AS I WALKED TO MY FOURTH GRADE RELIGION CLASS LAST WEEK, I THOUGHT, I HOPE THIS DEMONSTRATION HELPS GET THE POINT ACROSS ABOUT HOW SERIOUS SIN IS IN A WAY THEY’LL BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND AND WILL REMEMBER. I WALKED INTO THE CLASSROOM, LIKE ALWAYS, READY TO TEACH AND ENTERTAIN AT THE SAME TIME. IN THESE TIMES, OUR CULTURE DEMANDS A LOT OF SENSORY INPUT TO MAKE THINGS INTERESTING. I NEEDN ‘T HAVE WORRIED, THEY WERE ALL EYES AND EARS THE WHOLE TIME. MY DEMO CONSISTED OF A HALF GLASS OF WATER TO REPRESENT OUR CLEAN CONSCIENCE, A DROP OF RED FOOD COLORING TO REPRESENT SIN, SOME BLEACH AND BAKING SODA TO STAND FOR THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION WHICH IS DONE WITH A SINCERE HEART. I DIDN’ T DO ANY EXPLAINING ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN UNTIL WE BEGAN. WE TALKED ABOUT THE CLEAR GLASS OF WATER AND HOW YOU CAN DRINK IT BECAUSE IT IS SO PURE. THEN I POURED IN JUST A DROP OF THE RED DYE AND IT QUICKLY TURNED THE WATER RED. THIS REPRESENTS OUR SOUL WHEN WE SIN, I TOLD THEM. THEY GASPED AT THAT. WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THIS WAS THE QUESTION I POSED TO THEM. AFTER A DISCUSSION ABOUT VENIAL AND MORTAL SIN, WE AGREED THAT WHEN WE COMMIT SERIOUS SIN, WE NEED TO GO TO CONFESSION. NEXT I ADDED A FEW DROPS OF BLEACH, BUT THIS DID NOT COMPLETELY TURN THE WATER BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL CLEAR STATE. I EXPLAINED THAT THERE ARE ALSO TEMPORAL OR EARTHLY CONSEQUENCES FOR OUR SINS AND THAT WE NEED TO MAKE REPARATION TO WHOMEVER WE HAVE HURT BY SINNING. THEN I ADDED SOME BAKING SODA TO THE MIXTURE, WHICH HELPED BUT DID NOT COMPLETELY DO THE JOB. WE TALKED ABOUT HOW WHEN WE BREAK THE TRUST OF SOMEONE, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHOM WE LOVE, IT TAKES TIME AND WORK TO REESTABLISH THAT TRUST. IT USUALLY DOESN ‘T HAPPEN OVER NIGHT. THIS FINALLY LED TO A BRIEF DISCUSSION ABOUT PURGATORY. I ASKED THEM IF THEY HAD EVER BEEN BLINDED BY A LIGHT SO BRIGHT, THAT THEY HAD TO SHIELD THEIR EYES. ALL HANDS WENT UP. IF JESUS WALKED INTO THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW WE WOULD ALL BE BLINDED BY THE AWESOME LIGHT OF HIS NEVER ENDING PERSONAL LOVE FOR EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US. IF WE CHOOSE NOT TO LOVE AND OBEY IN THIS LIFE THERE IS A PLACE FOR US WHERE WE CAN GET ALL CLEANED UP AND READY TO MEET JESUS AND LIVE WITH HIM FOREVER. HE LOVES US THAT MUCH THAT HE GIVES US MANY, MANY CHANCES TO SHOW OUR LOVE FOR HIM BY ACTS OF OBEDIENCE, KINDNESS AND CARING FOR OTHERS. THAT IS WHY WE HAVE THE SACRAMENTS. BUT EVEN AFTER ALL THAT, WE STILL HAVE A CHANCE TO BE WITH HIM FOREVER BECAUSE OF THE GRACE OF PURGATORY. IN CONCLUSION, I POINTED OUT THAT WE HAVE THE SACRAMENTS OF THE EUCHARIST, CONFESSION, ANOINTING OF THE SICK AND PRAYER, THE EXAMPLES OF OTHER GOOD PEOPLE TO HELP US ALONG OUR WAY TO MEET JESUS AND LIVE WITH HIM FOREVER IN HEAVEN. HOWEVER, WE ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN DECIDE TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL OUR HEARTS AND TO KEEP STRIVING TO PUT OUR LOVE INTO ACTION. THIS WAS A POWERFUL LESSON FOR ALL OF US. GOD BE PRAISED!