Dirt & Ribs

Sons & Daughters, what's the first book in the Bible? Genesis! Right you are, and what happens in Genesis? That's when God makes everything. Yes. The first two chapters of Genesis are about Creation. We're going to look at Creation, especially the last thing God created, because it's not obvious, but it's very important.

Genesis, γένεσις, is the Greek word for origin, birth, beginning, creation. It's related to words such as gender and generation.

Trick question: in the beginning of the first chapter of Genesis, what are the first three words? Umm, God made everything? Not a bad guess, but no. The first words in the beginning of the first chapter of Genesis are: In...The....Beginning! I win! Awwww...no fair! Yes fair!

So, we read: 'In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth. The Earth was without form and void.' We've talked about this before: what's a void? Emptiness! Yes, that's how Genesis explains that there wasn't anything yet...not even space or time. There wasn't even nothing, which is hard to imagine.

So then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. This is important to remember: the things God creates aren't neutral, they're good. Even rocks. You have to remember that so that you get the point the story is going to make later. By the way, the two Bible languages are....? Greek! Yes, and.....Hebrew! I'm impressed, y'all got them both this time. What's the other language the Church uses, especially at Mass? Come on, (I sing) "Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata..." Oh, Latin! Yes, Latin. In Latin we say 'Fiat Lux' for 'Let there be light' (I write it on the board). Como se llama 'light' in Espanol? (One of my Spanish-speakers will answer, 'luz' which I write under 'Lux.') See, Spanish is close to Latin, it's one of Latin's beautiful daughters. Who's heard of Chrysler? Yes? What does Chrysler do? They make cars! Yes. An Italian car company owns Chrysler now (I'm adding the Chrysler stuff in today, and will use it this upcoming year); its name is Fiat, just like in 'Fiat Lux.' In Latin, fiat means "Let it be done" or "Let it be made." It's the sort of word used by a king....or God. I believe the car company is named Fiat because it "lets cars be made." Italians familiar with God saying 'Fiat Lux' at the start of creation would find Fiat a very grand name for a carmaker. And let's remember, Italian is yet another one of Latin's beautiful daughters.

So, God says 'Fiat Lux' and there's light on the first day. What does God 'fiat' next? Earth? Good guess, but not yet. He fiats the sky on the second day. On the third day? Earth? Bingo! and the sea, and plants. And he saw that it was.... good. Trick question: God made light, darkness, earth and sea. Then he made plants. What makes plants different from those other things? Plants are alive! Yes. And what's more like God, things such as the earth, or living things like plants? Living things. Yes. On day four, God creates the sun, moon, stars and planets. And he saw that it was...? Good! Yes. On the fifth day God creates birds and fish. On the sixth day God makes all the animals. What's more like God, plants or animals? Animals! Yes. They have what in Latin is called an anima (goes on the board), a life force that plants don't have. So things that have an anima are...animals! Yes, they're animated! So as creation moves along, the things created are more and more like....God! Yes. The things created later are closer to God. And God saw.....that it was good! Yes.

Now I want us to slow down. What's left for God to fiat? People! Yes, people. And as creation developed, the later something was created, the closer it was to God. So God created man last, in his own image, in the image of God. Man is as close to God as creation gets. And remind me please, God saw .....that it was good! Yes.

But let's look at how made man. He didn't just say, "let there be man;" He didn't fiat a man. How'd he make a man? He used dirt! Yes, Genesis says: "God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." God's breath, his respiration, is in man. The Latin word for breath is spiritus so man has a spirit, not just an anima like animals do (breath, respiration, and spiritus go on the board).

I forgot, what was the name of the first man? Adam! Yes...trick question: why is his name Adam? OK, this is a hard one. Genesis was written in Hebrew. The Hebrew word for the earth, the ground, is Adama (goes on the board).... He's Adam 'cause he's made from the ground! Yes, genius! Adam was made from Adama, earth! Isn't that cool? Remember what Isaac means? Laughter! Yes, and there are other names in the Bible that help tell stories like this, we'll see some more of them later on.

So God made Adam carefully, and made just one of him. And being the last thing God made, Adam was closest to God, most like God. Then God put Adam in Eden to be happy. And of course, all this was very good. But then God noticed something was not good...how could that be? Tell me what was not good? Adam doesn't have Eve yet. Yes. So even though the whole universe was good, if Adam is alone, that's....not good! That's right! It's awful! God said "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a suitable helper." And what did he do then? Make Eve! No, not yet. First he brought all the animals to Adam, "but for Adam no suitable helper was found." No kidding. I can imagine God suggesting I'd be happy with a dog instead of a wife....no thanks. So what now? God makes Eve! Yes, from what? Adam's rib! Yes!

