7 year old questions

[TBlessed]

My 7 year old daughter is in the early stages of RE preparing for 1st Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. Her class is studying from the St. Mary’s Press Children Catholic Bible. (Seems like an excellent Bible for kids, if a bit simple translation.) This weekend the class is focusing on Luke 15 (prodigal son). Her question as we were reviewing the short version was “if you don’t tell God you are sorry, will he still forgive you?”

I answered her that it can be answered two ways… And attempted to contrast final impenitence (unforgivable) vs (for example) dying on the way to reconciliation (forgivable). Hopefully I was simple enough in my answer while also being theologically correct. I also sent her to nap time with the assignment of finding John 3:16 to hopefully reinforce God’s unmerited love and mercy.

What tough questions have the other parents of CAF encountered from children at this age??

 

[EasterJoy]

I like the explanation that makes a distinction between forgiveness, reconciliation, and making amends.

Forgiveness is when you let go of ill will against someone who wronged you. That is a spiritual work of mercy. We can forgive our enemies, even if they are most definitely not sorry. We can also look for ways to excuse their behavior, as Our Lord did when he said, “They know not what they do,” but forgiveness is possible even when there is no excuse, as in the story of the Prodigal.

Reconciliation, however, is rebuilding a relationship broken by an offense. We are reconciled when we go to confession because we do our part to rebuild the relationship. We turn back and say “I have a choice between you and these wrongs I commit against you…and I choose you. Please take me back.”

Then there is making amends, when we do something to rebuild trust, so as to put actions to our words. The old example for this is that if we want someone to believe we are sorry for breaking their window, we help them to clean up the mess or do something else to show our words aren’t empty, even if we can’t afford to pay to get the window fixed. If we hope to be put into a position of trust again, of course we’re going to expect to make amends.

Telling God we are sorry, in other words, is our part of the work of rebuilding our relationship with God. Even if God did not need it–God does, after all, know whether or not we are sorry for our offenses–we do need it. It makes a big difference to us and to the state of our hearts.

 

[EasterJoy]

Once I told one of my sons that I loved him, and he asked, “Why, Mom? Why do you love me?” Somehow, I knew to tell him this: “Because God has given me the very special gift of being able to see how very special you are. I love you in a special way that I love no one else, no one else can take your place, but God loves you even more, and that is the way God loves everyone.”

 

[My_Nose_My_Toes]

Once I told one of my sons that I loved him, and he asked, “Why, Mom? Why do you love me?” Somehow, I knew to tell him this: “Because God has given me the very special gift of being able to see how very special you are. I love you in a special way that I love no one else, no one else can take your place, but God loves you even more, and that is the way God loves everyone.”

Beautiful!