The future of the Church.
We must ensure that we do everything we can to ensure that Jesus touches the hearts of our young people. We must do everything we can to allow the Holy Spirit to work through them. We must make sure that we never prevent them from experiencing the Father’s mercy.
But it’s so easy to get wrong.
And we see the example in today’s gospel when the disciples thought that they were doing Jesus a favour by getting rid of the noisy and irritating kids. But Jesus recognises their importance. He sees them as the next generation, the ones who will become established in their ways because of what they experience in their early days.
So we should never castigate a child at Mass. We must make sure that our homes are examples of Catholic witness to Christ. We must prayer with our youngsters. They should learn about their faith and be encouraged to progress their preparation catechesis for the sacraments.
Let us give thanks for our youngsters, but let us also pray for them: in this busy world of ours there is so much to bombard them with that could steer them from a loving relationship with Christ. Let us bring them to him.
Gospel Mark 10:13-16 ©
People were bringing little children to Jesus, for him to touch them. The disciples turned them away, but when Jesus saw this he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. I tell you solemnly, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ Then he put his arms round them, laid his hands on them and gave them his blessing.