Now we need to slow way down. The next few lines of Genesis are to me, the most beautiful in the Bible. Genesis says: 'So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh; and the rib which the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.' OK. Trick question: why did God take a rib and not, say, a toe? No guesses? How about an ear? Or a hunk of Adam's butt? Ewww, that would be gross. Yes, Eve should come from a dignified part of Adam, and a part that wouldn't disfigure him or kill him to lose it. For example, since we know Adam will love Eve, what would be a good part of Adam to use to make Eve? His heart? Yes; but if God took Adam's heart and closed him back up, what would happen? He'd die. Right again. So God used a rib from Adam's side, in part because Adam and Eve would be equals, side by side; and losing a rib won't kill you. And can you guess what side of Adam the rib came from? What's by my ribs on my right side? Your lung? Yes, and on the left side? Your other lung. Yes, and something more important...oh, your heart! Yes, so what side do you think the rib came from? The heart side, Adam's left side! I think so too. Genesis doesn't say either way.

Also notice after God takes the rib, He closes Adam back up, so we know He didn't replace the rib. Is Adam complete without his rib? No! Right, Adam's missing his rib....how can he have his rib again? By having Eve! Yes, he can hug her against him like this (I pretend to hold my wife close to my left side) right next to.....his heart! And when Adam does this, is he missing his rib? No! Right; with Eve by his side, Adam is complete. But when Eve is away, he always misses her.

Speaking of Eve, was Adam made last after all? No, Eve was last. Yes, and Adam was made of....dirt! And Eve from...Adam's rib. Which seems better, to be made from dirt or someone's rib? A rib! And in the creation story the later you're created the closer you are to God, right? Well yes, but....aren't they equal? Yes, I think so; Eve was made from Adam, so they are one flesh, but on the other hand, women get to have the babies! I think they have a little advantage there. I'm a bit envious of that.

Let's look now at the last line of this passage: 'God brought her to the man.' I like this line because God brought my wife to me, too, like a wonderful gift. I know just how Adam feels when he says, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh" I think of my wife the same way. She's a part of me now just like my arms and legs, and heart.

Then we read: 'Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh.

Cleave is an odd word; here it means to cling or adhere to, like this (I press my hands together in prayer), and that's what married people do. They become one. And we know when married people become one, the result is.....babies! Yes, more people. All creation didn't stop on the sixth day. So I think that the last thing God created wasn't Adam....what was created last? Eve! No, Eve wasn't last either. The last thing God created was Adam and Eve being together, being one, which we call what? Marriage! Yes, the last and highest of God's creations is marriage. Marriage allows God's creation of the creatures most like him, made in his image and likeness, to continue into the future.

It continues in and through you, sons and daughters.






Dear reader, you may have noticed I left this out: 'And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.'

I don't think it's something 6th graders are ready for.

Sex & Sixth-Graders

Eventually some of the children will try to corner me into talking about sex, by which they mean physical sex. That's fine with me. One of my goals is to take their interest in, and curiosity about, physical sex and direct it toward what’s important about sex in terms of children, marriage, love, faithfulness, commitment.... the big picture of sex. Most of what I say comes from reflecting on my own marriage, wife, and children, and is reinforced throughout the year by bits of Abraham, Sara & Isaac; Adam & Eve; David & Bathsheba; Psalm 128; Cana; Jesus & His Bride; the wedding parable, JP2, Humanae Vitae, etc.

"Honorary sons & daughters, apparently some of you want to talk about sex...is that right? Yeah! What about it, exactly? Well....you know..... Uh-huh, I can guess; OK then. Y'all are very lucky that I am an expert on this subject....I have 5 kids. But we're gonna talk about sex on my level, the adult level, not the popular-culture trash level."

To start, what do we say God is? God? Huh? Do come along class, God is many things: for example, God is infinite; God is all-knowing....what else? All-powerful?...yes, c'mon, I'm looking for something else.....the subject is sex, isn't it? Oh.....love? Yes! God is Love.

And why did he bother to create the universe and put Adam & Eve in it? Because he loves us? Yes, God's love is creative. Love always wants to create, even if it only creates a pretty picture for someone, or a plate of cookies. People always say "what is love" but we're gonna think about what love does instead of what it is. This is what love does: it creates.

Now y'all know how much I love my wife, and that God handed her right to me, saying, "Stratopops, you don't deserve this woman but I'm giving her to you because I love you so much. Try to measure up." So when I look my wife, I see God. Why, let's look at a picture of her right now! (I get out a photo..."Babydoll, I miss you so much, but I have to to make these kids suffer until 7:30," kiss the picture & put it away. This picture kiss will show up later when we discuss images, icons, statues & idol worship.) And your fathers probably think the same about your mothers.

Now if we married people love each other more than words can say, what's the result of our love? Ummm...what? OK, what did God's love do? It created! Yes! So how about our married love? What does it do? It creates? Yeees...and what does it create? Cookies? No guesses? Tell me please, a person is made of...a bodynsoul! Yes! So when men & women get married, they love each other with....bodynsoul? Yes. And that body and soul love creates things that also have a.....bodynsoul? Yes, and those created bodynsoul things are....? Oh... kids? Class of Geniuses, yes, married love is like God's love, it creates you, our children.

