Wednesday Reflection
Midweek Reflection
29th September 2021
One of the joys of a priest’s life is visiting the schools in his parish. Apart from the unique opportunity of inter-acting with so many of his young parishioners and celebrating Mass with them, he wittingly or unwittingly puts into practice the Ministry of Presence. Catholic schools produce wonderfully well-educated and well-balanced pupils. That having been said, no priest is unaware that very many of the pupils do not attend church on a regular basis. That is probably the case even more in our universities. Some of them may confess, even to themselves if not sacramentally, that they haven’t been to Holy Mass for months, maybe even years. Perhaps they are acting out sexually or are drinking or, hopefully not, experimenting with drugs. I just wonder if they ever say to themselves, “I am so miserable.” Young adults often seem to believe that everyone around them acting similarly is not miserable. But they usually are.
Young people who have fallen away from the church and from morality in general are often unhappy. There is a great lie, a great conspiracy, in the un-social media that every one is doing it and so it is all right. If everyone tells a lie….it never becomes the truth. Many leave church during school years or by the early twenties. Our task is to help them fulfil their true potential. To rescue them from their misery. I am convinced that deep down they desire not to be that way. We want their future to be that of functioning, happy human beings. We need to convince them that true happiness is found in Jesus Christ. The best means of achieving that goal is by prayer, sacrifice and example.
Monsignor Monaghan
