Click on comments and then ask Rockin'Sister your special question:)
posted by Pia's Pals @ 3:51 PM
Kids God Questions
Welcome to Rockin' Sister's blogspot! So often, parents come to me saying how their children are asking them questions about God that they cannot answer. I do not claim to have all the answers, and will say so if I do not, but most of the time, all you need to do is look "underneath" the question and go from there. So, please, feel free to log on and ask questions are let your little one ask me as well (age,too). YOU ARE DOING AN AWESOME JOB, MOM AND DAD!!!
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About Me
- Name: Pia's Pals
I am a Dominican Sister of Mission San Jose and I love it! It is a joy for me to find the face of God wherever I go! I have met many friends along the way and all I can say is all are holy, all are equal, all are God's. It is fascinating to me how differently we all experience and express God in our lives. My way just happens to be as a Catholic sister and I reverence all the many paths to our loving God. I really do feel there are vocations out there to religious life and I want to provide a safe and loving space to explore that call. Only in this day and age can one throw out the "net' so far across the earth:) I want to provide a place where you, our young people can talk about your faith, your questions, your doubts, hopes and dreams. I have such a respect for you and your many experiences that can teach me how to be a better person in this world! Together we can make global peace the reality we all dream about! So, come and walk with me a little bit of the way as you continue to discover the beautiful God-centered adult you are and how you are called to manifest your dreams into the world with light, wisdom and grace...in the just the unique way only you can!!
17 Comments:
Hi spiritcross! Do you like our new blog spot? Thanks for the inspiration! :) Your question is great! As I recall you just had a birthday (Happy Birthday!) so you must be nine years old now, COOOOOOL!!!
Yes, spiritcross, I do think we see in heaven and you will see Jesus' specific house, too! Remember after Jesus died on the cross he rose from the dead? Remember how he was walking around with his apostles like they use to and even sat on the beach and roasted some fish to eat? Jesus was showing us what our bodies will be like after we die...we will still see, touch, eat, speak, walk, hear, smell, all the things Jesus did after he died...and so will we! :) You might ask your Mom or Dad to read the Gospel John 21:1-14 with you to see all about Jesus and his fish barbeque!
Feel free to ask some more, spiritcross, or any other question from a new child:)
Great, spiritcross! I will be happy to hear from your friends:) Love, your Rockin' Sister
Hi spiritcross, I am so glad that you are back. I have missed you! Hey, school is out soon and summer is will be here! YEA!!!! What are you going to do this summer, spiritcross?
I think your question is like...God was in school all year and now wants to take the summer to kick back and hang out. I think after God constructed the earth he just wanted to sit back and take it all in! Have you ever finished a big project, spiritcross, and then just sat back and looked at it with great pride? That's like what God did!
I can just see God after creating the sky, sun, stars, clouds and grass, just lying back with his hands behind his head and looking up with a big smile on his face! That's what is meant when it said that God rested, it meant that he sat back and enjoyed what he constructed.
And just think, when he made you, he stepped back and proudly claimed that's my boy, spiritcross, who I am so proud of and love so much! And now he walks with you every day to be with you and help you with anything you may need.
There is another good lesson for us there, too, that anyone who is very powerful should be able to step back and with complete pride and love be proud of what they have made. If they cannot be proud of it, then they did not use their power well.
Hope that helps, spiritcross, come again:) Love, your rockin'sister
Hey, welcome Herman! GLad you came on the site with such a GREAT question. And how wonderful that the whole family is in discussion about it, I really like that!
Ah, the prodigal son, a wonderful story with so many twists and turns and you are right, Herman, as is with all Jesus’ stories come with hidden pockets of gold. Just looking at the “surface” of the story, indeed, it looks like it simply is about a “good” son and a “bad” son, yet, the Father (who, of course, represents God) just does not seem to see his two sons simply “good” or “bad”.
Jesus always had a way of telling a story in a way that we could see “all the parts of ourselves” in the story. At times we are the wayward son, running off doing our own thing, or we are the father who is ever hopeful, patient, loving, forgiving and generous, or we are the elder son who is hard working, angry, righteous and maybe a little short sighted about what life is really all about.
Also, Jesus’ stories (which are called parables) are meant to teach a deep life lesson. But to get to that lesson, he has to keep our attention long enough to stay with it! So, he will exaggerate certain parts of the story or say things that make us think longer about it because they just don’t “add up” in our estimation, and he does this all on purpose to keep our attention long enough to draw us deeper into the meaning of the story.
He drew you in, Herman, and your family, to begin to think about it and see all the angles, especially the unfairness between the two sons, as I did, too, when I first read it. So whenever you see the words, “The parable of...” you know you are in for a treat and if thought about long enough, you will walk away with a wise life lesson for YOUR journey.