Remind me please, where did Adam come from? God made him from dirt! And Eve? From Adam's rib! Where do the rest of us come from? What? Where does everyone else come from....does God keep scraping up dirt and yanking out ribs? Oh, we come from our parents! Yes, from people who get married. Are your parents 'all-powerful life-creating supermen' ?(I say this like the Terminator) Ha, no! Where do they get that power? From God? Yes, God loves married people so much, he lets his creative love work through our love to make more people. He doesn't do it by himself anymore. He relies on us. Could he do it by himself? Well...God can do anything. Of course...but why doesn't he? Umm...? OK, do you ever help your parents with something they can do fine by themselves, make cookies maybe? Yes. So, why do your parents want your help? Because you feel good if you help! Yes, they want you to share in doing good things. The good work comes from you too, even if you help just a little, but do your best. When you cooperate with your parents, you show that you love them. And like a parent, God seeks our cooperation. He doesn't say, 'let me grab some more dirt & ribs and I'll make y'all a couple of kids.' Instead, He asks, 'why don't the three of us make some children?' God relies on men & women's married love to make more people. That is, God depends on our human love for His divine love to continue to create new people. Married people mediate God's creative love, as in Confession the priest mediates God's forgiveness (they already know the concept). The Church teaches that married people are God's collaborators, God's co-creators. That doesn't mean we're equal to God, but it means that married love is very important. If people decided to not have any more children, God wouldn't go back to using ribs and dirt; there just wouldn't be any more people. He loves us and trusts us to do the right thing, although unfortunately there are many ways nowadays that people can avoid having children.

But Stratopops, my cousin had a baby with her boyfriend and they weren't married. Yes, that happens because every gift God gives us can be misused. We can sin because God gave us....a free will! Yes, geniuses! Free will.

So the husband & the wife & God all together make new life, and we share in God's glory this way. Now if God lets us share this power, and we are co-creators of new life with God, what kind of person would I be if I said, "No thanks, God, I don't want to share in your creative power, I don't want to change stinky diapers at 4 a.m., I want to have a bunch of fun cars instead?" You'd be selfish! Yes...very selfish indeed. Selfish like an adult? Are real adults selfish? No, selfish like a baby! Yes. And let's remember, I was once 30 years old, unmarried, and had a bunch of fun cars, which made me....a 30-year-old baby! Yes. Boy....y'all are harsh.

Honorary sons & daughters, we see that God shares his creative power & love with married people, so when I look at one of my beautiful daughters, who do I see? Her! Yes, of course, I see my daughter. I expect you to think harder than that, who else? OK, usually a child looks like two other people....what two people, Santa Claus and Batman? Ha! No, their parents! Yes, kids look like their parents. So when I look at one of my beautiful daughters, who do I see? Your wife! Yes, I see my wife, whom I love, in my daughter, whom I also love. Who else do I see? Yourself! Yes, and one more....? God! Yes, I see God in my daughter. It is one of the greatest feelings in the world to be in the kitchen with my family and see God, my wife, and myself in my kids. I'm so used to being a father now, I can see God in all of you as well, which is why when you aren't giving silly answers you're my honorary sons & daughters.

Y'all remember Mr. Slingshot? King David? Yes. He wrote about half of the Psalms, we sing them in Mass, the Responsorial Psalms...I hope y'all sing them and don't sit there and mumble like my daughters do. Anyway, whoever wrote Psalm 128 was a father, like me. Here's part of that Psalm:

You will be happy and prosper.
Like a fruitful vine your wife within your home;
Like olive plants your children around your table;
May you may share Jerusalem's joy and live to see your children's children.
(I can sing this Psalm; depending on classtime and the kids' mood, I'll sing it)

When I'm at the dinner table with my family I feel just like that.

That's what sex is for grownups.

Someday soon y'all are gonna be of marrying age. Most of you will get married. You'll love someone like your parents love each other, the way Jesus loves his Bride....? The Church! Yes! You'll have children too, because you'll share God's creative love. And that will be when you'll understand how much your parents love you, because you'll love your children the same way. Children are great gifts. Ask your parents if you are a gift from God, and report back next week. That's your homework.

Isn't sex interesting?

Image: The Arnolfini Wedding Portrait, van Eyck

God, Time, Space & 6th Graders

The kids are always interested in the idea of eternity, how God already knows everything, how we can pray for the soul of someone who is already dead, how places such as Heaven or Purgatory don't exist in time.

"Y'all know we say there's no time in Heaven; or God 'sees' everything at once; or that time doesn't pass for God. That's so because God existed before there was time. How can he do that? Well, we know he existed before he created the universe, right? Right. And even though it's not obvious, time is a part of creation just like galaxies and monkeys are."

Remember the first book of the Bible? Genesis. Yes. The first line of the first chapter is: 'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void'...what's a void? It's a hole. Yes, what else? It's something that's empty. Yes again; a void is emptiness, nothingness. So what that means is in the beginning nothing physical existed. Before the beginning only one thing existed, which was....God. Who does not have what? A body. And with no creation yet, there's no day & night, nothing moving, nothing getting old...there's no time. But as soon as God created physical stuff, and things began to change, there was time. If nothing ever changes there's no time. The universe God created changes, so there's time in the universe, it changes all the time, as we might say. But does God change? No. Right, God is eternal. But he can see everything he created, that makes sense. And if time's part of what he created, then he sees time all at once too. Yes, but how can he do that?

