聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥淒on鈥檛 want to be carried to church? Come now.鈥� I found that quote on Pinterest, as well as this gem: 鈥淣ot going to church because of the 鈥榟ypocrites鈥� is like not going to the gym because of the 鈥榦ut-of-shape鈥� people.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In planning this article, I was thinking of ways to reach the 60 to 70 per cent of our young people who have opted out of attendance at church. According to some sources, many of these young people will not be returning.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 But amazing things are happening with the world鈥檚 young people. At World Youth Day in Manila in 2015, a record six million attended a mass celebrated by Pope Francis. Ways to relate to young people, the Pope suggests, begin with prayer.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Many of us, grandparents in particular, have been praying. But there must be more we can do.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Jesus uses the power of love to transform our lives. It amazes me that God continues to create so many beautiful and young people who are so easy to fall in love with. Many people transform their lives when they fall in love. What a wonderful plan.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 But God has other ways to call us. Pope Francis shared a story from his youth when he was on his way to meet up with friends. He was moved to stop in at a church. There he met a priest who transformed his life. That 鈥渁ccidental鈥� meeting with God took the Pope to confession and the beginning of his mission and vocation.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Whatever the causes for the decisions, most of our youth have opted out of the church. Their disappointment in parents, adults, governments and even church leaders have led many to follow their own rules of right and wrong. Chastity, Sunday worship and church creeds have fallen to more secular lifestyles.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 As Pope Francis does, I would challenge our young people. 鈥淛esus is calling you to leave a mark on history,鈥� the Pope told 1.6 million young people at the World Youth Day in Krakow this month.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Among the stories shared by world youth was Rand, from Syria, who asked us to pray for his beloved country. Natalia and Miguel shared experiences from different cultures. In the young people gathered in Krakow there were conflicting ideologies and fears springing from opposing political and nationalistic viewpoints.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Pope Francis compared the situation in Syria to the Pentecost and the need for the Holy Spirit to enlighten us and to build the fraternity that overcomes hatred and violence. Like at Pentecost, we can be propelled beyond fear and persecution and left 鈥渦ndreaming of adventure.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Pope Francis challenged all of us to avoid confusing happiness with a sofa. Sofas have built-in massage units to put us to sleep. Safe from pain and fear, we are lulled into a 鈥渟ofa-happiness.鈥� Video games, screens and entertainment give us hours of escape.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Pope even warned of the easy danger of preferring to have 鈥渄rowsy and dull kids who confuse happiness with a sofa.鈥� It is challenging to nurture alert and searching minds to respond to God鈥檚 dream for the human heart.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Pope challenges us to 鈥渓eave our mark,鈥� to follow Jesus by trading in the sofa for a pair of walking shoes, to take the path of the 鈥渃raziness鈥� of our God who teaches us to encounter Him in the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the sick, the friend in trouble, the prisoner, and the refugee, he said.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 We need to build bridges, not walls, he challenged.
