We find ourselves in difficult times. This Pandemic was unanticipated, and its conquest is still uncertain. Can we break things down? Can we untie the knots of our current situation? We humans always seem to feel that “our time of challenge” is unique and unparalleled until we recall history and, perhaps more importantly, when we turn to God and seek help as those who preceded us did when facing chaos and challenge.
In today’s Scripture reading from the Book of Exodus, God reminds the Jews to remember what their ancestors suffered as aliens in Egypt, urging them to treat their neighbors with justice and compassion. And, when Jesus is confronted with the Pharisee scholar who is intent on putting Jesus “on the spot” to discredit Him, Jesus reaches beyond the moment and teaches us all what it means to live according to God’s command. As Christians, our task has been to demonstrate to each generation our embrace of God’s love by loving our neighbor as ourselves.
Here is today’s real challenge: how do we reach out to this generation of the young to bring the message of God’s love and the need to share this love with all those we meet? The heart of this challenge is that with fewer Catholic schools, there is a need to find ways to engage the young and the youth in experiencing God’s message through their engagement with and in the Church. Obviously, committed families will be dedicated to living the faith and engaging their children with the Church.
Let us pray that God opens new avenues for all of us to pursue as we share the presence of a loving God with those who seek to become dedicated disciples and who willfully seek engagement with the next generation.
Sr. Kathleen Sullivan, OP
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