car. A car is not a vocation. First, I failed at teaching the first grade. The high point of the year was when someone heard some mice running around in a box and I took them outside and let them go. Everyone thought I was brave. The next year I changed to fourth grade. It was misery personified. I asked the nun who was in charge if I could quit, as I had no vocation to teach. She said, “I’ll decide that!” She proceeded to sit in the back of the room at my next class. It was amazing how quiet the room was with her in the classroom. The Sister said, “You definitely have a vocation.” I said, “No, I don’t. The children were well-behaved because you were an imposing figure sitting in the back of the room dressed in your black habit!” My words meant nothing…but there was one slim chance for escape. If a person could be on their way to motherhood again, then they were excused! To this day, I have a special love for our fifth child.
Quite a few years went by without me in the classroom. During this time, I finally realized I needed God completely. I turned my life over to Him and the difference was like night and day. Whereas before if someone told me I was pretty, I felt myself to be a success; now I had warmer, lasting feelings when I could help someone. Joy was serving God where I was. I didn’t even have to step out of the house. Life was sweeter.
Three years later, I knew I had to go back to teaching religion. I decided to teach the grade that was the worst – fourth grade. Could the Sister have been right? Could I truly have a vocation? I was going to find out soon. Right away, I noticed a difference in the classroom when I lived with God more closely. I had a quiet group without the nun sitting in the back of the room. It was great! The following January, I woke up in the middle of the night and started thinking about the class. I wondered how there could be such a great change in me and yet the only difference in the classroom was that it was quiet. All of a sudden, I got a great idea from God of an example of life with Him and life without Him. I could hardly wait to tell the students and they loved it. The following week I wondered if God could please give me another example, and He did! It evolved to every week praying and receiving ideas just right for the group. Examples like an airplane with and without wings. I explained God is the wings and we cannot raise high without Him. After some time, He gave me an idea to give the students a gold star if they daily said, “I love you, God, please guide me” before they got out of bed in the morning so the day would belong to God and He could guide them through it. Eventually, I would give Saints’ books that could be read in about twenty minutes and one piece of candy for every book read. It is interesting to know that Jewish people operate on the same principle – after a child learns a passage in the Bible, they receive something sweet so they learn that the Law of God is sweet and to be treasured.
Some people wonder why I’m still teaching. I have to admit there have been a lot of changes since I began teaching in the 1960s; for example, families have grown smaller, and there is a bigger interest on the parents’ part to enroll their children in sports instead of religion classes. Where I used to have a room of twelve students, I now have three. Yet, even with the challenges, after going to Mass on Sunday, this is the high point of my week. It is a type of niche. I treasure it, love the children, and will be sad when it is time to leave the world.
No matter how many credits a person accrues in the field of religion, nothing compares with inviting God to come with you into the classroom and help you say what He wants you to say and open the children’s minds to receive and retain it. I’ve seen difficult children change into sweeties and I know it’s God’s grace!
Maybe the Sister was right.
