I’ve been teaching my son how to play the piano and he’s been pretty lazy in practicing. So, I asked him yesterday, “Do you want to learn to play an instrument?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, if you do, you know you have to practice. So, why haven’t you been doing that?”
It took him awhile and then he said, “Well, the songs you play are more interesting. Mine are boring.”
I said back, “Well, it’s good you don’t want to be stuck playing these songs forever, because, you’re right, they are boring. But, you have to get a foundation and then build off of that. If you tried to start with the music I play, you’d never get anywhere because it would overwhelm you. I’m glad you want to get to that point, but giving up will never get you there.”
As young children, we hopefully get our foundational understanding of the faith through our parents and CCD or Sunday School. It’s always basic level stuff, which is good and right.
But, then, as we age, so many stay stuck in that basic, foundational mode and, quite frankly, it gets boring. Consequently, it gets laid aside and more shiny things come in to take its place. We can’t stay with just “Father Abraham, had many sons, many sons had Father Abraham…” forever.
When I first converted, I decided to jump right in and read the Summa. It was a laughable experience, because I lacked the in-between knowledge from Noah and the rainbow to the Summa. It was like my son wanting to go from playing “Mary Had a Little Lamb” to “Minuet in G Major” by Bach.
But instead of just giving up, I realized I needed the in-between and so I took like 100 steps back and started to build a better understanding of my faith. Each year, I strive to add to my knowledge about God and my faith.
We must continue to want to learn and grow in our faith, Catholic Pilgrims. No one can do it for us, we must desire it ourselves. One wonderful way to enliven your faith is to always be a student of it and desire to know more for love of God.
Have a blessed Wednesday.
