Do you remember that TV show, “Are you smarter than a Fifth Grader”? An adult contestant would compete against a group of fifth graders with topics from their grade school curriculum. The question could be from a fourth grade math class: “What is 111,111 divided by 11?” Of course, many of the times the adults would get the wrong answers, and the kids get the right ones. I know I felt completely useless watching that show! Holy Trinity Catholic School in Columbia would not be proud of my answers!
 
The reason that most of us don’t know the answers as adults is because we’ve left our grade school textbooks in our bellbottoms (or jean shorts). We haven’t studied most of those things for decades. So it gets lost amid knowledge we think is more important. But as Catholics and members of Saint Joseph Parish, it is important to know that knowledge of Salvation is not something that is left to our grade school past. If it is not kept up, our faith is not inspired, and we are tempted to lose our zeal and could eventually give it up completely, like those grade school curriculums.

This week, we continue to focus on our Parish Vision Statement. As a reminder, it is: SAINT JOSEPH CATHOLIC CHURCH IS A GROWING COMMUNITY OF FAITH THAT WELCOMES PEOPLE TO THE LIVING PRESENCE OF JESUS CHRIST. AS DISCIPLES SENT TO TRANSFORM THE WORLD, WE COMMIT TO WORSHIP, GROW, SERVE, CONNECT AND GIVE.
 
This week we’re going to focus on the second word we commit to do as members of Saint Joseph Parish: GROW. The parish offers opportunities to grow in our faith in Jesus Christ and His Church, and as members, we have a duty to GROW in our faith. Here is the part each play:

 
 Saint Joseph Parish…
· offers ongoing opportunities to learn from Scripture, Tradition, and the teaching of the Catholic Church.
· creates opportunities for growth and encouragement from the experience of fellow believers.
· provides convenient access to both in-person and online programs that are appealing to people in all stages of their faith journey.
 
As parishioners, we…
· commit to learning more about our faith each year.  We recognize that healthy things grow, and that a healthy follower of Christ experiences spiritual growth through learning. 
· recognize that our individual growth is essential to creating a vibrant parish environment that encourages all members in their discipleship journeys.   
 
Jesus asks us to learn about Him; in fact, it is a necessary component to worshipping him with all our might. In today’s Gospel, he takes His closest Apostles up the mountain, and there they learn His true Glory when He is transfigured before them. The Apostles fell and worshipped Jesus when they heard the Heavenly Father say that Jesus is the Beloved Son. This was new information that helped them understand who Jesus truly was. It was experiences like this that took Peter from being a rather bumbling, imperfect follower of Jesus to one who was entrusted with being the “Rock” of the Church, which is Jesus Christ in our day.

Our parish offers opportunities to GROW in our faith: through bible studies, Lenten Supper and Speaker Series, ALPHA, faith-based education for all of our school-aged children, That Man Is You, really, the list is long. Will you engage these programs so that you may grow closer to Him? He wants to show you who He truly is, so that He can build His Church on your foundation!

 
Questions for this week:
 
1. How has your understanding of Jesus changed since you were a child?
2. Have you ever been challenged with a question from a non-Catholic, and felt unprepared to answer? Did you feel the need to get an answer yourself? If not, why? Did it cause you to question yourself?