Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’ (John 20:29)

Living our Easter faith is not always easy, as the early Christians found. Many of us will have had our ‘doubting Thomas’ moments! So, how do we deal with such doubting moments? Do we engage in negative self-talk OR should we, rather, see doubt as part of the journey of faith, a gradual unfolding? Maybe it is a matter of an ‘on balance’ judgment. ‘On balance’ do we mostly believe and have small amounts of doubt?

Our Catholic schools, our Catholic communities, have a very different shape to the past. It is my contention that it is easier to believe when you are immersed in a believing community. This is not the case for a significant number of the young people in our care. As educators, we can assure young people that doubt is part of the faith journey. Being aware of the cultural forces at work, we must also be intentional in our efforts to promote Catholic identity – providing young people with as much of the breadth of our tradition as we can. And leave the rest up to God.

Have a great week…and term!
Patrick