It was very fittting to do that at the end of Mass, because Father Kevin has masterfully taught us that our faith really is a great celebration of having a relationship with the God Who loves us so much and desires so greatly to be in relationship with us, which we as Roman Catholics express most especially by attending Mass each weekend.
As we "Partied Hard with Jesus Christ", my mind drifted back to teaching Religious Education (RE) class the past year. I've written about my experiences teaching RE before on my blog, given how significant of an experience it is in my life, and I wish to focus a little more on it in this blog post.
I actually led my students how to "Party Hard with Jesus Christ" toward the end of the year in April. The vast majority of my students were going through, and are still in, preparations for the sacrament of Confirmation this coming October. One of the tenets of faith that Father Hurlbert, Ascension's pastor, has been heavily emphasizing is the importance of baptized Roman Catholics attending Mass on a regular basis, and particularly emphasized this with the students as part of their preparation for Confirmation.
Aware that sometimes teens struggle to find meaning in the experience of Mass, I felt it was important to continually talk in class about why Mass is significant, and help them think about it differently. That's when I decided to lead them in the "Party Hard" routine, and used that as an object lesson to demonstrate how Mass is our opportunity to celebrate our faith. This was one of several object lessons I used throughout class sessions from January onward, when the Confirmation preparations began.
Indeed, teaching RE has given me much reason to celebrate faith, because it's an opportunity for us to grow in it together as we spend time each week learning about various parts of it. Even I learn as I lead the students in exploring various aspects of faith. It was amazing to hear students express profound insights about faith, and also pose some good questions in exit slips I had them fill out at the end of class sessions, which was a way for me to assess how they were learning in class. I remember one students once asked a question about how we know Jesus really resurrected, and when I addressed that question at the start of the following class, I started by commending the student who wrote it for posing such a question, which is about a matter at the heart of our faith.
And ultimately, I see that the purpose of Religious Education is to help stimulate a measure of growth in my students so that they make meaning of faith, take ownership of it, and carry it on throughout their lives. It's exciting in the role of teacher to see growth take place, even in small ways, marveling at what may happen years in the future.
That actually connects with what I learned while studying for my MLIS: One of the ALA's Core Values of Librarianship is Lifelong Learning, which libraries foster by providing access to information that help people continually grow in knowledge and understanding. (I thought about that as I was exiting the graduation ceremony. One of the student volunteers remarked we wouldn't have any more school, and I turned around to say as LIS professionals, we're still engaged in lifelong learning.)
With RE, I start something, and then let the growth take hold as students build upon a foundation I lay. Indeed, teaching RE has been such an extraordinary experience because I'm making an investment that has eternal implications as I spend time with these young people. And while spending time with them, I am taken back to the time in my life when I experienced significant growth in my own faith, and it stirs something in my soul to be part of this process for the next generation. Certainly I experienced so much growth taking on the role of caring for the souls of the young people in my charge, and working, even through challenges, to create an environment that stimulates their own growth in their faith. (It was wonderful to reflect on this when I went back to Julian Middle School and was taking with my former 7th grade science teacher about what it means to be a teacher and have an impact on students, and how to show true care towards them.) When I step back to take stock of it all, it's amazing to see what an investment I have made, and the impact I've had on 30 students at Ascension Parish.
Furthermore, this experience has taught me what really matters most in life, and has directed my gaze upward to Heaven above, knowing that faith reveals to us that which is everlasting, and life finds truly great meaning in directing our efforts to build up treasure that is lasting. And that has been a true joy.
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