www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Parish Life & Evangelization Amazed at intelligence of members

Friends,

I suppose this is bragging on our Church and perhaps I shouldn't but here goes. I know people from several different backgrounds. I pastored several congregations. I've never met a group of people who are as astute as those I've met in the BC Church. I was amazed by those in Annunciation but then I went on Pilgrimage and found many many astute people there as well. I have visited other BC Churches and found a preponderence of intelligent and devout people there as well. I suspect, given my experiences here, that other Eastern Catholic people are just as astute. If in a few years we are able to positively influence our cultures I would not be surprised at all.

I've never seen children four, five, six years old who have such insight into the things of God. The Orthodox saying that light can come from anybody is certainly true.

We have a wonderful light. Let us not hide it.

Dan L

I agree. Last night I was talking with a Roman Catholic(and I am not knocking RC's) about the Jesus Prayer. He said yeah I know that it is an ejaculation. I told him no, it is a prayer to be lived in your heart. Pray it and it will pray in you. He said well, it is an ejaculation and that is the way I use it. OH WELL! Hopefully a seed was planted. However, he was not able to get pass that 'e' word to the mystery of the prayer.

Dan wrote:
I've never seen children four, five, six years old who have such insight into the things of God.

One morning in Church as we were preparing to receive the Eucharistic Lord. A rather energetic five year old, who must be twelve by now, turned to me with joy in his eyes and proudly proclaimed, "I am going to get Jesus Bread. Are you?" You know I was convicited of taking Jesus for granted.

I can't wait until he graduates high school and I get to write that in his graduation card. With that understanding, you know he has tremendous insight into Jesus.

They do say the darndest things don't they!
Pani Rose

For this reason I enjoy reading children's Bibles and religious books. They are refreshingly easy to understand.

Christ is our peace,

Paul

Dan- Yes, by all means let us congratulate ourselves, and give ourselves a rousing cheer for our brilliance... :rolleyes:
I think, seriously, judging by the recent posts, that the case could be made that we are among the most dense of God's creatures....
-Daniel, your fellow fool

ON Nov. 14 a four year old sang out with all of his heart most of the Divine Liturgy. I was amazed. He did I better job than I do.

Last Sunday a six year old was coming into Church and I greated her with "Glory to Jesus Christ". She twirled around with glee and respnded "Glory to Him forever." This barely scratches the surface of the wonders I've seen. If these children remain faithful there really is a bright future ahead for all of us.

Dan L

My seven year old, who just started serving, said to me after his first experience, "Daddy, it's like a whole other world up there". As we believe it to be the already-present Kingdom of God beyond the Royal Doors, I thought this pretty profound.
On the other hand I have heard a lot of profound spiritual truth from Latin Catholic and Protestant children.
I wouldn't get a big head about it...

Dear members,

"Brilliant intellegence!" surely God's Gift!

In children untainted, untried, yet having the simplicity and purity of the Child that Jesus speaks about in the Gospel, in Luke 18. "Unless you change and become like little children you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven." ...

So, we are to Listen to the Word of God and keep it! Learning from Him ...

and, through our prayer and our life, to give Glory to God for all things!

Shestelle

p.s. isn't this our life-long struggle? the "here now" and the "not yet"? Jesus Christ is the "Way the Truth and the Life!" and we, on "pilgrimage" with, in and through Him!

A three-year-old boy, now thirteen, sitting in his mother's arms, told me once how he so often looked forward to going to Church because it was where he could be given Jesus.

I was teaching a pre-kindergarten catechism class about two years ago. I had a 'treasure chest' out of which I brought a twig and asked what it was and who made it. "A twig. God made it." I brought out a flower and asked what it was and who made it. "A flower. God made it." Finally, I brought out a rock and asked what it was and who made it. A four-year-old boy answered. "A rock. And God made it." I acted confused and asked if they were sure about their answers. All of them assured me that they had answered me correctly. I asked again, "You mean God made all of this?" They all nodded. "How do you know?" I asked. And the four-year-old boy said, "You know, Father, you go to church once in a while and you learn something!"

I still chuckle heartily thinking about this.

I had my then 5 year old pull this one on me.

Kieran: Daddy, do you know the difference between a Crucifix and a Tabernacle?

Me: Well tell me son, what is the difference.

Kieran: Well, a crucifix looks like Jesus is there, but he really isn't. A tabernacle looks like Jesus ISN'T there, but He really is.

My jaw just about dropped.

How true that is! Sounds like you have a great kid!

In Christ,
Aaron

My eldest nephew, Eric, was raised by my lapsed Catholic sister and her then-husband in an irreligious home. My sister, did, however, baptize all her children when they were babies.
When Eric was four or so, I walked in on him as he was looking at Grandma's family Bible, lavishly illustrated with reproductions of early 20th century oil paintings. He had it open to a crucifixion scene. He looked up to me, tears streaming down his face: "Look what they did to Jesus".
Around a year later, we had the following conversation:
Eric: Uncle Danny, do we have a bottom inside us?
Uncle Danny [puzzled]: What do you mean, Eric?
E: Well, God just goes on and on, right?
UD: Uh, yeah.
E: And He lives inside us, right?
UD Yes
E: So, do we just go on and on inside?
I don't remember how I answered this, but to this day the mystical insight of this little unchurched guy [now a strapping young man] blows me away.
-D

This is the kind of responses I was hoping for. I believe there really is a difference in the quality of Catechesis going on in the BC Churches I know about and in others that I've encountered in previous years. Perhaps some of it is due to our background of being shamed. Our anscestors overcame this perhaps by taking catechesis more seriuosly. Perhaps it has something to do with the struggle involved in moving from a culture dominated by deism to a traditional culture when one converts. Whatever the reason, I've had deeper and more serious conversations with both our children and our adults than ever before.

Dan L

Now, I am next to be amazed at the sudden dearth of additional anecdotes of and about the intelligentsia.

Wisdom finally setting in?

Amado

BTW, Brendan (Scotus) and his son, Kieran, are both Roman Catholics. Do/did they qualify? :p