Benedict XVI Diocesan School of Catechesis, adult formation program
God the Father loves us and delights in us. That can be a really complicated thought to those of us who know ourselves and our own struggles and weaknesses. Being known and loved by an all-powerful God may strangely be a difficult gift to receive, but it is truly the most rewarding and fulfilling experience for each of us.
Of course, we’re all tempted by sin, and we find ourselves giving in to those temptations and actually sinning. In this way, we are reminded of the parable of the prodigal son. The father was good. Yet, despite that goodness, his son was lured away from that goodness by the world and it’s offers of fulfillment and satisfaction. The pull was so strong that the son asked for his inheritance while his father was still living! This relational rupture is something that is unfortunately quite real for many of us, yet there’s something almost unbelievable in this parable.
Christ tells us that the son, “…arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran to him and embraced him and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20). Don’t we recognize in the Father’s response, that goodness which satisfies our deepest desires? The Father narrows the distance that we put between ourselves and Him, and He offers us everything by offering Himself. He pursues us and scans the horizon, longing for our return.
In our daily experience, that kind of relational distance can be a reality in our relationship with God. Later in St. Luke’s Gospel, St. Peter would experience that relational rupture with the Lord, too. While Peter swore that he’d never leave the Lord, we read that, “Peter followed at a distance” (Luke 22:54) and would deny even knowing our Lord shortly thereafter. Peter gave into temptation that day, but the Lord, just through His gaze, narrowed the distance between them.
We too can fall into the habit of following at a distance. One way that I would like to invite you to consider narrowing the distance is through a deeper knowing of our Lord. Seeking to know about God helps narrow the distance so that, by knowing Him, we can draw close to Him in love. In particular, I think of the Benedict XVI Diocesan School of Catechesis, our diocesan adult formation program, of which I am blessed to be a part. Why not join us on an adventure of coming to know the Lord better? The program lasts two years and extensively covers the topics in the Catechism of the Catholic Church as well as Salvation History, Faith and Reason, Church History and Jesus in the Gospels.
One Saturday a month we gather, celebrate Mass, and open up conversations about the truths of the faith in a way that seeks to draw closer to the Lord. Please consider if God is calling you nearer and asking you to get to know him better. If you are curious and would like more information, please see the website at www.lincolndiocese.org/bxvi .
