Page 87 - The Gonzaga Record 1989
P. 87
FAITH FRIENDS' DIARY
January
Parents of P3 and P4 received an invitation to a meeting concerning the
boys' Confirmation on Wednesday 26 April. Those who had boys in
higher classes and those who remembered their own Confirmation
preparation were in for a surprise. Mr McNelis and Mr Jim O'Connor
(from Belvedere), having outlined where Confirmation fitted into the
boys' religious formation, suggested that parents become actively
involved in the boys' preparation. This was indeed a new departure! The
Spirit was already at work.
If sufficient parents volunteered to be a faith friend, the boys would
come in groups of four or five on a weekly basis to the faith friend's
home for about an hour. Passage(s) of Scripture would be considered
along with a chat about some aspect of the place and meaning of the
Holy Spirit in our lives, a sharing of our common faith, follow ed by
orange and biscuits.
We were being asked to share our Faith, no matter how imperfect, with
the boys, to journey with them in Faith and to be a witness on the
JOurney.
Immediately, the questions arose - "I don't know enough about the
Bible" - "I don't understand many passages" - "Suppose they ask
questions I can't answer?" - "Maybe my Faith is neither strong enough
nor deep enough to cope!". Help!
February
At this point, the Holy Spirit must have gone into overdrive because early
in February, 11 mums and 3 dads went along in the evening for their first
training session with Fr Brennan and Mr NcMelis. There were to be six
of these sessions in all before the meetings with the boys began. Any
initial anxieties disappeared as we exchanged stories of our own
Confirmation in small groups, followed by a brief consideration of a
scriptural passage on the role of witness on the Christian journey. We
realised very early on that we were not scriptural scholars, but thankfully
that was not what we were being asked to do. Rather, we were being asked
to share our experience of Faith and help the boys to reflect and share
their own - something that is easier to do in small groups of four or
five than in a class situation with 30.
By the time Mr McNelis discreetly disappeared and returned with the
tea and biscuits any misgivings were totally dispelled. Ideas and
suggestions tumbled out - one felt that the Holy Spirit approved! Time
passed extraordinarily quickly as confidence grew and Fr Brennan and
Mr McNelis encouraged, supported and good-humouredly guided the six
sess1ons .
85
January
Parents of P3 and P4 received an invitation to a meeting concerning the
boys' Confirmation on Wednesday 26 April. Those who had boys in
higher classes and those who remembered their own Confirmation
preparation were in for a surprise. Mr McNelis and Mr Jim O'Connor
(from Belvedere), having outlined where Confirmation fitted into the
boys' religious formation, suggested that parents become actively
involved in the boys' preparation. This was indeed a new departure! The
Spirit was already at work.
If sufficient parents volunteered to be a faith friend, the boys would
come in groups of four or five on a weekly basis to the faith friend's
home for about an hour. Passage(s) of Scripture would be considered
along with a chat about some aspect of the place and meaning of the
Holy Spirit in our lives, a sharing of our common faith, follow ed by
orange and biscuits.
We were being asked to share our Faith, no matter how imperfect, with
the boys, to journey with them in Faith and to be a witness on the
JOurney.
Immediately, the questions arose - "I don't know enough about the
Bible" - "I don't understand many passages" - "Suppose they ask
questions I can't answer?" - "Maybe my Faith is neither strong enough
nor deep enough to cope!". Help!
February
At this point, the Holy Spirit must have gone into overdrive because early
in February, 11 mums and 3 dads went along in the evening for their first
training session with Fr Brennan and Mr NcMelis. There were to be six
of these sessions in all before the meetings with the boys began. Any
initial anxieties disappeared as we exchanged stories of our own
Confirmation in small groups, followed by a brief consideration of a
scriptural passage on the role of witness on the Christian journey. We
realised very early on that we were not scriptural scholars, but thankfully
that was not what we were being asked to do. Rather, we were being asked
to share our experience of Faith and help the boys to reflect and share
their own - something that is easier to do in small groups of four or
five than in a class situation with 30.
By the time Mr McNelis discreetly disappeared and returned with the
tea and biscuits any misgivings were totally dispelled. Ideas and
suggestions tumbled out - one felt that the Holy Spirit approved! Time
passed extraordinarily quickly as confidence grew and Fr Brennan and
Mr McNelis encouraged, supported and good-humouredly guided the six
sess1ons .
85
