As I drive down the road, I love to read vanity license plates. Along with the humorous and the silly, I have lately noticed a growing number that express hope, compassion, and wisdom. I have read BE GLAD, LV 1 NTHR, TAK CARE, REJOICE, HANG IN, HV FAITH, and one of my favorites, RELAX.

While these little gems serve as vital reminders to drivers on our overcrowded, traffic-jammed freeways, I also find them useful as I reflect on the role of a catechist. Too often we get so entangled in the tasks, the frustrations, and the details that we forget to REJOICE and BE GLAD. We concentrate so heavily on our lesson plans that we forget our greatest responsibility is to LV 1 NTHER, our students, as Christ loves them. We forget that we don't control the outcome of our class or our students' lives, that we need to HANG IN there, do our job, and let God handle the rest. Perhaps most of all, we forget that we cannot properly care for these young people unless we TAK CARE of ourselves. We need time to RELAX, time to pray, time to rejuvenate our souls, and time to fill up the inner reservoir that is so easily depleted.

After all, the best way to pass on faith is to HV FAITH. The best way to pass on scriptural lessons is to know scripture and live it. The best way to teach discipleship is by being a disciple. A stressed out, overburdened catechist whose spiritual gas tank is constantly running close to empty imparts powerful lessons, but not the ones we'd like to teach.

Jesus often took time to get away, to eat a good meal with friends, to pray alone, to play with children. Follow the example of the master catechist. Have a regular prayer time every day, even if it's only a few minutes where you can sit alone, take a deep breath, and let the presence of God fill you. Schedule time every week for a renewing activity – perhaps walking outdoors, soaking in a bath, or lighting candles in the living room while listening to your favorite music. Make a regular appointment to read scripture, either on your own or using one of the many pamphlets and guides that are available. Give yourself what you need, knowing that God wants it for you; for your own sake; and for the sake of those entrusted to you.

And once in a while when you're driving down the road, you may even want to read the license plates. Oh, and GD BLES U!

Amy Florian