Educating for the Lived Gospel #161

Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’ Pilate asked him, ‘What is truth?’ (John 18:37-38)

As in many other places in John’s Gospel, there is misunderstanding in this passage. Jesus speaks on one level and those to whom he speaks take his words in a completely different direction. But truth is not something to be taken lightly. If we want the truth, we need to listen to the Word, Jesus. Rather than listen to Jesus, Pilate asks a philosophical or rhetorical question. Truth is staring him in the face.

As we approach Easter, may we open our hearts and minds to God’s word, God’s influence in our lives. May we not be blind to the truth around us and in our lives. In so doing may we be better able to touch the hearts of the young in our care and guide them to be attentive to God’s voice in their lives. God’s voice which calls each of us to truth, wholeness and fullness of life at Easter so that we can live that way every day of our lives.

Have a great week…and holiday!
Patrick

Educating for the Lived Gospel #160

I am utterly spent and crushed;
I groan because of the tumult of my heart. (Ps 38:8)

Again, the Psalms ‘tell it like it is’. I suspect we have all felt this way. Sadly for some, this is a more regular occurrence. When I am in this situation, I have a choice. I can continue to feel sorry for myself OR I can have faith and hand the situation over to God. This is not in expectation of a ‘bolt of lightning’. Rather, my experience is that ‘handing over’ can be a lengthy process. Acknowledging my weakness allows God to enter and/or allows me to perceive God at work – gently, subtly.

Focussing on the signs of hope amidst our difficulties is cultivating an Easter attitude. Young people can feel that their lives are full of troubles. Sharing our faith, our hope-filled experience might comfort young people. Such a down-to-earth faith is likely to ring true for young people, guiding them further along their faith journey; helping them to perceive the good that is constantly in their lives.

Have a great week!
Patrick

Educating for the Lived Gospel #159

Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not hide my iniquity;
I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD’,
and you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Ps 32:5)

Part-way through Lent, it is good to check that I am continuing to reflect upon how I can improve as a person; be more faithful, more whole. It can feel safer to dodge my mistakes. However, it is only when I face them that I can be free from them. When I truly acknowledge my mistakes and shortcomings they lose their ‘hold’ on me and I can move on.

And so it is with the young people in our care. Like adults, it can be difficult for young people to acknowledge their mistakes. Such an admission can seem to crush their developing sense of self. Rather, we need to share our own experiences of liberation from our mistakes when we confront them. As much as each of us can do so, it is another step on the road to full life.

Have a great week!
Patrick

Educating for the Lived Gospel #158

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. (Ps 25:1)

One of the strengths of the Psalms is their honesty. In the case of this passage, it is a statement of faith, trust and longing. There are so many things in our lives that can weigh us down. We yearn to have a sense of lightness; to be delivered from our cares and worries. When we are in difficulty, it is easy to feel alone. Faith tells us that we are never alone. Thus, we need to remember that we are always in God’s presence.

As young people can also feel weighed down by cares or worries, we can model to them as well as speak of the benefits of prayer and handing our problems over to God. Doing so does not automatically fix problems but by being less burdened, it can also help us to gain a fresh perspective. Young people will feel the longing to be less burdened; the trust and faith will follow – in God’s time.

Have a great week!
Patrick

Educating for the Lived Gospel #157

But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant. (Matt 20:25-26)

How easy it is to be filled with our own self-importance! This tendency is exacerbated when we are given some form of leadership or authority. Human history is filled with the ego-fuelled folly of leaders – political and ecclesial. The leadership that Jesus encourages is that of service, the symbolism of the foot-washing (John 13) being a stunning example. Pope Francis lives this kind of leadership. I’m sure we each know members of the body of Christ who are servant leaders – to great effect.

There are plenty of current examples of ego-fuelled leadership – don’t get me started! Our task is to ensure that young people are encouraged to be servant leaders – through our example and our words. They will then grow in their understanding that ‘it is in giving that we receive’ and so further build right relationships in the body of Christ.

Have a great week!
Patrick

Ash Wednesday

I wrote this piece four years ago. Remarkably and in humbling fashion, it happened again this week. So I just had to post this…

Solemn witnesses stand

In their strength

Certainty

and frailty

Ritual binds us together

Reminds us of what matters

Where we belong

 

“Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel!”

I repeat

50-60 times

My mantra or theirs?

 

I am in awe of these solemn witnesses

Who are part of a larger tableau

800 mostly teenagers

In dead silence

For 5 minutes or more

 

I am in awe of the Holy Spirit

Who has touched my heart

and who animates this extraordinary scene

Educating for the Lived Gospel #156

Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart (Joel 2:12)

And so we begin another Lenten journey towards Easter. In looking up a definition for ‘human’, it could include ‘backslider’. As humans we are great at making promises. We deliver, for a while, but then we can backslide, returning to our former behaviours. If we return to God with our whole heart, we remember our God-given dignity and the dignity of all around us. If we return to God with our whole heart, we waken from our selfish slumber and and remember that we are made whole in relationships, in community.

We should remind young people in our care of the need to be better, to live lives of concern for those around us, rather than selfish lives. When I return to God with my whole heart, I am more connected with my best self, more connected with others and am closer to the full life towards which we are all called at Easter.

Have a great week!
Patrick

Educating for the Lived Gospel #155

He said therefore, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.’ (Luke 13:18-19)

This scripture is another example of the human striving to make meaning – to put words on and try to comprehend something that is beyond our reach. The mustard seed is tiny, yet God’s grace ensures that it grows immensely i.e. human potential flourishes and reaches its fullness in God’s kingdom. Also, the kingdom of God is our home – a place of security, warmth and strong, loving relationships.

Part of our relationship with young people is to help them glimpse their potential, as well as guiding them along the path to fulfilling their potential – making the most of their God-given goodness. When we can help young people feel ‘at home’ with us, we are most likely to help them to develop their potential. We will also acknowledge the source of their and our goodness – God.

Have a great week!
Patrick

Educating for the Lived Gospel #154

The earth is the LORD’s and all that is in it,
the world, and those who live in it; (Ps 24:1)

We so easily delude ourselves into thinking that we control ourselves and the world in which we live. When things don’t ‘go to plan’, our fragile peace is disturbed. Yet, when we remember that the world is God’s and everything we have is gift, it allows us to have a ‘lighter grasp’ on what is going on. Because it is God’s world, we also need to focus on caring for our fellow humans along with the whole world, in all its glory and wonder, over which we are stewards.

Young people crave for a lived faith that has practical expressions in our everyday lives. The awesome responsibility of caring for each person and for the whole world is more than enough to keep each of us busy – every day of our lives.

Have a great week!
Patrick