Remember Your Creator

“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come, and the years draw near when you will say, ‘I have no pleasure in them.’” (Ecclesiastes 12:1)

On the last Sunday of August each year the Polish National Catholic Church celebrates Youth Sunday.  This commemoration was instituted at the XVI General Synod held in Scranton, PA in October of 1982.  The synodal action states: “That the last Sunday in August be set aside for the youth of our Church and that a collection be taken for that purpose.”  This commemoration is to be kept with special prayers for the young members of our congregations.  The funds that are collected also go to fund the youth programs of the Church, especially the printing of educational and catechetical materials and support for the Youth Convocations. 

The prayer given for that day within the liturgy is:
Almighty and Eternal God, keep in Your tender care the youth of Your Holy Church, that they may understand those things which are in harmony with Your holy will.  Create in them a spirit of true happiness in Your service, that they may be true followers of Your Holy Word, now and in the days to come.  We ask this through our Lord, Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

This is also the time of year when our young parishioners will be going back to school, or going off to college, and also our catechetical preparations also begin again.   In this spirit we must also remind ourselves that the parishioners of each parish are responsible for these young members to help them and guide them in the ways of Christian life and faith. 

We certainly live in a time when most people tend to shy away from getting involved in the lives of others around us.  But, as Catholic Christians, we know that this cannot be the case.  Because we are all brothers and sisters in Christ, we are therefore responsible for one another.  This is driven home in the parable of the Good Samaritan and comes down to us in the Two Commandments of Love: 1) You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and 2) You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  These Commandments are really not to be thought of as two separate items, but rather as commandments which flow from each other.

As we are focusing during this time of the year when the young are going off to school, we realize the challenges that they will sometimes face.  They will encounter new environments; they will have to deal with different individuals.  We especially know that within our present culture, they will face opposition to our Christian teachings and our family values.  So, what must we do about this situation?  We are called to be encouraging examples to all who surround us, especially the young members of our congregations.  And we also strive to encourage these young members to help model these points of faith and Christian life to each other.

In St. Paul’s First Letter to Timothy, he writes to encourage a young man in his vocation as a Christian leader who was Paul’s delegate in the Church in Ephesus.  St. Paul reminds him, “Let no one despise

your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.  Until I arrive, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhorting, to teaching.  Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders.  Put these things into practice, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress.  Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Timothy 4:12-16)

And if we are striving to encourage the young members to do this one for another, then we also need to make sure that we are following such measures ourselves.  St. Paul said this as well in the First Letter to the Corinthians: “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.  Give no offense to Jews or Greeks or to the church of God, juts as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, so that they may be saved.  Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” (1 Timothy 10:31-11:1)  We are to invite others, especially the young, to join us in being good examples “in love, in faith and in purity.”

We are mindful here that St. Paul says that in all things he is striving to follow Christ, and he encourages others to come along with him as he does so.  How important for us to model this within the church today, not only for the young, but in fact for all.  If we want others to take prayer and worship at Holy Mass seriously within their daily lives then we, too, must be people who are serious about our life of prayer and worship.  If we expect others to delve into the words of Scripture, then we must read the Bible ourselves and share what we have encountered there with them.  If we want others to hold dear the community of faith to which we belong, then we truly need to be active and loving members of it.  It is not enough to have our names on a parish role and lament that others are not found there.  We much rather be praying, worshiping, active members of Christ’s Church and invite others to join us.  And then through this activity, we begin to mold our lives into the pattern of Christ, allowing our own selfish ways to decrease and the life of Christ to increase within us. 

Jesus Himself reminded the disciples this when they were questioning and arguing about their own selfish interests and which one of them was the greatest.  “[Jesus] sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.”  The He took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in His arms, He said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes not Me but the One Who sent Me.” (Mark 9:35-37)

The importance here is that in the moment, this child could offer them nothing in return, it was rather that they recognize that this child is precious in God’s eyes and therefore is to be loved, welcomed, served and guided.  Christian history tells us that this small child grew up to be St. Ignatius of Antioch, one of the three important Apostolic Fathers along with St. Clement of Rome and St. Polycarp.  While we may be unsure of this story, it certainly reminds us that our small actions can have great effects within the Church.  Again, St. Paul reminds us to always put God first and foremost, “What then is Apollos? What is Paul?  Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each.  I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” (1 Corinthians 3:5-6)

So let us, in this time of Youth Sunday, pray publicly for the young members of the Church, encourage and help them by modeling prayer, worship and active service within the parish.  Help to guide them as School of Christian Living teachers and helpers in Catechetical studies.  Realize that we are called to different roles of planting or nurturing the faith in others, but it will always be God Who gives the growth.  Let your example, prayer and work guide, not only the young, but all people, to come to Christ within His Holy Church.