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Before I Forget…
A New York film critic, Michael Medved, writes that by the age of 6, the average American child will have spent more time watching TV, videotapes and motion pictures than a child will have spent talking with his father in his entire lifetime. It's Hollywood, friends, that is shaping the next generation of young people. If you go to the movies and/or see some of the programs that are on TV, you realize that the next generation will be a moral Frankenstein. When I read this, I asked myself, what is the role of the Church, the parish, the parishioners, you and me, when it comes to shaping the next generation. Are we going to sit back and do nothing?
Maybe some Christians think that the church/religion is only about "ME" and "MY" needs. Did Jesus preach from the "LOVE" Boat or from a "fishing boat"? He has called us to go fishing for men and women, and for our youth! We have been called to mentor our kids so that they can become people of values and people of the Gospel. We need to remember and to teach them that they belong to God and that God calls us to a greater life, both now and after this life.
When you and I grew up, society was much different. Not only did we live with one or two parents, but also our grandparents, uncles and aunts and cousins lived nearby. They were our mentors, and we wouldn't dare get into too much trouble because a cousin would find out, and it eventually got back to our folks. Most kids growing up these days don't have a large family around them because of the mobility of society. That's a good reason why we, the disciples of Christ, have to step forward and begin mentoring kids.
Society needs parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches, clergy, mentors, who help us and our children to become the people Christ calls us to be. We have a responsibility and an obligation to hand down the torch of wisdom and goodness from one generation to the next so that our future may be as rich as our past. When you hear someone complain that they don't get anything out of the Mass or being a Christian, ask them if they are doing what Jesus asked us to do… are they "fishing" for folks? Our religion is not about sitting around and getting something, but it's about giving ourselves to God and God's people…especially to the poor, the needy, the hurting…and to our children who need positive Christian influences in their lives. If you have been blessed by God, and who hasn't been blessed, we need to pass on the blessing, not keep it for ourselves. Who are the people in your life who have shared their blessings with you? Somebody invested in your life. Now it is our turn to invest our blessings and ourselves in other people.
In his book on mentoring, Bob Biehl wrote:
When you influence a child, you influence a life.
When you influence a parent, you influence a family.
When you influence a president, you influence a corporation.
When you influence a pastor, you influence a church.
When you influence a leader, you influence all who look to him or her for leadership.
Biehl also states "Mentoring is a lifelong relationship, in which a mentor helps a protégé reach her or his God-given potential." Mentors are those individuals who look inside us, beyond our superficial ego, and who help us become the person we long to be. What kind of people surround you? When you look at your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, do they have good companions to lift them up, or do their friends pull them down?
This summer, two new people are joining the parish staff as youth ministers. Brad and Libby are two enthusiastic, faith-filled, alive Christians. They will be a positive influence on the youth of St. John's. But, they shouldn't have to do it alone, nor should they. Burn-out in any ministry is not good. Would you prayerfully consider working with them in some capacity? Would you like to make a positive influence in a middle-schooler or high schooler's life?
We read in Proverbs: "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." If the people of St. John's don't step up to the plate, somebody else will. Christ is counting on us.
-Fr. Bill
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