Sacraments of Initiation: I Pledge Allegiance…

Independence Day!I’m on my way to Brooklyn, NY, for a presentation this evening, however, here’s my latest thinking about  teaching the Sacraments of Initiation this Monday and tying it to the Old Testament.

I plan to introduce the session by inviting the kids to say the Pledge of Allegiance and to talk about what it means to pledge one’s allegiance to someone or something (loyalty, obedience). I’ll use that as an opportunity to talk about how the Hebrew people, as slaves, were forced to pledge allegiance to an authority they did not recognize (the Egyptian Pharaoh) and how, after God led them from slavery to freedom through the waters of the Red Sea, they pledged allegiance to YHWH because he was the one who had their best interests in mind.

In our lives, we are tempted to pledge allegiance to many things that do not have our best interests in mind. The Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist – are our “pledge of allegiance” to God, through Jesus, and in the Holy Spirit, who has our best interests in mind.

Now I just need to formulate that into an action plan. A 2 hour flight should be good for that!

 

[photo by: Micky** via Compfight]

About Joe Paprocki 2742 Articles
Joe Paprocki, DMin, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press, where, in addition to his traveling/speaking responsibilities, he works on the development team for faith formation curriculum resources including Finding God: Our Response to God’s Gifts and God’s Gift: Reconciliation and Eucharist. Joe has more than 35 years of experience in ministry and has presented keynotes, presentations, and workshops in more than 100 dioceses in North America. Joe is a frequent presenter at national conferences including the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, the Mid-Atlantic Congress, and the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. He is the author of numerous books, including the best seller The Catechist’s Toolbox, A Church on the Move, Under the Influence of Jesus, and Called to Be Catholic—a bilingual, foundational supplemental program that helps young people know their faith and grow in their relationship with God. Joe is also the series editor for the Effective Catechetical Leader and blogs about his experiences in faith formation at www.catechistsjourney.com.

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