young-stir
"Jesus said, 'Let the children come to Me. Do not hinder them. The kingdom of God belongs to such as these.' " —Matthew 19:14
Do we hinder children from coming to Jesus? When we "celebrate" Mass in a listless way, our youth turn to rock concerts rather than to the Lord for excitement. When we compromise the Gospel with fund-raising, drinking, and gambling, our young people see the contradiction and our hypocrisy. They become turned off to Christianity. When we're ashamed of the Gospel and keep our Christianity to ourselves, our youth are deceived by cults which are not as reluctant as we are to promote their beliefs.
The Lord calls us to reach out to our young people. We should not abandon our children to the secularistic educational system, the sadistic teen culture, or the lying television set. Jesus wants to free our children. He will pray for them and lay His nail-scarred hands on them (Mt 19:13, 15). He is the One they are seeking. He is the Meaning of life. Together with our young people, let's repent and make for ourselves "a new heart and a new spirit" (Ez 18:31). Let the children come to Jesus.
Prayer: Jesus, may I expect millions of young people to turn to You.
Promise: "For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies, says the Lord God. Return and live!" —Ez 18:32
Praise: In his day, St. John was considered as the preacher most able to touch the hearts of his listeners. He also was instrumental in spreading devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus by providing a solid doctrinal basis for it.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Edward J. Gratsch, March 8, 2000
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, March 9, 2000