I stand on the threshold of another year and cast my thoughts on the 35 young souls that God will entrust to our care as we prepare them for two of the greatest Sacraments - The Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. We are called to stir their souls to long passionately for the day when they will receive the 'source and summit' of their young lives for the very first time. I am filled with great expectations. Hope and joy are mixed with a healthy dose of trepidation which makes this heady combination even headier.
My co-catechist and I will receive a new family of spiritual sons and daughters, we will pray for them, think of them and speak of them as our children. After the experience of two years I know that each will find a special place in my heart. The borders of my heart are being extended a little more each year to accommodate these little ones. How blessed I am, that the Father in his munificence, has given me the grace to desire to be a catechist and the icing on the cake is that I was assigned to take the class preparing to receive 'the Bridegroom of their souls' for the first time.
What new experiences will I have had by the end of this year? What will these children take away with them that will serve them well for as long as they live? What kind of impact will we have on their young lives? The seeds we plant will indeed be good seed for it is the Word of God. The soil of their young souls has already been prepared by the Holy Spirit from the moment they were baptized and they became children of the Most High God.
I feel blessed in being called to the ministry of a catechist it has helped me to grow in my own faith. I have been drawn into a deeper and more intimate relationship with the Beloved. One of the many gifts that our generous God has blessed me and which serve me well, is the capacity He has given me to love. All love has its origin in Divine Love and it is sparked and set on fire by One whose Name is Love.
Faith grows with knowledge and as a member of the family of the parish of St. Therese my own faith, hope and love have grown at a pace that would not have been possible had I not heard the call and assented to the gift and the mission to which I am called. We are truly blessed to have the example of a Parish Priest who works tirelessly, selflessly and enthusiastically together with the Assistant Parish Priests. Each of the Salesians who labor with love in this parish have their own unique charisms that have contributed to and added depth and breadth to our spiritual growth.
At this juncture I do not know what experiences I will have had by the end of this catechetical year, but this I know, I will be blessed and enriched through my fellowship with my fellow catechists, our priests and most importantly our children as together we grow in faith, hope and love.
Myra D'Souza - 6th September 2012
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