Date: 19th July 2010.

Simple Understanding of CCC – 'Catechism of Catholic Church'.

‘’I shall not blot their names out of the book of life, but acknowledge their names in the presence of my father and his angels’’ (Revelation 3:5).

When children are around, they are the centre of the family. The thing I find common in children is their desire to know everything. I have very often come across such situations where children start asking many questions; even simple questions which I had never thought of and sometimes which I find difficult to answer, and taking into consideration on how to deliver the answer appropriately to their understanding - the way they want it….!

Spending time with children has helped me to think "out-of-the-box" and is a complete new way to solve problems, I have tried this in my real time profession and it works! To cut the story short, I am sure as parents and adults we can all learn a lot from children if we keep a good learning attitude with open minds and open hearts.

Here’s one good example, I'd like to share is a simple question; what other names can a Christian be identified as? I had started looking for it, by reading the Holy Bible, spending more time on the subject, discussing and digging the history of the Church. Let’s put the question the other way round to make life easier. Before we were called Christians, how did people identify us? What was our identity? What were we called?

- Believer of Christ.
- People trusting in Christ.
- Messenger of Hope.
- Followers of Lord Jesus Christ.
- Messenger of Peace.
- Disciples of Lord Jesus Christ.
- Preacher.

Children have a simple and direct answer, for my belief system these answers have touched my heart and for a whole day they opened up many new chapters of our Church history.

From the time of Christ till us, it was not at all an easy journey to receive Christian faith, it was always considered next to the impossible, but our forefathers have gifted us with the greatest gift; our Christian faith.

‘’Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God still, and trust in me.
There are many rooms in my father’s house,
and I am going to prepare a place for you.
I would not tell you this if it were not so’’
(John 14: 1-2)

All answers put together make a true Christian. Our forefathers kept it safe and gifted it to us in the form of Tradition and our Church has been protecting the faith and interpreting it faithfully for every new generation. ‘’But hold firmly on to what you already have until I come’’ (Rev 2:25).

What has been entrusted to the Church is God’s revelation of himself in Jesus Christ and it is this which must be carefully guarded. The Church has a duty not to alter this, must not add to it, nor take from it. (Ref: Adult studies in the catholic Catechism, Day 1). I have come to the conclusion, that’s what CCC – 'Catechism of Catholic Church' is all about, in my life I will practice what our church tradition is and my greatest achievement will be to gift this deposit of faith to the next generation. I am thankful to all the children, who helped me to understand the CCC in a better way.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gift of this Catechism to your Church. May the light of the true faith, which is presented in its pages, deliver all men from the ignorance and slavery of sin and lead them into the only liberty worthy of that name: that of life in Jesus Christ. (Ref: Prayer taken from FIDEI DEPOSITUM by Pope John Paul II).

Special Thanks: Fr. Sebastian Arikat and Fr Soji for giving me the opportunity to spend time with children, Freju Sebastian chettan for encouraging to share my writing with everyone, Dorin Symon and Perdita Pearson for their contribution.

God Bless!
Jitto David,
Keep going...

Note: http://nasrani.net/2007/02/13/kerala-syrian-christian-the-tomb-of-the-apostle-persian-church-syond-of-diamper-coonan-cross-oath-divisions/