For several years, I was a volunteer at my church in the religious ed program. Every Monday from 4:15 to 5:15, public school kids (like mine) would go to the Catholic school to learn about their faith. For two of those years, I was a 4th grade teacher. During Lent, each grade would be assigned a day to go to the church for confession. Most kids are terrified of this and so we spent a lot of time practicing what to do and say until the day came for the 4th graders to confess their sins.
One by one, I watched those nervous, little kids go up on the altar, take a seat, make the sign of the cross and start talking. When they were done, they’d come back to the pew. One little girl came back, sat down next to me and whispered, “Mrs. Fisher that wasn’t hard at all.” I’m happy to hear that. “Mrs. Fisher, do you want to know why it wasn’t hard for me?” Why, yes I do. “Because I never do anything wrong.”
In the year those kids learned the Beattitudes, Ten Commandments and how to be good stewards of all God gave them, I was educated about self-esteem from a nine year old who sat down, looked the Company Rep for the Jesus Corp right in the eye and said, “Bless me Father for I have sinned………..well, actually, I haven’t so I’m gonna go sit with my friends and not waste your time or mine.”