Going to church is a conscious obligation we must make every Sunday as Catholics. Conscious, because we must really mean it if we want to go to the church to worship God. An obligation, because it is the best way we can show our love and appreciation to Him.
One Sunday, I attended Sunday school at Jesus is Alive
Community with my nephew, Liam. I am a Catholic, but I prefer attending
Christian Sunday school. The topic was about the popular story of the Prodigal
Son. This story is taught to almost all of us since kindergarten. It is about a
boy who demanded his father to give him all his shares of property, and later
ran away to spend it on useless things. But finally, with no money left, he
went home filled with remorse and guilt, and fell into his father’s awaiting
arms.
Needless to say, I already knew the story well. But the
pastor related it to us teens in a very convincing way. He told us that the
prodigal son is no different to us; we, teens, are too blinded by the riches of
this world. We forget that money doesn't grow on trees, and we forget that our
parents earned them by working hard and sacrificing so much to feed us and send
us to school. We just take and take, not even bothering to thank and appreciate
them.
These words, said by a pastor I barely know, really did
give me an impact it was intended to do. I remembered the times when I, too,
was also blinded too much by money and possessions. I thought of all the things
my mother worked hard to give me, yet still, I wasn't contented and kept asking
for more. Sometimes, I don’t even think of her feelings. The pastor make me
realize that whatever sins I have made, my family will always welcome me and
forgive me wholeheartedly, and I shouldn't abuse their kindness and love. I
learned to appreciate my family more, and to never again make money more
important than them.
