Yesterday we had Confirmation at our place. 38 young people Confirmed and sent out. Sadly for many of them this will end their time in the Church and any sort of religious instruction. We will see them when they get married and have kids. On the upside many of them had some positive Church and spiritual experiences. In addition to that many are from some good families. That foundation means a lot in their connection to faith and Church.
The Gospel yesterday was a great initiation Gospel. Matthew sets the stage for the mission and ministry of Jesus. Jesus recalls for us the importance of the new covenant in that we live for the sake of the Kingdom. What this means, as Jesus tells it, we cannot allow vengeance, hatred, anger, or violence to sway our response to others around us. Even if people hate us or chase us with sticks and sharp instruments, we are to maintain a disposition of love.
this understanding is nice for the young people to think about. We are bigger than the pettiness, arrogance, and hostility which our society offers. Rather we are about a lifestyle which is into peacemaking, justice, and charity. Too often we reduce faith and religion to a matter of going to Church and being nice to people. In reality it is about an interior disposition. Hopefully as our young people begin to own the gifts they have received they will reflect more carefully on how to utilize these gift in the world in which they live.
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