Anne tells blessings of being Catholic scripture teacher
It has been three years now since I answered my call to become a Catechist. Looking back, I honestly cannot imagine that I committed to something I was so not confident to do. At that time, our family had just moved to Australia and I was a little overwhelmed with all the changes that I found myself praying to God for discernment – “what now, Lord?”
One Sunday at Mass, our parish priest announced the need for Catechists. I did not pay much attention to it as I felt it was not for me. At home, I read the parish newsletter and had another idea – I will convince my son to do altar service. I called the number to inquire about volunteering in the parish. I spoke to Sister Judith Clark, who sweetly asked, “are you also interested in becoming a Catechist?” This time, I felt a little nudging. To make the long story short, she became my mentor and inspired me in many ways. (By the way, my son also became an altar server).
In the beginning, I was hesitant because I did not have any experience in teaching and handling a classroom full of kids. Thankfully, comprehensive training and full support was provided. Another thing that worried me was, even though I grew up in a family of practicing Catholics, I still do not know enough about my faith, so how can I teach something I am not very knowledgeable about?
Sister Judith showed me the children’s activity books and the teacher’s manual which has all the step-by-step instructions and lesson plans. Then I started to feel motivated by the fact that I would get to contribute to our parish by sharing Jesus with the children, while also learning so much along the way.
As I now reflect on my experiences of being a Catechist, I recognise the rich blessings I have been receiving. I am rewarded with my students’ excited faces when I tell them stories about Jesus. I have made wonderful and supportive friends and continue to meet new ones when I attend trainings and faith-formation workshops. Lastly, I feel fulfilled knowing I have inspired my own family to live their faith and glorify God in everything they do.
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