I'm a life-long learner, are you?
Monday, June 8, 2009
*Cheryl Whapham
I received the sacrament of confirmation when I was in eighth grade. I remember being in class with my best friends Janine and Renee. I remember memorizing the Ten Commandments. I remember nearly having a panic attack on the day I met with Msgr. Wolson to recite them. I remember the catechist telling us that the Creed we professed every Sunday at Mass was very important.
Ten years later I was part of a team leading an eighth-grade confirmation retreat. We decided to use the Creed as the basis for our retreat. During each session we would examine a part of the Creed in depth. For example, the first session was based on “We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen” and so on. We began each session with, “What does this mean? What are we professing that we believe?” We ended each session with, “Is this the faith that you profess? How do you live this faith out in your daily life?”
The weeks we spent preparing for that retreat were powerful for me. I hadn’t studied the Creed since my confirmation. I recited the words every Sunday but had never taken the time to pray and study them as an adult. I had been satisfied that I knew the Creed was important and that’s all I needed to know. I realized that many of the things I had learned as an adolescent, I needed to revisit in order to have an adult faith.
During Lent this year, I took an online class titled “Catholic Beliefs” via the Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation. It just so happened that the curriculum cantered around the Creed. In the years between that confirmation retreat and taking the online class, I have read and prayed and studied the Creed countless times. I still found that during the online course, I deepened my understanding of our faith. In particular this time I was struck by the words, “for us and for our salvation He came down from heaven”. I think I will spend the rest of my life attempting to appreciate the gift that I have been given in Jesus.
I leave you with two questions:
1. How does your understanding of the Creed change the way you live your life?
2. Are you a life-long learner?
Cheryl J. Orwig Whapham
Director, Lay Ministry and Adult Faith Formation
Comments from readers
Carrie V.
Yes, Yes, Yes!!! Thank you for your comments. I feel exactly the same way you do. This is what keeps the words of Scripture ALIVE and Jesus ALIVE!
Br. Richard,
Anyone, at anytime can register to take an online adult faith formation course at http://vlc.udayton.edu/ . Registration is currently open until July 8th to take a course during Cycle 5: July 12-August 15. Take any course you would like for only $40.00! My only recommendation to everyone would be to start with a "Basic" level course and then proceed to an "Intermediate or Advanced" level if you wish.
Peace and blessings,
Cheryl
Thank you for putting these important questions to us and challenging us to keep rewewing our understanding of the faith.
Would you recommend that those who read the blog should take a course on-line as part of the Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation? I think you made that offer once before, and perhaps you can make it again?
Richard
Margie Guadagno, Lansing IL