Look at it this way:

Have any of you taken trips up to the (Blue Ridge/Smoky) mountains? Hands go up. What are the roads like? They're twisty! Yes, they are very twisty; and they don't only go left and right all day, what else do they do? They go up and down! Yes, they're very tricky roads....there are lots of accidents on roads like that...why? Because people can't see around the corners or over the hills. Right. Let's imagine you're all in my car and we go for a ride on one of my favorite twisty roads, Highway 178. People joke that when big trucks go around the tightest turns, the driver sees the back of his trailer in front of him. So let's start, we drive along a bit of straight road, then there's a blind turn, which means? You can't see around it! So what do we do? Slow down! Yes, we get around ok, then there's a rise in the road with a blind crest, which means? You can't see over it! So what do we do? Slow down! (act it out, yank the wheel, stomp the brakes, try to see over and around) Yes. And it's like this whole way. We're constantly surprised because we can't see what's ahead. Look, a bear! Look, a waterfall! We almost hit that deer! (act it out) We can only see where we are, and remember where we've been. So we can 'see' the past in our minds, and right now we can see....the present......but we can't see....the future! Right, we can't see the future. But eventually we get to the end of the road and the trip is all in the past. Now suppose instead of being in the car, you were in a balloon way up in the air over the road, an observer. If you were high enough, how much of the road could you see? All of it? Yes, it's only a few miles long, you could see it all at once. You'd see every hill, every turn. You'd be able to see our whole trip in an instant. You'd know when we'd slow down or speed up, what we'd see and when we'd see it, and know it all before we even left home. So while the people in the car could only experience the drive moment-by-moment in time, and mile-by-mile in distance and space, the observer could understand their whole trip at once, even the parts the people in the car hadn't gotten to yet, their future. The way the balloon observer exists outside of the world of the road is similar to how God exists outside of time. It's as easy for God to see all of the time and space of the universe at once as it is for the balloonist to see the whole road trip....easier, even.

During the year we'll be discussing things that are outside time, such as Heaven, Hell, Sheol, and Purgatory, as well as God, who existed before time as well as existing out of time. When these subjects come up, remember the mountain road and....? The balloon!

Rembrandt & Reconciliation

Class, this painting was done a few centuries ago by an artist named Rembrandt. He was Dutch, so what country did he live in? Holland? Yes. What is Holland famous for? Windmills! .....Wooden shoes! Yes, geniuses!

Rembrandt painted lots of Bible stories, like this one. Can you guess the story? No? Actually it's a picture of one of Jesus' parables, the Prodigal Son. I like this painting because it reminds me of how I feel when I go to confession. Y'all have heard the story before, and now you're gonna hear it again, but with cartoons. Won't that be all the fun you can stand?

(I draw two faces, but without mouths) This is the Prodigal Son and his Father. Where are their mouths? I'll put some in later. Let's listen as Jesus tells the story:

"There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.' And he divided his property between them."

What do you call it when a parent's property is divided among the children? Inheritance? Yes, the part each child (usually they're adults, like the Prodigal son) gets is his inheritance. Do my kids have their inheritance yet? Ha, no. How do you know? Because you're not dead yet. Yes; a father's estate doesn't get divided among the kids 'til he's dead. So how would the father feel when the son asks for his inheritance? Sad. (I put a sad mouth on the Father) Yes, the Son can't wait around for his Father to die so he can get the goodies. But the Father goes ahead and gives the Son his share, which today might be a million dollars or so. How does the son feel? He feels great! (I put a happy mouth on the Son) He's an ingrate, but he feels great (haw!); I bet he has tons of self-esteem, but not a lick of self-respect. He's very proud of himself, and all the money he has that he didn't earn.

Then Jesus says: "Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living." What's that mean, to "squander property in reckless living?" To waste all his money! Yes, but how? Buying lots of stuff, cars and things! Yes, and probably getting drunk, gambling and behaving badly with women like King David did...what today we might call Sex, Drugs and Rock'n'Roll. What's wrong with Rock'n'Roll? Well, sometimes it's ok; other times, especially if people aren't behaving well, it can make it easier to behave even worse. Like what? Like, ask your parents; this isn't a Rock'n'Roll class. It's a Learn About God class.

By the way, 'prodigal' means 'wastefully extravagant.' He just blew that money right out the window! Do you think the Son would've done that if he'd earned the money himself? No! That's right! You should always carefully spend the money you're given as though you had to work for it yourself.

Then Jesus says: "After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he was hungry. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the swill that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything."

How does the younger Son feel now? Sad. You bet he does (I erase the Son's smile, replace it with a sad mouth). Who does he feel sad for? Himself. Yes. And notice how Jesus says "no one gave him anything." The only person we know who gave him anything was his Father, who loves him. But he was mean to his Father, so too bad for him now.

Then Jesus says: "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men."

