learn to do good;

seek justice,
rescue the oppressed,
defend the orphan,
plead for the widow. (Isaiah 1:17)

We can focus on ‘being good’. Isaiah reminds us of the importance of actions – doing good. The formula outlined in this passage is repeated in the Hebrew scriptures – look after those on the margins of society. Look after those crushed by ‘the system’ (the oppressed) and those who have no connection to society and thus no ‘safety net’ (the orphan and the widow).

Such actions focus not on GDP nor KPIs but focus on ‘the other’ – not me, but we. When my focus is other-directed, I become whole as do those in need and thus our society. For us and the young people in our care, this is the path to wholeness and holiness.

Have a great week!

Patrick

Jesus said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)

Our culture has skewed the meaning of the word ‘love’ – towards something that is sweet and light and fluffy. The Greek used here is better translated as ‘self-sacrificing love’. To love as Jesus did means to love fully, completely, until the end. We might be able to accomplish that for one or two people – wife, husband, partner, children – but Jesus is asking the disciples to love each other in that way. This sets the bar high! But as much as we can do so, we strengthen our relationships immeasurably. We build community.

For the young people in our care, loving in this way flies in the face of the short-term dalliances and commodification of relationships that are promoted in our culture. As much as each of us can love as Jesus did we will be being true to ourselves and our communities – living in the image of the God of love in whom we were created.

Have a great week!

Patrick

For the LORD takes pleasure in his people;
he adorns the humble with victory. (Psalm 149:5)

As adults we revel when the young people in our care shine. This is but a reflection of God’s joy in her children. We are made to shine. We are made to discover our gifts and use them. The use of our gifts is most fruitful when we build our community with them. We also know that not only the humble win – whether in sport, politics or some other endeavour – but it sits best with those who are humble. The champion Roger Federer springs to mind.

This is also an opportunity to clarify humility for our young people. The humble person knows their giftedness – they just don’t need to constantly ‘tell the world’ about their gifts. Young people can shine in many ways. We need to have the eyes and ears to catch them doing it and praise them for it.

Have a great week!

Patrick

In every nation anyone who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him (Acts 10:35)

This reading is set when the disciples were discerning who could be part of the Church. Was it to just be Jews, as most of them were? Their answer, as we know, was a much broader, more inclusive Church. ‘Does what is right’ is a translation of a word meaning ‘justice and right relationships’ i.e. what must be done to bring God’s reign. Between that and someone who reveres God – you can’t ask much more from a person.

In our flawed humanity, we can fall short of our ideals. Our role with the young people in our care is to encourage them to aspire to ideals – while also being gentle with themselves (and those around them) when they inevitably fall short. By displaying compassion, we act in the image of God.

Have a great week!

Patrick

Philip asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ The Ethiopian replied, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ (Acts 8:30-31)

Whether it is a book of scripture or the book of my life, I need a reliable guide. That could be someone who has demonstrated knowledge and wisdom on a topic or someone who has lived life and reflected upon it. There is no shortage of information today but does it guide and nurture me?

A guide rounds out the details and cares about whether I truly understand. In much the same way, it is our task to guide the young people in our care – on both faith and life as they are inextricably linked. Jesus has ‘the words of eternal life’ (John 6:68). We must nurture ourselves so that we can nurture our young people in turn.

Have a great week!

Patrick

Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35)

John’s Gospel doesn’t have a last supper where the Eucharist is modelled. Rather there is this extensive reflection on the Eucharist – set in the synagogue at Capernaum. The ‘I am’ sayings in this Gospel indicate the divinity of Jesus and point to what God does for us. If we follow the example of Jesus – his obedience to God, his loving, compassionate relationships – we will be whole. If we believe in Jesus we will not go through life constantly searching, looking for the ‘the next thing’.

A developmental task of young people is to ‘find themselves’. Who am I? What is my unique role in life? How can I be happy? Our task is to remind the young people in our care that they are good as they are. God has placed goodness in them and it is their task to find that goodness and build their community with it – like the young woman I teach who is coaching gymnastics to local 5 year olds. Coming to Jesus, coming to God is to believe in God-with-us – which is the same as being a member of a community – building up others and being built up by them in turn. Our needs are met…and we are resting in God.

Have a great week…and break if you get one!

Patrick

The angel of the LORD came a second time, touched Elijah, and said, ‘Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.’ (1 Kings 19:7)

Life has its struggles that we cannot ignore. What is important but sometimes forgotten is the need to nourish ourselves through the difficult times – to not just ‘grin and bear it’. So what nourishes you? It might be music, art or nature. As people of faith we should allow those or similar experiences to draw us closer to God, to see things straight – to give us food for the journey.

Opening the minds of young people to the spirituality that surrounds them is vital – so that they realise they can feed themselves. We also do well to remind them of our tradition. We believe that God is present in the Eucharist – in the congregation, in God’s word, in the priest and the bread and wine. Thus, we owe it to our young people to give them access to the Eucharist – the enduring ‘food for the journey’.

Have a good week!

Patrick

Lost in a fog of negativity

I am jolted

When I look up

At the blue sky

A tree’s slender, naked branches

Festooned with sparrows

Perched in them

I am struck

By the earthy everyday

Joy and wonder

This salve

Reminds me

Of what truly matters

Jesus is “the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.” (Acts 4:11)

Humans can overlook something that is in plain sight. The Gospels tell us that Jesus’ preaching and teaching annoyed the Jewish authorities – so much so that they were willing to kill him. There can be argument about whether Jesus was killed for religious or political reasons (or some combination) – but his rejection is clear.

This begs the question: why, over two millennia, have millions found Jesus to be ‘the cornerstone’? He lived a life of integrity – he lived his faith in God through care and compassion for those in need. Like the prophets before him, he called those in power to account – is God above all? Pivotally, Jesus showed us what God is like, having an intimate love for each person. Jesus also calls us to be our best selves by building community through being in right relationship with all.

Have a great week!

Patrick

And what should I say—“Father, save me from this hour”? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. (John 12:27)

The Johannine Jesus knows his death is coming. He has spoken the truth to power – the result is inevitable. We have seen this pattern in recent times in such people as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King Jr and Oscar Romero. In John’s Gospel there is constant reference to ‘the hour’, beginning at the wedding feast at Cana in Chapter 2. The hour is both when Jesus is crucified (‘lifted up’) and glorifies God. The Johannine Jesus, as he has throughout, has his eyes wide open about his journey: he does the work of the Father and is to glorify the Father.

In the realisation of what is coming for Jesus, there is a choice – stay the course or walk away. And so it is for all of us – am I a person of integrity? OR would I rather ignore my conscience and take the easy choice?

Have a great week!

Patrick