So, first of all you look to see who the constant character is in the parable and you quickly see it is the Father. He is in every scene. So your focus now is on the Father and what he did and said in the story. You know he is the one who is going to impart this life lesson to you.
He accepted his younger son’s need for independence and gave him is half of the inheritance. The Father, also, held the hurt and pain that must have literally shot through him, when his son made that request, as you know the inheritance is not shared until the Father’s death, the younger son might as well said, “You are dead to me, Father, give me my share.”
The younger son goes and squanders it all, kind of what would be expected as he was showing signs of immaturity early on, disowning his father and all. But something happened to him on this road trip, he realized how he had hurt his father and now believes HE is not worthy to be called his son. The tables have turned. So he got up and went to his father. Now that is all good and well, but again the story is not about the younger son. And we all know that even such a revelation of sorts does take some growing into, and the son probably still had some real growing to do even on his return.
Now enter again the main character, the Father, and what is he doing? He is walking out to the edge of the footpath as he did everyday you can imagine to see if his son is coming home. He knew when he gave him “his share” he was not ready for it, but he knew too this may be the only way this son would learn what is really important in life. And behold, that day his heart was filled with joy and compassion for he saw his son on the horizon, and he literally runs to the son hugging him, kissing him, so excited at his return. The younger son begins his well rehearsed speech of remorse, but it is like the Father isn’t even listening, as he doesn’t even comment on it, he even looks like he interrupts him, by saying, “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him, a ring, sandals, get the fatted calf, kill it, let’s celebrate!!! My son was dead and is alive again!”
Wow! Not quite what you expected...we might think the Father’s response should be more like... “What were you thinking! You will have to earn all that back double before I ever trust you again, and you have NO inheritance as of now and will work as your older brothers slave until you pay back every shekel you spent. I am so angry and disappointed in you, and you even wished me dead to receive that money you squandered, well, how do you feel now? Go to the barn and stay there until you really feel sorry for what you did, and sit in those clothes for a while to remind you that I gave you everything you needed and you threw it in my face. And,furthermore, do you know how much you upset and worried your mother over all this, crying her self to sleep every night at my side! Servants, go, and get the fatted calf, I will celebrate with my elder son tonight, who appreciates me and all I have done for him and how obedient he has been to me all these years. And keep the music turned up loud so this younger one can hear it and can really regret that he cannot be there because of his dastardly deeds!”
Well, that really came out quite easily, so you see indeed, “God’s ways are not sister’s ways”. :) Thank God!
Back to the parable story that JESUS told...the party began immediately! And, meanwhile it was the elder son in the field working who heard the music cranked up and he comes in and learns what has happened and is angered and refuses to go in. The Father comes out to plead with him, but he is incensed and hollers his allegiance to the father for all these years and never even got a goat to celebrate with his friends. (now don’t think it interesting after all that you know about the Father, would he be the one to deny his elder son ANYthing, much less a goat or fatted calf?)
And the dear Father goes on to say, “You, my son, are always with me and everything I have is yours...” And what is the Father meaning by everything? I think at this point we begin to see that this parable is not merely about “things and possessions” but about something greater and longer lasting that we are all meant to share. This story is about love, compassion, forgiveness, generosity, long suffering, waiting, patience...ultimately, it is not about following rules like the elder son or breaking rules like the younger...it is about love and relationships. The awesome, unrelenting, undying, unconditional relationship of love the Father has for us. We can throw all the love he gave us in his face, and ask for more things, success, power, then squander it, come back and meekly try to get out an, “I’m sorry”, and just as quick a robe of forgiveness is thrown upon us and we are lavishly bestowed with rings and sandals and all those things we thought were important and we find ourselves in the kingdom of heaven again! Wow! Now, that is love.
The elder son was at home all that time, but never seemed to take advantage of the time to really know his Father’s love for him or grow in it or respond to it. I can’t imagine with this kind Father, he would be mute to his son while awaiting the return of another. Maybe the elder son had some growing to do, too, in seeing that it is not all about working, slaving as he said, to amass great amounts of money for his future inheritance, it is about love. So he could not understand this was not a “party you would have just to “kick it” with your friends” this was a party of love lost and love found again, about forgiveness and gratitude, about a relationship finally forged between a Father and son! For some reason the younger son needed to “leave all” to “find all”! The elder son still has not found it, but I believe after that experience he began to look for it himself. He would have to know that the “feel” of things between his father and younger brother were not something he understood, but would want for himself. I believe his special journey began that night and, again, the dear Father was up to the task of loving again his eldest who he already held with such deep love!
