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I would like to reflect on a King and an ass. A donkey, an ass, was in Jesus time much what it is today: a humble, simple, unassuming little animal, used by very ordinary people to do their work. The wealthy and powerful might own horses or a team of oxen and a political leader might ride a stately steed, but none of them would have anything to do with donkeys.

All of his public career, Jesus had resisted when people called him the Messiah. He sternly ordered them to be silent. When they came to carry him off and make him King, he slipped away. But he is willing to accept these titles precisely at the moment when he rides into Jerusalem on an ass. The Gospel is clear: this is not only an ass; it is a colt, the foal of an ass, on whom no one had ever previously sat. This is a young, inexperienced, unimpressive donkey. And this is the animal upon whom Jesus rides into town in triumph.

This is no ordinary King; this is not the Messiah that they expected.

Now let us look even more closely at the ass. Jesus tells two of his disciples to go into a neighboring town and to find this beast of burden. "If anyone asks, respond, 'the Master has need of it.'" The humble donkey, pressed into service, is a model of discipleship. Our purpose in life is not to draw attention to ourselves, to have a brilliant career, to aggrandize our egos; rather our purpose is to serve the Master's need, to cooperate, as he sees fit, with his work.

What was the donkey's task? He was a Christopher, a Christ-bearer. He carried the Lord into Jerusalem, paving the way for the passion and the redemption of the world. Would anyone have particularly noticed him? Probably not, except perhaps to laugh at this ludicrous animal.

The task of every disciple is just the same: to be a Christopher, a bearer of Christ to the world. Might we be unnoticed in this? Yes. Might we be laughed at? Of course. But the Master has need of us and so we perform our essential task.

-from Bishop Robert Barron

                                                    Memory Lane!            

We'll call this collection of pictures a "Potpourri of Faith Formation Memories from St Athanasius." These pictures come from a variety of sources and events. Many of these came from a stash provided by former Director of Religious Education, Mary Reichel - remember her?  Some of the events include: Lent Event Crafts, Pumpkin Bingo, Faith Formation Opening Day in the Church, Power Week, Bunco (we don't remember what that was exactly), Faith Formation Family Dinner, Jesus Day and the Lent Event Family Bingo, plus of course, your run-of-the-mill CCD Classes. As an added bonus below is a video from 20 years ago celebrating the 8th grade class at St Athanasius School. See anyone you know?