A Catechist's Prayer for the Start of the Learning Year
by Sister Alice Ann Pfeifer, CSA
Father in heaven, there is so much I want to
share with my students in the course of a
learning year. I want them to know what the
Church teaches. I want them to recognize the
ways you are present in their lives. I want
them to learn all the attitudes and actions that will lead them to
everlasting happiness.
Yet, I make a mistake if I am the kind of teacher who does all of the talking
all of the time. There are times when I need to sit back and listen to my
students—to ask meaningful questions and to wait patiently for their responses,
whether these come in speaking, writing, or some other form of self-expression.
To honor what my students say is to honor who they are, and isn’t that what
your Son Jesus always did when he taught his disciples? He listened respectfully
to a variety of answers, for instance, when he asked them, “Who do others say
that I am?”
O Holy Spirit, teach me the art of respectful listening that I may teach as Jesus did. Amen.