So, here we are at the end of the parable, but still so much to think about, and that is exactly what Jesus intended, that we grapple with what inside of us rises up, for or against, any character in the parable and see what we might learn about loving in our own lives.
Well, Herman, I bet you didn’t bargain for all that this morning, but I loved writing every word of it! :) Please come again with further questions or comments or even a new parable to ponder.
With love and gratitude for wonderful families like you,
your Rockin’ Sister :)
Hi ismellroses! Welcome to Rockin' Sisters blog!!! I am so happy you came on to ask a question and what a good one:) I like the name you chose,too, you will have to tell me next time why you chose that beautiful blog name:)
Now your question...the reason Jesus descended into hell was to open up the gates and free them all! Is that cool or what?!! It would be just like Jesus to go help out those who feel the most lost and hopeless first.
What we learn from this part of our wonderful Apostle's Creed is that Jesus died to save us ALL! He did not leave anyone out! His love is so great for us it even has the power to save us from hell by forgiving all our sins! Jesus sure does love us! :) Don't you think?
Well, hope you come back again, ismellroses:) God bless you always! Your Rockin Sister Rebecca :)
Dear Spirit Cross, good to hear from you again! To be honest with you I have wondered why we let go of the "Alleluia" during Lent, too!!!
The reason we do is to remember the gift of Jesus in our lives and how he filled our lives with Alleluia's when he loved us so much, he died for us. So it is really a time to remember...how great those Alleluia's are in our lives!!!
I guess, sometimes, when we are missing something we appreciate it the most. Can you think of an example of that, Spirit Cross in your own life?
Let me know! With Peace and Joy, your rockin' sister
Dear Sister,
My wife and I attended Ohlone College in 1970. We now live in Missouri. We came to know two wonderful nuns during our time at Ohlone. Sister Mary Anne and Kathy were both young students and invited Julie and me to visit them at the Mother's house. It was a wonderful visit.
Since then my wife Julie has suffered greatly from M.S. Our family here (and I) pray for her daily. She doesn't complain and we do okay.
I wonder if you know what became of our former classmates who lived at the Mother House.
Thank you,
Ray S.
Greetings Sister,
Read about your convent in the SF Chronicle, the of the most interesting articles this evening.
I don't have a question, but wanted to tell all the sisters how much I enjoyed the snapshot into their lives. Thanks.
I agree with your quoted comment ("We have to go where the people are,'' she told her fellow sisters. "We need to be more visible in the world.'') and will look for you on MySpace. The children of the world are experiencing all types of turmoil, keep up the good work.
Again, thank you for the article.
The Gardener
Rockin'Sister
Just read your the article about your community and I believe I know you... from the Newman Center in Tempe, AZ...????
Your blog is wonderful.
ME
Sister R i was wondering if you did spiritual direction. i am a priest in san francisco who works with street kids. my phone is 415-305=2124 and my email is punkpriest@gmail.com
Hello all, sorry it took awhile to get here:)
Welcome,Ray,and know of my deep felt prayers for your Julie,I know that God is close! Do you know the last names of those 2 sisters by any chance.It would narrow my search:)
Hi The Gardener, thanks so much for your words of affirmation!!!Hope to see you on myspace, my url is justbebecky
Hey ME,YES I was in Tempe,1973-1979!!!How can we touch base,myspace?? email,here??Please write back:):)
Hey River,we are in touch already,looking forward to seeing you in Sept:)Sis R
Love and Blessings to you all, your Rockin'Sister:)
Dear Sister,
Attempted to follow up with you, by looking for you on mysearch. So far, I have not been able to find you. Perhaps you could post the link.
Always with faith.
Hi Gardener, sorry, it took a while, I was visiting family in NM and CO. Myspace link is
http://www.myspace.com/justbebecky
Hope we can get in touch! Know of my continued prayers for you:) your sis' Rebecca
You silly bird!! Sister Rebecca, it's me, Dori Cantoni Panagis ICA class of 83. Marie Paule just sent me an email copy of the SFGate and I'm reading it now....I just couldn't wait to write. My 5 year old always has questions that I pose to my priest and other spiritual guides...i will start throwing them your way too. i converted to Orthodoxy about 4 years ago. i've never been closer to God. Love you, Dori
Dear RS,
Have located your profile on myspace and sent a friends request... if you look you will see a dog with sunglasses for my picture.
Greatly enjoy your insights. Glad you are safely returned from your travels.
Keep up the good work,
the gardener... aka mom91024
What does "The Truth will set you free?" mean to you?
I'm wondering what does it mean to you "the Truth will set you free?"
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