Now this is starting to look a lot like Confession. The son realizes he's sinned against his Father; we'd say he's examined his conscience. And he decides to go confess his sin to his Father. And why is he doing this, why does he now realize he's offended his father? Because he's hungry! Yes, he's still thinking about himself, but he's thinking about his father as well, so that's progress. And is he still prideful? No, he's humble. Yes. That's progress, too. And he knows he doesn't deserve to be treated like a son since he's already wolfed down his big slice of pie in one huge bite. How's he gonna pay all that money back? He can't! That's right! A million bucks flushed down the toilet, squoosh! So he can't make amends! What's the only thing he can hope for? That his father will forgive him. Yes; the Son doesn't want justice. He wants what? Forgiveness! Yes, he wants a merciful Father. As we say, "Have mercy on me Lord, a sinner."

Then Jesus says: "So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him."

I think the Father is surprised his Son is even alive, and runs out to hug and kiss him. How does the Father feel? Happy! Yes (Father now smiles) But isn't the Father the offended party? Yes. So why is he glad to see his good-for-nothing-blow-a-million-bucks younger son? 'cause he loves him anyway. Yes....and who is the father thinking about? His son! Yes. If he thinks about himself, and how thoughtless his Son had been to him how would he feel? Sad. Yes.

Now, does the Father know the Son's sin, how the son offended him? Yes! Can he tell the Son is as sorry as he can be? Yes! But instead of saying, "hush now, you don't have to apologize," he lets the Son confess his sin out loud, even though he already knows what he's going to say. Just as we do in Confession, the younger Son repeats out loud his Examination of Conscience: "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son." Why does the father let the Son confess? So the Son will feel better! Yes. Confessing our sins out loud to a priest isn't for God's benefit...who's it for? It's for us. Yes. And who is the Son thinking about? His Father. Yes...a little about himself too; he's miserable, who can blame him?

Now let's look at Rembrandt's painting. The poor Son is exhausted by his sins and his guilt. His shoes are falling apart; he's penniless. Just a poor, forlorn sinner like me. This is just how I feel when I'm in Confession and the priest tells me Jesus has forgiven my sins. The Son looks peaceful and relieved and sorry all at once. And the father is patient and affectionate....he can stand there and comfort his Son and welcome him home for as long as the Son needs him to. Rembrandt painted this when he was old and near death. He's showing how he hoped God would forgive him his sins.

OK, back to the story; Jesus says: "...the Father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'

So the Son, having confessed, is forgiven by the Father, who restores him to an even better situation than before he left, as we'll see in a minute. At this point how does the Son feel? Happy! Yes, maybe happier than he's ever been. (happy mouth on the Son). And the Father? He's happy too! (two happy faces). And the Father is thinking about...the Son! And the Son....his Father! Yes, they're not selfish, but.....selfless! Yes. I draw an arrow from each face toward the other face to show this.

Now Jesus says: "So they began to celebrate. Meanwhile, the older son was in the field...and he heard music and dancing. A servant said 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound. The older brother became angry and refused to go in the house."

And who's this (I draw a new face)? The older son. Which person is he in the painting? The man on the right. Yes, both he and his father are wearing red, an expensive color. Who're the other people? Servants probably. Does the older Son look happy his brother is home? No, he's mad. (I add the sad mouth and angry eyebrows)

"So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends." Now, who is the older Son thinking about? Himself. Yes. I draw an arrow from his face that curves back around to his face.

Then the Father says: "My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because your brother was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." And let's see...who's happy? The Father and the younger Son. And who are they thinking about? Each other! And the older Son is...thinking about himself! and....is unhappy. Yes.

Now the older Son is a problem for most people: he's obeyed his Father, isn't it reasonable for him to be annoyed? Maybe so....but my guess is he's like most of us. I say, oooh, that Prodigal Son, he was so bad. He needed to apologize big time to his Dad. But me, I've never been that bad, I don't need to apologize, I do what God wants. But like me, the older Son is a sinner, too. He has things he should apologize for to his Father; we all do (even saints). But he wants to focus on his brother's sins. That way he can keep his pride, and not have to examine his conscience; he'd rather examine his brother's conscience. He doesn't want to apologize out loud like his brother. Plus he sees his father and younger brother are closer than they used to be....he's jealous of that, but doesn't want do what's necessary to have that closer relationship with his Dad: to admit out loud he's sinned, too. It's harder for him to ask forgiveness for his small sins than for his younger brother to apologize for his big ones. So the lesson we learn from the older brother is as important as the one we learn from the younger one. Sometimes I'm like the younger Son: I know I need forgiveness. Sometimes like the older Son: I've been pretty good, I don't need any forgiveness, I haven't been that bad. But God doesn't care how big your sins are; he cares that you repent and confess your sins out loud so He can forgive you.

And we're made of what...? Bodynsoul! Yes, we have two natures: spiritual and...physical! So we need to confess spiritually and....physically! Yes, so God can forgive us spiritually and.....physically! And in Confession, how do we get physical forgiveness? The priest tells us we're forgiven! Yes, right in our ears. Just like King David heard the words of forgiveness from Nathan's mouth.

