Socrates is quoted as saying “An unexamined life is not worth living.”  Of course, as Catholics we know that every human life houses an immortal soul of infinite value to it’s Creator, but this quote does teach an important lesson about the value of looking back and measuring progress.

With a little planning, the cyclical nature of Family Formation can help you do that.  For example, I have a drawing one of my daughters did as part of a vocations lesson.  While it turned out that her vocation was to the married life, the drawing reminds me that at 8 years old she was open to becoming a nun.  What a treasure to look back to those days and recall the journey she’s taken – always open to God’s will, but listening as that evolved over the years!

This week’s booklet on the Beatitudes can be such a project for your student.  When you’re done with it, simply tuck it away in your Family Formation file (You do have one, don’t you?) and pull it out again in three years when we’re again on this cycle.  It’s fun to look back at the innocence and encouraging to hold a tangible measure of spiritual progress.