By: John

John — Wed, 12 Apr 2017 01:04:54 +0000

As a father and now Grandfather I welcome this venture by two ladies, and look forward to new events in the Catholic church as regards the ongoing story of youth; No doubt there are many others who do likewise . And it is bound to ricochet much further than New Zealand. Pray God it does.
In a society where values are being eroded daily, youth are particularly vulnerable to the changes of the times.
The errors that have continued unabated within academic circles in the church, filtering out to the youth of today, it is clear that attempts to provide a dialogue are too often an opportunity for more errors, as the original premises have still not been dealt with. The late Cardinal Martini spoke of the need for the church to engage with the times, an interview that was published posthumously. It is now clear that Pope Francis has his finger on the pulse and that Cardinal Martini’s words have not gone unnoticed. Now trends long awaited which are working as never before.
Youth MUST be invited to enter the mystery; for God is a mystery. If they are discouraged they will simply fall away. So it is incumbent upon those who are in places of trust in influential circles in the Church to enter this mystery themselves, for them to seek to enter it readily and regularly, for indeed youth are very quick to notice, and will invariably act accordingly. To put it into a nutshell, the need for listening skills in every encounter is vital. it is not only gaining empirical knowledge but a revaluing of religious experience and journeying on through the many experiences that do occur and which point the way. St Joseph simply listened to a dream. Yet this dream was sufficient to alter the cosmos.
To make this abundantly clear, I relate two simple events which touch this also. It concerns a boy who told his mother when she was miscarrying, the sex of each twin, all of which was confirmed later by the doctor. He was aged THREE. Another is of a girl. Her father working away on Saturday at four thirty felt a call. Having packed up his work, tidied up, he drove home, and asked his daughter if she called him. She replied; “You mean on the telephone?” He said “No”. She asked again, “Do you mean from my heart?” He said “yes”. She then replied “Yes”. That girl was aged FIVE.
Spiritual direction IS available, for parents, and OUGHT be encouraged, for to support every venture there has to be parental support, and openness, so that children may grow. It is asking too much to simply leave it all to educators, and for many parents it is giving in to the values promoted by television which has effectively destroyed shame in the west, removing the natural means for keeping society within the normal community and civic boundaries.
By entering into a conversation with those who are primarily in accord with the Magisterium, there is an immediate flow on into community. This has the potential to lift spirits and to heroically re-engage in the constant struggle to contain the excesses which are currently acting against the best Catholicism has to offer in its priceless heritage that began long before Descartes ever emerged on the scene.
There is much heroism needed, but if individuals are prepared to face their own greatest inadequacies their true potential can then be realised.

Comments on: Kiwis in Rome for youth-focused meeting

By: John