Last Sunday (23/07), we had a
presentation of certificates for Post-Confirmation students of 2017 after the
Sunday 9 am Mass. For many confirmands, they see the moment they receive Sacrament
of Confirmation, they think that they have graduated from faith formation and
life in the Church has come to an end or rather takes a back seat. Don't be of
the perception that your confirmation is on the same level as that of a college
or university graduation. Faith formation is far more deep and is a continuous
lifetime commitment that does not come to a halt upon receiving the sacrament
of confirmation. You have not done with the Catholic Church yet. Your
confirmation is just an initiation into the life and mission of Christ and the Church.
You are now called to be salt and light of the world.
In present days many young people
don't attend Mass regularly. Church has become boring to our young people because
the message is the same. Church has become irrelevant to their life. Many
parents have been bugging their children to go for Mass at least on Sundays.
First, the young people must understand that the moment they disconnect from
the Church they begin to drift spiritually.
For an instance, when you and your
friend slowly begin to drift away from one another, it could be an indication
that your friendship could be coming to an end. If you feel like you are
growing apart from your friend, you may find a way to re-evaluate and reconnect
with your friendship. Likewise, the same goes to your life with your Church and
God. Many of our young people begin to drift away from Church and from God
because they commit themselves in too many worldly activities. Slowly they feel
unwilling and unenthusiastic to pray or to read the Bible and feel guilty to return
to Church and God.
We need Jesus Christ and we need the
Church. We need the Church community and we need each other. Without the Church
as a foundation then we would not get the message of Chrsit into our lives. We
should always keep ourselves close to the Church and call out to God before we
are far from the shore and lose all sense of direction in life. There are few youngsters
have shared with me that they don't find God in the Church and further that all
those who come to Church are a bunch of hypocrites.
There is no perfect Church. There
are no perfect Christians but together we help each other become the persons
God intended us to be. As you get involved in the Church activities and regularly
particpate in the Sunday Eucharistic celebration you will experience a deeper meaning
in life.
My dear young adults at time you may
distance yourselves from Church activities. You too may feel disheartened at
times and you may feel like wanting to drift away from the Church. Whenever you
feel this you ought to straighten your path in God’s way. You should begin to
start waking up a few minutes earlier each day to read the daily readings and pray before you leave to work or college.
It is a time to cut down your other unplesant activitives and pay heed to your
relationship with God and the Church. Your spiritual life will be strengthened
as your faith increase day by day and your ability to overcome daily struggles
will grow as well.
Do always keep your head up, your eyes straight ahead and your focus fixed
on what is in front of you. Take care of your faith and don't go astray from the right path, the way of
truth,
and you will safely reach the end of your road.
