July 19, 2023

By Father William Muench
NCC columnist

Each week, as I begin to write this column, I think of you, my readers. However, today, I am thinking in a special way of our young people. I want to share so much with them. I believe that our Catholic Church needs these young people to be involved in their parishes. So, here is what I want to share with them.

I believe that you, young people, are truly hungering – hungering for a meaningful life. I am constantly amazed, even impressed, at the unique talents I have encountered in today’s young people. My hope is that you, young people, will allow God to be an important part of your lives. I believe the Catholic Church has so much to offer you.

Jesus came to this world with a message for young and old. His greatest gift for all of us – then and now – is to teach us that God is our Father. Each time we begin prayer, we start our prayers with the Sign of the Cross and say, “In the name of the Father.” We proclaim our faith in God, the Father. I believe that you, young people, want a God that is truly your Father – the God that Jesus taught us, a loving, forgiving Father and a Father who wants to be part of all that we are and do. Sadly, I think that too many people think of God as a spy who punishes. Jesus says, “Not true.” Our Lord spent his whole mission on earth leading us to realize that God is Our Father.

Finding God as our Father, I want to encourage you, young people, to find this loving presence of our Father through prayer, but especially through the prayer of silence. No words – just silence. I know this will allow the Holy Spirit to come into our hearts and lead us closer into a deep relationship with God, Our Father. Our world can be too noisy, sometimes even our services are too noisy. I believe that a time of silence each day is most important, the best way to lead us to God, Our Father.

Also, my hope is that you, young people, will find a deep involvement in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. It was back in second grade that you received your First Holy Communion. Now, I pray you continue to find the power and support that the presence of the Lord brings to us all in the reception of the Holy Eucharist. I believe from my own experience that the Lord’s Eucharist leads and guides us all to be disciples of the Lord. God wants to be with us – united with us in a sacramental way, walking with us and leading us to the happiness of a good life.

Here I would like to add one more thing to the spirituality of the Blessed Eucharist. I have come to discover that praying in the presence of the Blessed Eucharist – placed for adoration in the monstrance on the altar – fills our hearts with the reality of God’s love for us. This is the powerful gift of the presence of Our God in the Holy Eucharist, especially for you, young people. The Lord truly present in the Blessed Eucharist wants to be with you in love.

There is so much more that your Church, your parish, has for you. I hope you are searching. This can make a difference for you as you continue to meet the challenges of the burdens of life. There are so many, I know. There are the daily burdens that can lead to stress, to disappointments, to sadness. God our Father gives us constantly the help and power to deal with the burdens of life so that we can find happiness with Our God. Won’t you take a moment now to pray the Our Father.