*snip*

> "Good. Now, if there are no more questions, I'd like to talk about
> the moral foundations of our faith: the 10 Commandments, the
> Beatitudes, and the Last Judgment.
>
> "Just imagine... Several thousand years ago, you were a slave for
> all of your life. You may not have known your parents. You
> probably were whipped and beaten every day, and the work you'd have
> done would be back breaking. And then, within a week of wonder and
> horror, you're free! Not only are you free, but the One who set
> you free - the God of your ancesters - has given you a set of rules
> so that you and He will remain close, and that you will remain free
> always. Ten simple rules: Love God, don't make things into gods,
> keep His name and Sabbath day holy, honor your parents, do not
> steal, do not kill, do not lie, do not desire your neighbor's loved
> ones or goods. These are the very basics. The starting points for
> our faith.
>
> "Generations after Moses gave these laws, and the prophets chastised
> the people for forgetting these laws, another man came, & taught the
> people using stories. One day, he sat upon a mountain. Not the same
> mountain that Moses was on, but a mountain all the same. And he
> gave the people a second of rules: Blessed are the poor in spirit,
> those who morn, the meek, the righteous, the merciful, the pure in
> heart, the peacemakers, and those persecuted for the sake of
> righteousness.
>
> "Note, he didn't tell the people to forget the first set. He added
> to it.
>
> "He even taught how to do these things: feed the hungry, give drink
to
> the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, shelter the
> homeless, visit the sick and imprisoned, bury the dead.
>
> "These are the basics. These are the foundations of our morality.
> Now, my question to you is this: are you prepared to do it alone?"
>
> Father Joseph stays silent for a moment. Perhaps his delivery was a
> little hard, but he did get the student's attention, and he kept
> it. ::Now did they catch my little test at the end?:: he thought to
> himself.

After waiting a few moments at the children's reactions (or, lack of
reaction as the case may be,) Father Joseph said, "I'll admit,
there's a bit of a trick to that question. Think back to what we
talked about yesterday, and see if that won't help you decide what
your answer will be."