Symbolon.

[isabel79]

So I just came back from my parish Lenten Mission.  They are showing a video series called Symbolon.  In the video it explains the meaning.  It was basically a clay seal that 2 people who entered into an agreement of sorts would break.  Each keeping a half.  And when they come together the pieces are joined to know that person has an agreement with the other.  They said the Early Christians described the creed in the same way.  Like all who professed it were in agreement.  There was a portion on the Trinity.  And...  I mean, I get it, but when it's explained it just sounds so complicated.  They do explain it in terms of family.  As a husband and wife coming together and through their love produce a child.  They talked about prayer.  Using the Our Father as a guide.  First giving praise.  Asking for daily needs.  Forgiveness of sins.  Talked of relationship with God being in prayer.  Without it it will fall apart.  Once again talking about marriage will fall apart if the couple does not communicate.  We then broke into small groups.  They made us sit by our birth month.  Ours was a table completely of women, till Seamus joined us.  He was kicked out of his table because they had too many.  Anyway, we first went around the table introducing ourselves.  A lot of it was name, how long you've been in the parish etc.  I didn't say the year exactly, but I said I was "born and raised in the parish".  I might have been there the longest!  I wonder how old I seem to be?  There were 2 others that were 80sish.  Then the rest were relatively new.  Everyone said they loved the Parish.  One is actually from a neighboring parish, but comes to St. E because they just like it more.  Anyway...  They gave us a guide to follow, but we soon went rouge.  Like the initial question was why did the 2 disciples not recognize Jesus (in the Road to Emaus) and the answers were mostly because they are either self absorbed or just are too preoccupied with what had just happened in Jerusalem to recognize Jesus.  The one guy was like, he always assumed Jesus physically looked different.  The next question was why did God reveal himself as a Trinity.  Like...  I dunno!  They were like each person helps a different aspect / time in their life.  One woman was talking about how to her the Holy Spirit is a feeling, while for her daughter she hears voices.  Uh...  As I said, we went rouge.  Went around the table asking what brought them.  One was like she went because of her family.  But then said she hope they would come, but didn't.  I was next and said I'm always looking to learn more about the faith, about the Church.  I dunno...  Like I didn't say it.  But...  In a sense I feel...  Like I know a lot, I pray, but then I'm lacking in a sense.  And I guess some ways other lack in other things.  One was like they realized they need to pray more.  The one next to me echoed the same thing, about family and wanting to learn.  She came with her daughter and said they wanted to do it together, esp since it's Lent.  A lot were like they missed community since covid.  I guess they used to make the adults attend CCD like classes when their kids went, so they missed that and learned from that and wanted a similar thing.  There was also talk about passing the faith onto the children.  How miraculously the faith seemed to have passed onto their kids.  Another discussion point was describe a time you were on fire with the spirit.  And...  I mean, I have a moment, but I don't know if I would be able to put it into words verbally.  Because...  I was thinking, but when I spoke it would only come out as one sentence.  The only woman who spoke kept looking at me.  Awkward!!!  Anyway, she said her son was a youth minister at the parish and one day he didn't come home.  Tree fell on his car.  And even through the pain and mourning she felt God did not abandon her.  We then had to write a take away point.  I didn't really know what to write, but if anything I felt like the parish is in need of community.  I added something about growing in the faith / closer to God.  We were supposed to have a 20 minute whole group discussion, but that didn't really happen.  He read some of the take away points, said a Glory Be and then dismissed us.  I mean...  It felt very surface level at this point, but then again, it's the 1st session.  I hope it goes deeper into the faith.  I've read a few of Edward Sri's books and really liked them so...

In other news...  Fr. I was there and...  I don't know why!  But...  I'm so awkward and avoidant in groups.  But am completely fine when we're alone / in confession.  But yeah, I was totally having social anxiety before it started.

I didn't see "Matt Maher".

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