10 Commandments... Too much to ask?

[catholic-mom]

When coordinating the religious education program for a Catholic parish you run into all sorts of people: from the charismatic and motivated to the lazy and apathetic.   Its the latter group that makes life for those in religious education difficult.  These are the parents who drop their kids off with the idea that catechism class is nothing more than a "God loves me" styled daycare.  These are the parents who don't practice their faith, don't attend Mass, don't pray with their kids, yet assume that their children are learning Catholic doctrine (by osmosis?) - simply by sitting in a chair for 1 hour on a Saturday morning. 

Children can't learning times tables without math drills, students can't learn spelling words without studying them, they can't memorize a story they haven't heard, nor a prayer they don't say.  For some reason these 'day care CCD' parents can't seem to grasp the fact that the study of religion is no different. 

Faith can't grow without knowing Christ!  

I was confronted with the most disturbing and sad complaint from a parent just weeks ago. This mom wants to homeschool her 7th grade daughter over the summer for her First Holy Communion (yes, a 7th grader - the parents had been attending a protestant church because they didn't want to persue annulments in order to have their marriage convalidated in the Catholic church).  I had given the parents materials which included an age appropriate workbook on the Eucharist, hints and tips on discussion Eucharist with their daughter and a short list of prayers and items that the child needed to know.

• The Sign of the Cross
• Our Father
• Hail Mary
• Glory Be
• Apostles Creed
• 10 Commandments
• 4 Marks of the Church
• Precepts of the Church
• 4 vocab words: altar, sacrament, sacrifice, eucharist (child's own words)
• Story of the Last Supper (child's own words)
• 2 Parts of the Mass (child's own words)

These are thebare minimum but I didn't want to overwhelm this kid or her parents.  These materials were presented to the parents after much prayer and consultation with our pastor.  But they were received with anger, resentment, frustration, and distrust.  I was accused of making an example of their daughter, of trying to make things difficult for them, and of 'not liking the family'. 

Instead of putting engergy into sharing their faith with their daughter, they have been actively trying to get out of teaching their daughter the material.  They have complained to numerous parishioners and parish leaders about me and the material.  These complaints don't bother me for I know they are unfounded.  But I am truly saddened that this child will have a negative outlook on her faith and the Church by all the complaining her parents are doing.  By their actions they are teaching this poor child that it is a burden to learn about God and His Commands, about Christ and His Church. 

I pray daily for this little girls and her parents.  I hope that one day they will soften their hearts, embrace their faith, fall in love with the Catholic Church, and learn to know more about Her.