This is a great gift, sons & daughters, but we have to use it: to confess, repent, and be forgiven even our worst sins through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. You can even bring Rembrandt's painting with you.

Sabado

Okay.... remember the first book of the Bible, what is it called? Genesis! Yes. And the first part of the Bible is called....? The Old Testament! Yes, and the second part is....The New Testament! Yes, the Old one was written in....Hebrew, yes, and the New in....Greek! Very good, honorary sons & daughters.

Remember in Genesis, God created everything in two days, and ...no! He needed 6 days! Oh yeah...six days. And then he rested from creating everything on the 3rd day...no the 7th!...oh yeah, on Tuesday...ha! no, Saturday! Right, right...so God worked for 6 days making everything, then he took the 7th day off which we call... Saturday. Yes.

In Genesis, chapter 1 is all about creation, days 1 through 6. Then at the start of chapter 2, we read "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done." Now the Bible doesn't say the 7th day had a name. But it's the day God rested from all his work. We hear it two times in two sentences: God rested from all his work. When things are repeated in the Bible it's for emphasis: pay attention.

We know Genesis was written in....? Hebrew. Yes. The Hebrew word for 'to stop working,' or 'rest,' is Shabbath (I put it on the board). So on the 7th day God shabbathed, he rested. So what do we call that day of rest? It's almost the same in English as in Hebrew...oh! Sabbath! (Sabbath goes on the board under Shabbath) Yes, genius at work, Sabbath! So we still shabbath on the Sabbath, that is we....? Rest! Yes, we rest from our work. Since the Sabbath was the last day of the week, that's what day? Saturday. Yes, the day we go to Mass. But we go to Mass on Sunday, not Saturday! Oh yeah, Sunday is our Sabbath. Jewish people still have Sabbath on Saturday, why is Sunday our Sabbath? Because we go to Mass on Sunday. Yes, right, so why is Mass on Sunday? No guesses...OK, what day did Jesus rise from the dead? Easter Sunday! Yes, the Gospels actually tell us it was the first day of the week, Sunday. So the Christian Sabbath is on Sunday to mark the Resurrection.

By the way, in English the last day of the week is "Saturday"...who is it named after? Saturn. Yes, a Roman make-believe god. But some languages still use the word for Sabbath...como se llama Saturday en Espanol? How do you say Saturday in Spanish? Sabado. Yes (goes on the board under Sabbath), and in Greek it's Sabbato (Σάββατο), in Italian it's Sabato.

Back to resting: after all that work God did, I guess he was just exhausted, right? Ready to go to bed early? Do you think God gets tired? No.... Why not? Well, he's God. Right, God's all-powerful; a Latin word for that is omnipotent (goes on the board). God never gets tired. But I get tired, everybody I know who works hard gets worn slap out. But not God; so why did God rest, even though he wasn't tired? So we would rest when we were tired? Yes, to set an example for us. So who is the Sabbath, the rest day for? For us, for people. Yes.

And later, resting on the Sabbath became a rule, the third Commandment. In the Book of Exodus, it's long:

"Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. For six days you shall labour and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or anyone in your town."

People were careful not to work on the Sabbath, but what's work? I mean, it's work if I go my office, but is it work to take out the trash? Or unclog a toilet? So people wanted to be sure, and in Jesus' day there were 39 rules about what was or wasn't work on the Sabbath. Jesus got into arguments with the Pharisees when he did things such as picking a handful of grain (act it out) or healing people on the Sabbath (act it out)....wasn't that doctor's work? But Jesus said, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."

Jesus didn't mean we can do whatever we want on Sunday. Rather we should make it a special day by doing things like paying God some attention, relaxing, having a good time with the family, or visiting someone in the hospital.

So think positively like Jesus about how to rest and keep the Lord's Day holy, not negatively like the Pharisees.

David & Nathan

Tell me please, in the Bible who was the kid with the slingshot? That's easy, David. Yes, David. When he grew up, he became King of Israel. He was close to God, enjoyed God's favor for most of his life. He even talked straight to God, and God would talk right back:

David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" And the LORD said to David, "Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah."

David asked, "Will Saul come down?" And the LORD said, "He will come down."

Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?" And the LORD said, "They will surrender you." (all 1Samuel 23)

Whether or not David heard God speaking out loud isn't the point, although he may have. What matters is that David had God's ear, so to speak. He went straight to God and heard right back....Old Testament Instant Messaging.

Years later when David was king, he fell in love with a woman named Bathsheba, who was married to a man named Uriah. David wanted Bathsheba for himself, so he arranged for Uriah to be accidentally killed on purpose. Then David married Bathsheba. David clearly committed some serious sins, including conceiving a baby with Bathsheba while she was married to Uriah. (2Sam 11...act it out)

How did David do that ? Do what? You know...the baby. I tell you what, ask your parents if you want to know the details- they conceived you, after all.

