Continuing to delve deeper into the “Vision” for youth here at SHM:
OUR VISION:
Catechize Catholic youth in order to help them mature in their Catholic Faith, thereby nurturing in them the desire to grow in personal and communal holiness.
Nurturing… the desire to grow means that we become aware of everything that influences and affects the youth. To nurture is to cultivate so we look to the famous parable of the Sower in Matthew, Luke and Mark’s gospels where “seed was scattered on the path, the rocky, the thorny and the good soil”. It becomes obvious that God’s love needs a nurtured environment to “take root and produce 100, 60 or 30 fold of what was sown.” Mt 13:1-23, Mk 4:1-20, Lk 8:1-15.
The work for parents, as primary educators of their children, is to nurture the desire, or hearts, of the youth to help them receive the love of God in their lives. We are often tempted to throw “good soil’ or the “faith” on top of the “path, rocks, and weeds” of the culture and hope for the best. However, together with parents, the Youth Apostolate seeks to introduce the youth to the fertile ground of the Church; specifically through the celebration and participation in the Sacraments. Pope Benedict XVI at Cologne Germany for World Youth Day said in his first speech to the youth “the Church (is) the place where God’s merciful love reaches out to all people. In the Church and through the Church you will meet Christ, who is waiting for you.” This meeting with Christ is specifically found through the Sacraments.
The Sacraments (soil) of the Church nurtures the desire of youth to grow in their Catholic faith. Once their faith begins growing “Faith seeks understanding: …a believer desires to know better the One in whom he has put his faith…a more penetrating knowledge will in turn call forth a greater faith, increasingly set afire by love.” CCC158. From here we embark on the path to personal and communal holiness…
danmcgarvey
georgeketchel
