Engaging Faith

"Jesus said to his disciples: 'Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces. Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the Law and the Prophets. Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.'" † (Matthew 7:6, 12-14) Read the Gospel passage to your students. The artwork above was included in the traditional Baltimore Catechism to illustrate the human choice between everlasting life or everlasting death. Allow your students to examine the image closely and describe and explain what they see. Share that the gate was narrow in the ancient walled city of Jerusalem because traders would be forced to unload their camels of merchandise before entering through.This way they could not escape paying taxes on their goods. Jesus' words also remind us that we must be stripped of our possessions before we can enter God's eternal Kingdom. To do that the gate is definitely more narrow than the easier road to destruction. An episode of the classic television series The Twilight Zone called "The Hunt" is an excellent illustration. It follows the path of an old country man who doesn't realize he has died and nearly makes the wrong choice between heaven and hell. Play the 22 minute video and compare the message with Jesus' words about the narrow gate. The video is available on YouTube for a one-time fee of $2.99.

Sadly, the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, the crypt church, Fr. David Scheidler, CSC, passed away recently. He was a young man of 55 years old, a dynamic preacher, and a dorm chaplain at Notre Dame, a brother to seven siblings, and an uncle to many. He suffered from a rare form of cancer. Sharing something of this priest’s story with your students and watching all or parts of Fr. David’s funeral Mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame can help your students have an up close view and be able to reflect on several aspects of the Catholic faith. For example: The love of family (note the family members in the front rows, Fr. David’s sister serving as cantor, and other siblings doing the readings) The family of a religious community (note the priests of the Congregation of Holy Cross in attendance) The connection between ordination classmates (the bishop-celebrant and Fr. David were classmates) The connection between Baptism and death The connection between the vows of Holy Orders and death The message of hope in the readings and the homily Assignment Read about the life of Fr. David Scheidler CSC from the links above. Watch his funeral Mass. Write a four-paragraph reflection on what you witnessed. Write a prayer for the soul of Fr. David.