This spring I had a most unusual surprise from my granddaughter Stacy. She made a request that made me really think. Stacy, who lives in another state, was in a Confirmation class that was given an assignment by their religion teacher. Stacy explained her assignment in a simple e-mail:

“Dear Grandma Ann: For Confirmation, I have to interview a Catholic I know. So I was wondering if I could interview you. The question is, ‘What do you think is unique about being Catholic or the way Catholics see the world?’ Then I have to write about your response. Thank you. Love, Stacy.”

After two days of thinking, jotting down notes, erasing some and praying, I decided to go with my heart. I told Stacy I would just try to summarize what I believe is unique about being a Catholic in three areas – our history, message and gift.

First, consider how unbelievable Catholicism’s history is. In an obscure part of the world where Jewish people ruled by Roman conquerors lived, a carpenter’s son named Jesus showed up with a new message about how their God, whom he called his “Abba” (meaning something like “Daddy”), wanted all people to live. His way was vastly different from anything these people had ever heard. Not surprisingly, Jesus radically shook up the establishment, both the Jewish religious leaders and the Roman rulers. So they got rid of this troublemaker Jesus, ignominiously executing him.

How did it happen that Jesus’ message didn’t die, and He became ever after the most remembered person that ever lived? I believe it happened because the message Jesus gave was forever and truthfully held and passed on by the Catholic Church.

Second, we must ask: What was Jesus’ life all about? His message! Jesus spelled out how His Father wanted us to live with love and forgiveness, healing others, feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, the lonely and the prisoners, playing and laughing with children, respecting creation and nature and so much more.
The bottom line was and is that we should cherish life, the ultimate gift Jesus’ Father has given us.

The Catholic Church keeps the unedited message of Jesus alive!

Thirdly, there is a most unique gift given to us by Jesus – His body and blood to nourish us when we eat bread and drink wine consecrated by Catholic priests as Jesus did at the Last Supper. We believe in the true presence of Jesus in consecrated bread and wine.

Long ago it struck me that the idea of feeding people so they could internalize divine life forever was so mind-blowing.

Finally, as Catholics we see the world as God’s sacred creation, and we believe that every created thing – humans, animals and plants – should be revered for the purpose for which each was made. That’s why Catholics cherish life – or always should.

Imagine the joy I felt when Stacy sent me a “thank you” and told me that she said the following to her teacher and class: “Her answer was so powerful to me and made me think of things about my faith that I had never thought of before. I decided to put her responses in quotes so it can have the same effect on you as it did on me. It explained everything so well.”

God bless grandchildren for trusting us enough to ask us hard questions.