29th Apr Cl XI Catechism

Good morning!😊
It's been 4 days since we last interacted - hope that you've been well!

Reminder - if you haven't done so already - please enter your name in the "Comment" space - kindly do this each time you log into the blog post for the class - Thank you 🙏.
Once again, a reminder that when you are on social media (and this interaction is the use of social media for education), we are reminded that this is a public space and that we are called on to be our best selves - so kindly communicate appropriately at all times - in doing so you are respecting yourself and all of us. Thank you!

I thank those who have spent a moment to jot down a bit more than the very welcome "Good Morning Brother" - thank you for that - but can I have a very brief communication - some comment or interaction on some of the work we're doing? I'll really appreciate that! Thanks, in advance!

By the way, do you get to see my reply to you "Good Morning"?

REVIEW
Let's look at what we've been trying to work at during our catechism classes so far :

• we are learning to listen to ourselves 
• our feelings
• name those feelings accurately 
• to communicate to ourselves well
• to be able to tell others precisely how we are 
• those feelings which are deep and are expressed in our body
• we experience these feelings in our bodies - physically e.g.fear - quick breath
• self-awareness - we needn't try to name to those feelings immediately 
• that can happen later on
• to do this we continued to practice the heartfulness which we learned over the last two years
• we began by getting a sheet ready on which we are going to draw a river of our lives over the years we have lived
• we used similar techniques to learn to listen to others
• not by asking them
• by being aware of them - noticing them - listening to them
• We have been learning about God
• that as listen to ourselves in openness - not judgmentally - that's the way God listens and is with us
• we read / saw videos of the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus 
• we tried to understand - listen to Jesus
• we learned why belief in the resurrection of Jesus is key to our lives s Christians.

So, let's get going!

• You'll need your earphones !

STEP 1
So, as we said, your teachers have been practicing Heartfulness with you - this practice is widely seen as probably the most important practice for life. It is also called "Mindfulness", "Awareness". "Meditation".

• what are we doing ? taking time to listen to ourselves!
• surprise - we don't find this easy!
• we prefer to do things ! (rather than be with myself !!!!!)
• we find it hard to be with ourselves !!!!!!!
• But the one person we better get to learn to live with well - is ourselves - we can't run - and we shouldn't try - to run away from ourselves!
• so I'm going to invite you to click on this link - and follow the directions   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G42Z7-vZvw
• this is listening to our bodies - this is the beginning!
• please try and make this a daily practice

STEP 2
Today, we're going to see a video of the appearance of Jesus to the disciples who were walking to Emmaus. You can read it in the Gospel of St Luke Ch 24 vs 13 onwards - you are encouraged to read it and also to click on this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07GCSW1CQUg

What do you see and hear?

• 2 persons who knew Jesus
• confused as to why he had to die
• Jesus'such a promising person
• Jesus died such a terrible death!
• What experience in your life - now - is confusing or upsetting you?
• could it be the limiting experience of the lockdown
• could it be some frustration about having to do your study?
• could it be the choice of subjects you have?
• could it be the upset of not being able to be with some friend / friends?
• could it confusion about your growing up?
• ......... there are many life experiences
• let the feelings about this / these experience (s) come to you - try and not let those feelings overpower you
• request Jesus to be with you as you feel the disturbance of these experiences
• try and keep ideas away - just allow yourself to feel your feelings
• ask Jesus to help you show you the way.........not to wish away the feelings - what are the feelings saying to me?
• they could be my inner wisdom speaking to me OR
• they could be the truth of how I am really responding to a reality - a reality in me which I need to hear - not necessarily change - sometimes I may be called to change that.

What did Jesus teach the disciples?

• Jesus taught them to
• go to the scriptures (the Bible) 
• he showed them that the scripture will be a light for our lives
• Do you want to feel your heart burning - with the experience of God with you? 
• invite him to join you (like we did with the Heartfulness and awareness)
• read the scriptures - like we did in step 2 and let Jesus (Jesus is called the "Word") show you what's good for your life!
• immediately or slowly if you do this - you will experience the risen Jesus.

We'll be practicing to do this during our catechism lessons.

STEP 3

• Go to the A4 white page which I got you to fold the last day
• in PENCIL - just think of your life over the last 16 years
• I had asked you to do something about it since the last class
• now write in pencil or draw a symbol of various events which immediately come to your mind
• don't draw the river as yet
• just name these events and name a feeling as you name the event
• before we come to the next class (1st May) try and spend a little time each day doing this.

Thank you !🙏