Y'all don't know who Nathan is yet, do you? No. Nathan was a prophet who had been authorized by God to be the King's advisor...to keep him out of trouble, and to scold him if necessary. Nathan knew David needed to repent of these serious sins in order to rule Israel well, but it's not smart to just tell a King, "hey King, you super sinner, everybody knows how bad you are, you'd better repent or else!" Kings have big egos, they think they're so great, a King would just get mad...that's how John the Baptist lost his head, by the way.

Instead of yelling at King David, Nathan tells him a sad story:

"O great King, let me tell you about a rich man and a poor man. The rich man had lots of sheep, more than he needed, but the poor man had only one little lamb. It grew up in his family along with his children; it was like another daughter to him. (I pretend to cradle a dear little lamb.)
Then one day the rich man needed a sheep for a feast, but being a bigshot, instead of using one of his own, he took the the poor man's lamb instead." (this is from 2 Samuel 12; tell it your own way)
King David blew his top! He yelled, "that selfish jerk is gonna pay for that big time! That's outrageous! He treated that poor guy like dirt!"
But Nathan said, "That rich man is you! God's given you so much, but you stole Uriah's wife Bathsheba, and then had him killed to try to cover up your sins!"
Now, here's where it gets interesting. Did God already know David's sins? Yes. In fact, did God know David's sins before David was even born? Yes. And David's a smart guy, he would have known that God was aware of his sins, right? Right! And of course, David knew he had sinned by having, umm, married love with a woman he wasn't married to, and getting her husband killed.
So why hadn't David repented? Well, he just put it off. Yes. He could do what I like to do, just tell God he's sorry, what the heck, God knows all his sins anyway. He didn't have to admit it to anyone else, so he kept his pride. I like to keep my pride, too. Just like Adam and Eve.

But David acknowledged his terrible sins to Nathan, who was God's authorized advisor and scold. Instead of saying, "Interesting story Nathan, but I haven't killed any lambs, stop wasting Royal time," and later on going straight to God to apologize and seek forgiveness, he 'fesses up to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Now, recap: did God know David's sins? Yes! And did Nathan know David's sins, at least a few really big bad ones? Yes! And did David know David's sins? Yes! And could David go straight to God for all sorts of stuff, as we saw earlier? Yes!

So....why did David bother to confess to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD"? OK....have you ever been mean to your Mom? Yeees.... And were you sorry right away? Yes! Did you 'fess up right away? Nooo... No, because you wanted to hang onto what Adam & Eve hung onto, your...pride! Yes, we all love our pride, ourselves, instead of loving others. What's the opposite of being prideful? Being humble! Yes.

Back to your Mom- when you felt sorry, did she know you were sorry without you saying so? Yes, she can tell. So if you apologize, you're just telling her what she already knows. So why does she want you to say you're sorry out loud? It makes her feel better. Yes, but there's another reason. When you tell her you're sorry, what does she say say back? She says that's ok, she forgives me. And how do you feel? Better. Yes, you humble yourself by saying that you did something wrong, and you're sorry; it's hard. But your apology allows your Mom to say she forgives you. It wouldn't be right for her to say it first, although she probably would want to because she loves you. You're humble; Mom's merciful. And after you say you're sorry and she says you're forgiven, how else might her body show you're forgiven? She'll hug me. Yes, and how do you feel? Happy. Yes, often we're happiest after we've just repented and been forgiven, in spirit and....physically! And what 2 things make a person, by the way? A body and a soul! Yes, they go together, bodynsoul. So if your soul is sorry, what else should be sorry? Your body! And one way your body shows it is? By saying you're sorry. Yes, out loud, just like King David. It's humbling.

Now back to King David. David didn't just privately confess to God. He confessed his sin to God through Nathan, who was God's physical representative. He physically humbled himself before another person, because being a bodynsoul his spirit had to confess to a spirit, and his body had to confess to.....? another body! Yes, and since Jesus wasn't around yet, God wasn't physically available.....so what did David do? He confessed to Nathan. Yes. And what does your Mom do after you say you're sorry? She forgives me! Yes. So guess what Nathan did after David confessed? Umm...he forgave David? Yes! Plain as day, Nathan said, "The LORD has put away your sin..." Trick question: how do you know if your Mom forgives you for something you do? Umm, she says I'm forgiven? Yes, the words go right out of her mouth and into your ear. Next trick question: how did David know his sins were forgiven? Nathan told him right in his ear! Yes! But David didn't sin against Nathan...who said Nathan could speak for God? Umm, God said so? Yes, God appointed Nathan, and gave him that authority. We know this because the Bible says that God would tell Nathan what to tell David. So when David heard the words from Nathan, he could believe them.

This story about David and Nathan should remind you of how Catholics confess our sins to God. Can we pray straight to God like David? Yes! But when we want to confess our serious sins, and be forgiven, what do we do? Confess to a priest. Yes, just as David confessed to Nathan. And how do we know we're forgiven? The priest says so. Yes, just like Nathan. And how do we know the priest can do that? He speaks for God. Yes...just like Nathan. He's got authority from Jesus' Church.

