Day 14

Originally I had the "God at Work" tape above the white board, but it kept falling down this past week due to the heat.  Now, we have the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit made by my 2nd hour class!  It's kind of hard to read all of them, but they're all listed! (Wonder & Awe, Counsel, Knowledge, Understanding, Piety, Wisdom, and Fortitude)

The other class made Peace Posters, most of them quoting Pope Francis from his recent announcement on making September 7 a day for prayer and fasting.  Look at how they did!

(Supposed to look like a Tweet)

Can you tell that we've been pretty creative?  This is what the classroom looked like a few weeks ago:

Now look at it!!!

My classroom is pretty much a dream come true.  It's been great being able to make the classroom really our own but also getting to learn more about our faith together.  I'm going to leave up the Peace Posters for the other class to see before I bring them over to the parish.  I want to get permission to hang them in the Parish Hall for everyone to see and know about September 7!

Today I showed the video "Evidence" and then had them answer this question: "If you were put on trial for being Catholic, would you be found guilty or not guilty?"  I would invite you to ask yourself the same.  The video is 7 min and I really recommend you taking a peak.  The acting is a bit cheesy at first but then it makes you really think.  Are we living like the Apostles after Pentecost or are we blending in with everyone else in society?  What makes US Catholic?  

Then I got to introduce them to the beauty and the intensity of the sacrament of Confirmation.  We didn't have much time in the first class period, but we spent a good 35 minutes learning and discovering what takes place at our Confirmation and the effect that the Holy Spirit's gifts can have on us if we have an open heart and desire to serve!  

My students are SO curious.  For the first time, I believe that are starting to realize the intensity of our faith and how REAL Jesus is.  I think being bold and real with them is really getting them to reflect on who they are now and how they want their Catholic identity to really unfold.  

One of my students got really excited when I told them the amazing things that God can do through us if only we would allow them and desire for them to happen.  She remembered to bless herself with Holy Water and being the last one out said, "Huh, guess that forgot to bless themselves!"  (She reminds me of myself- a lot).  They haven't done that in the last few classes but she remembered today.  I know the Gospel message is really speaking to her heart.  It's amazing to see how each of them respond just by observing their body language, and then by glancing at their journal entries, the way they treat one another, the way they act in class.  They're great people and I'm so blessed to have them in class for these 8 weeks.  I am also going to be a catechist for their Confirmation classes so I'll get to continue this journey towards Confirmation with them.

Please pray for them, that they will continue to open their hearts and minds towards God, along with peace in Syria and everywhere that peace has not been achieved (aka the entire world!)

PEACE.