12th May XI Catechism

Good Morning! 🙂

• Today, as you log into the class, please write in your Name, class, section, and REGISTRATION NUMBER  - only for today! Please make sure that you have entered the same correctly. Thank you! 🙏

So, let's start today's work !

During the last class, we looked at how we are responsible for choosing our behaviour - in particular, our internet behaviour - keeping in mind our best growth and development.

Read this passage from the letter of St Paul to the Christian in Rome Ch 14 vs 7 - 9 : "In fact, none of us lives for himself, nor dies for himself. If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. Either in life or death we belong to the Lord. It was for this purpose that Christ both died and came to life again, to be the Lord both of the living and of the dead."

• Why do we "live" or "die" for the Lord? Is it because God wants our obedience like a ruler over his people, just for the rulers good? Definitely NOT 
• St Ireneus tells us "The Glory of God is man fully alive" 
• Jesus said Jn 10 : 10 "I have come that they may have life and have it to the full",
•  in the story of creation - in the book of Genesis, we are told that after creating all the universe and human beings "God found it was very good" - what's the meaning of this?
• God is most pleased when we come into the fullness of ourselves
• God doesn't want anything from us for the Godself - God is completely self-sufficient
• we Christians believe that God sent Jesus because God is so concerned that we are ruining ourselves - defeating the reason he created us! We are destroying ourselves and destroying others!
• That is why St Paul says that the life and death of each of us has it's influence on others - St Paul needn't have told us that - psychologists, social-behaviorists will tell us the same thing!

Did you hear about - on your social interaction or on the media about the following 2 incidents?

• Father of Class 12 boy who jumped to death blames girl’s online post
  
  https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/father-of-class-12-boy-who-jumped-to-death-blames-girls-online-post/articleshow/75614072.cms
• Bois Locker Room: Delhi schoolboy in custody over chat group glorifying rape, sharing nudes of under-age girls                                 https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/bois-locker-room-delhi-schoolboy-in-custody-over-chat-group-glorifying-rape-sharing-nudes-of-under-age-girls

Kindly read about these incidents by clicking onto the two links - or copy the link onto your search engine and you will be able to read the stories.

• What is all this about?
• Why does it happen?
• Do you receive sexually explicit material on your social media accounts?
• Do you search for sexually explicit material on the net?
• Have you sent sexually related material to someone?

These are some of the questions we are going to begin to look at today and in the days which follow - but just now 

• How do you feel and what do you think about my asking you such questions or bringing up this topic?
• Do you think 
• Oh, now I'm going to get a lecture !!!!
• Brother has to discuss these things!
• What does Brother know !!!!?????
• Or do you think
• I'm not okay with such interaction on social media
• I know this is illegal and harmful, but..... what to do.... it happens.
• such activity ... maybe on a lighter scale takes place among my classmates ... there are fights.... but those involved get some enjoyment in this
• Do you feel
• annoyed
• amused 
• bored 
• concerned
• interested

Let's say just a few introductory things about boys growing to be men

• we are all sexual beings - we are born with particular sexual organs - this gives us a basic identity - boy/girl
• these days we open about admitting that some persons are born inter-sex - not identifiably male or female
• we are learning that such persons are fully human
• we are learning to respect their individuality
• we are learning to change we the way we talk about and to such people
• we are learning to relate equally with such persons.
• the civil law requires that such persons be treated equally / not discriminated against / not disrespected
• these days we are also open to understanding that some persons are transgender
• though they are born with the sexual organs which may identify themselves as boy or girl, they feel that this is not their true identity
• some of these persons decide to have a sex-change
• some of these persons may decide to be as they are
• we are learning to understand these persons
• we are learning to respect these persons
• we are learning to relate equally with such persons
• the civil law requires that such persons be treated equally / not discriminated against / not disrespected
• God, in God's wisdom and love, has created us sexual
• Genesis 1 : 27 :"So, God created man in his image; in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them"

So, for some reflection 

• how are you about being created male/intersex/transgender? (the list of feelings are only a few, if you have feelings which are not named - that's fine).
• inquisitive
• fascinated
• guilty
• ashamed
• amused
• Can you invite Jesus to be with your thoughts and feelings just now?

Look at the A4 sheet of your river of life, looking back on the last 15 / 16 years of your life into the future

• what has your experience of being a sexual person been?
• think about the years and incidents
• remember - these experiences started when you were small
• from getting used to being toilet trained!
• all children become curious about their own bodies and the difference of their bodies with those of the opposite sex
• some children have the experience of genital exploration
• by the age of 5 children notice the difference in the way the sexes behave - ever read the comics of Dennis the Menace? - Notice the interaction of Dennis with Margaret and Joey
• by the age of 10 or 11, children become of aware of their genital growth and sexual interest
• this age has been reducing for many reasons - one being the food we eat and what we see and hear in the media
• unfortunately, most adults and teachers do not help children at this age - they think that they are too small to understand sex - or don't know how to interact with youngsters on the matter of sexual development
• children do not know how to comfortably discuss their sexual interest and needs with their parents and most trusted adults
• children (especially boys) have a need to show that they "know it all" (when they don't) and they speak or talk about sex using the language older teenagers often use
• from 12 years onwards children will feel increasingly sexually interested, aroused, attracted and interested to those of the opposite sex or to the same sex or both
• youngsters try and cope with these very strong natural, healthy drive
• learning how to live a healthy sexual life is a very important learning 
• I shall be taking this up, hopefully when we return to face-to-face classes
• presently, I'm tackling the unfortunate presence of unhelpful matter on the internet - matters which will lead to very unhealthy ways of living one's sexual life - ways which will be destructive of oneself and of others.
• How do you feel as you remember and look back on your life - be open to your feelings - don't push them down - you might find it helpful to write the name of your feeling - be careful where you journal - this is personal.
• Invite Jesus to be with you and to feel your feelings and remember your life's experiences with you.

Please remember, that if you you feel overwhelmed about matters in your life - you can reach out to Mr Sumit Yadav, our senior school counselor or a responsible, mature and caring adult who can be trusted - since you may not have been introduced to Mr Sumit Yadav - please do reach out to Mrs Aarti Bardhgan or Mrs Sangeeta Tripathi from the middle school. 

Be cautious of looking for material regarding the same on the internet - unless you are being guided responsibly. Thank you - You need to care for yourself 

• "To thine own self be true, and it must follow - as the night the day - thou canst not then be false to any man"- Shakespeare in the drama Hamlet

Take heart ! Jesus is risen ! He has ascended into Heaven (that event is particularly marked this year on the 21st May) He is with you ! 

Rev 3 : 20 : Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."

Take care! See you the next day !!! 👍🏽 🖐🏼