JustFaith Ministries connects and pre pares people of faith

What Are You Teaching?

Entrusting religious education of our youth with PSR programs and our Catholic schools has been a fruitful and grace-filled blessing for centuries.

The downside, of course, is that you and I become unconscious to the infinite ways we are teaching these young people. In other words, they learn as much from what you and I do and don’t do, as they learn in formal schooling. This month, in silence and seclusion with God, pray for the grace to know what you are teaching the youth of our society.

We recently witnessed the execution of two human beings, two children of God, in our federal prison system. St. Pope John Paul II said: “May the death penalty, an unworthy punishment still used in some countries, be abolished throughout the world.” (Prayer at the Papal Mass at Regina Coeli Prison in Rome, July 9, 2000). As pro-life Catholics, are we actively teaching this prayer to our youth? Or do we support these killings of humans made in God’s image and likeness?

Are you voicing Catholic teaching that respects the dignity of all immigrants and refugees? During World Peace day in 2000, St. Pope John Paul II said this: “We cannot of course foresee the future. But we can set forth one certain principle: there will be peace only to the extent that humanity as a whole rediscovers its fundamental calling to be one family, a family in which the dignity and rights of individuals—whatever their status, race or religion—are accepted as prior and superior to any kind of difference or distinction.” Will you ask God to show you how you are vocally and substantively teaching St. Pope John Paul II’s message to our youth? Jesus said: “learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart” Mt. 11:29. The leadership of Jesus was not overpowering or boastful. He told Peter to “put away your sword” Mt. 26:52. Even when Jesus was being taken as prisoner, he refused to use force to fight back. Search yourself and pay attention: are you teaching our youth to fight and brag, or to be like Jesus – meek and humble?

“We are called to live lives that secure for everyone freedom from poverty, captivity, blindness, oppression and debt. And by living this mission, it also becomes our teaching to the youth of our world.”

People in the U. S. have the addictive habit of raising their right forefinger and declaring: “we’re number 1.” We boastfully proclaim our superiority and greatness as a country, or state, or any other closed group we belong to. Yet, it was Jesus who said: “whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave” Mt 20:26-27. Are we in-graining in our youth that they must strive to be “number one?” Or, are we being Christlike by teaching that to be great means to take off our outer garment, put a towel around our waist and wash the dirty, nasty, calloused feet of those around us (John 13:1-11)?

Are you and I willing to educate our youth as to what God is asking of us? “You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: Only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God: (Micah 6:8). Or, as the Message bible paraphrases this same passage: “Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don’t take yourself too seriously – take God seriously.” In your quiet time with God, ask God what fair and just mean. Jesus has already told us who our neighbor is (our neighbor is everyone, even including our enemies, Luke 6:27; 10:29-37). And, how does God ask you to express and share your compassion and love?

Of course there are so many more teachings of Jesus you and I are called to practice: It is the poor who are blessed; it is the person who hungers and thirsts for justice who is blessed; it is the meek who will inherit everything; it is the merciful who will be shown mercy; it is the peacemaker who is called God’s child (Mt. 5:1-10). And of course, “Stop judging” (Luke 6:37)! When we live all of these, we become holy teachers of our youth.

Jesus said Christ’s mission in the world is “to bring glad tidings to the poor, . . . to proclaim liberty (freedom) to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord” (a time of forgiveness of all debts) Luke 4:1819. As the body of Christ, this is our mission as well. We are called to live lives that secure for everyone freedom from poverty, captivity, blindness, oppression and debt. And by living this mission, it also becomes our teaching to the youth of our world.

Sit with God each morning this month and ask him: “What do you want me to teach today?”

Mike Van Vranken