When I was a kid the priest would say: "May our Lord Jesus Christ absolve you; and by His authority I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen." The words are a bit different now, but the priest still speaks for Jesus so you can hear the words go right into your ear, just as Nathan spoke for God in the Old Testament. We and David are forgiven, body and...? Bodynsoul! Yes, bodynsoul.

By the way, after you are forgiven your sins, the priest usually wants you to do something......oh, penance. Yes. David had to do penance too, but that's another story.

So next time you go to confession, think about David and.... Nathan!

Yes!



(How about that pic of David & Nathan at the top....some serious rebukin' goin' on!)

Whole Lotta Props

My Catechism class is held in a recently-renovated middle-school building. The classroom has a smartboard and other aids that I don't know how to operate, which may be for the best. I'm not teaching a full classroom of kids who'll be taking notes on several subjects during a 180-day, 6-hour per day academic year. We also don't watch movies, or do anything that takes time away from live instruction, 55+ minutes nonstop each meeting. Of course, the kids are tired in the evening, and 6th graders like the stimulation of visual aids (don't we all?), so in lieu of technology-enabled visuals, I provide...a whole lot of props.

Before I get to the props, some background. A constant theme in class is that God made us Body & Soul, two parts that make a unique, unified whole. I want the kids to think: I'm a Body & Soul; I'm a body&soul; imabody'n'soul, imabodynsoul...... Always think of them at once: bodynsoul. It helps to understand Catholicism. God communicates to us, loves us through both aspects, spiritually & physically; we respond likewise....bodynsoul. Most (not all) of the props have to do with telling Bible stories where something physical acts as a conduit for God's power. These lessons lay a philosophical groundwork for the kids to see the reasonableness of Sacraments. Let's Get Physical

With that very brief introduction, on to the props:

A plastic fetus comes in handy all the time...abortion, marriage, the Annunciation, Christmas. Doesn't everybody have one? Current Events

My jacket for portraying Elijah cloaking Elisha (1Kings 19), and for parting the Jordan (2Kings 2). We see the cloak used as a (physical) symbol of (invisible) authority, and as a medium for divine power. Wednesday Sunday School

A dishrag for portraying Acts 19:11, and to discuss relics & sacraments. The rag comes up later in a different context with a little American flag.

A long stick for portraying Moses striking the Rock (medium for divine power). Used again with a foot-long stick to explain canonization (from the Greek word for measuring stick, a rule, kanon / κανών) Church authority, and sacraments. Wednesday Sunday School

A rubber ball for explaining free will. The ball has no choice but to bounce back up or fall back down. Where there is choice, there's free will, and morality.

Balloons to discuss Mary's womb and body and soul. An inflated balloon is obviously more balloon-y than an airless one. Pneuma & Einstein

A chicken bone to portray how Elisha's bones brought a dead man back to life (2Kings 13:20), and to discuss relics, intercession, and sacraments. Recaps

A small American flag to illustrate respect for symbols and names (2nd & 3rd Commandments). I'll pretend to change my grandson's dirty diaper, and pull out a rag...is it ok to use this cloth to clean his little butt? Sure. I put it away, pull out the little American flag...is it ok to use this cloth to clean his little butt? No! From there we discuss respect for God's symbols, His name, and His Stuff (churches, priests, images, etc.)

A picture of my wedding day is frequently useful (wedding feast, marriage, fidelity, vows, covenants, children, Bride of the Lamb, celibacy (who does the priest marry), etc.)

A picture of my wife as an adult, and one as a child. I use these to discuss marriage, idol worship, the maturing process, and mortality. Barney & St. Augustine

A statue of Mary to discuss idol worship, very useful in the Bible Belt.

A crucifix to portray how 17th century Japanese Christians were martyred because they refused to stomp a crucifix. (respect for God's Stuff)

Copies of Rembrandt's Prodigal Son to facilitate discussion of Confession.

Copies of a painting of the Anastasis to facilitate discussion of the Resurrection, Jesus' descent into 'Hell', Sheol, Purgatory. Anastasis

A pre-Vatican 2 Latin Missal. It's useful just to show the kids some Latin. Plus there are some terrific illustrations on the opening pages of the Ordinary of the Mass. On two facing pages are shown the grapes & wheat; the bread & wine; the Crucifixion; the Last Supper; and a picture of the altar with the Priest and altar boy accompanied by praying angels, thus indicating the Heavenly connection. Trou de Ver & the Mass

Photo of me and two of my kids when they were about 2 and 4 'helping' me wash my car. I use it to discuss how God, who is omnipotent, nonetheless wants us to do what we can to help. Not because God needs helping, any more than I needed toddlers' help to wash the car, but for our own good. I usually introduce the phrase "cui bono?" as part of the discussion. Leitourgia

My key wallet for acting out Isaiah 22, a critical precursor to Christ giving authority to Peter.

An umbrella to visualize the recurring Biblical significance of overshadowing.

I think these are all the props I use. A great thing about them is they can be pulled out on short notice to recall a lesson the kids learned with the prop, then using that recap as a jumping off point for a new lesson.