The Need to Offer

A modern philosopher once said:

“I build myself as a person, only when I help build other persons” (Gabrielle Marcelle).

This statement becomes in our days more and more difficult. And this because today certain situations appear which act catalytically.

It is a fact that modern man is obsessed by a trend to gain as many material possessions as possible. He becomes a pleasure-hunter. He continually seeks the ephemeral, the temporary.

He feels that he continually compromises with the word. He follows the world, he identifies himself with it. The result of this reality is:

a) a spiritual disorientation

b) the prevalence of individualism

c) an effort to explain everything by human logic

d) the activation of prejudices

e) enthusiasm being in decline

f) zeal fading

g) a lack of courage and of spirit for sacrifice is

observed

h) a lack of eschatological persperctive.

But while all these are happening, a thirst can also be

observed. The young as well as the mature and the old are thirsty. We are called then to give water. We are called to

revive hope. To spread the light. To offer ways and means and ideas.

We are called to stand by youth. To assist them in finding their way.

It is of no importance if others supply them with knives and weapons.

It is of no importance if those who should speak, have remained silent. If they have betrayed their ideals. If they have fallen asleep.

We are called today –yes, in such a difficult situation and life- to raise the banners placing them in their rightful position.

We are called to transfuse life to our disappointed world of today.

We are called to constantly transmit a trumpet – call of salvation. To call to battle. To spread out triumphant cries.

We are called to become the eagles who will lift on our wings the youngsters. Until they can fly with their own wings towards the skies.

(Our work will be of value, only when we first accept Christ as an example and we place in front of the young His personality to follow as a model. They should follow Him as an example and not us).

(An objection may rise here. But who are we? Human beings weak, with failures and weaknesses. And it is true. But it is also true that the weak man becomes mighty when he receives the grace of the Holy Spirit through the sacraments of our Church. He becomes powerful and

unbeatable, when he is inflamed by his faith in Christ. When he constantly sets in front of him spiritual targets).

(When man freely chooses to become a son of God, then he becomes the heir of the Kingdom of Heaven. He becomes a strong and precious creature. A unique in value personality).

(When man has Christ inside him, he is afraid of nothing. Christ transforms the incompetent man to a competent one and the unworthy to worthy).

We, then, the older generation have a duty towards the younger generation, especially today. It is our duty to serve then spiritually. To lay out new ways. To give them examples. To open new perspectives.

What do the young want from us? They want specific messages. Messages of joy and hope. Messages of noble struggles and efforts in the frameworks of our era. These messages should be accompanied by their practice in action.

The young want us to be sincere. Genuine. Not hypocrites. Men of pure incentives, not driven by expediency and self-interest.

The young wants us to be humble and grounded. Men who will believe in what they are doing. Consistent. Men who will appreciate their mission and who will keep it to it’s proper height.

Our young want us to be alive, young in soul, full of life. They want us to be pleasant.

Our young want us to be by their side read to understand them.

We are called then, using our experience, to help them to remove dangers and obstacles. To discover the secrets of life. (To find out about God’s will. To find out about the eternal truths of our faith. To find out the course which leads to the open arms of our Father God).

(Every young one expects to be told in words, but through our life as well: Yes, my youngster “…speak thou the things which become sound doctrine… Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say to you” (Tit. 2:1, 6-8)).

(We should of course clear out some wrong impressions. What we will offer, i.e. the word of God, is self-powered and self-sufficient. Each one of us is not called to fortify the Christian truth, but simply to transmit it as a whole and pure. They are not his own words then).

(This presupposes a correct relation between ourselves and Christ. Therefore it is not permitted to offer opinions which belong to us saying that they come from Him).

(It is absolutely necessary for Christ to become the center of the lives of all of us – both theoretically but in practice too).

(When this happens, we will see in both our lives and the lives of the youngsters as well, the great chapter of deliverance taking it’s proper place. Christ then becomes the redeemer and saviour of all of us).

Here again a clarification is necessary. We are not the ones who offer salvation. We just make known the possibilities and the presuppositions of salvation which we personally have known and made our own possession. That is, we are called to

become the pipes which will bring to the young the fresh water from the source, to be refreshed and to quench their thirst.

(Something else which we must teach youth through practice is the subject of repentance. The matter is hot and many words just make things more difficult. We will speak only when we have our own experiences to pass on. The theoretical side only has no effect).

(We are also called to offer them the means, the ways by which the Christian makes proper use of the Scraments. A typical participation is not enough. A conscious participation is needed).

There is the matter of tradition too. A tradition which is both alive and warm. (We must not forget that “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever” (Herb. 13:8).

There are subjects of course which we do not possess, matters on which we still have not given our personal answer. (In these occasions we should first go to our confessor, but at the same time we should look for the answers in our Holy Scriptures. The role of the all-knowing is no longer accepted, specially today).

Let us say something else too. It is not possible for both sweet and bitter water to come out of the same source. This is true in the spiritual field as well. Therefore it should be taken for granted that each one of us is fighting his own fight to correct and improve himself.

Something that nobody can accept today is to be treated like a teacher treats his students. (This reminds us of anything else except fighting Christians, each one should be able to say along with Aposttle Paul “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21)). So, a conscious stand on the subject and confrontation too is needed.

The virtue of discretion should characterise us. (We know of course that it is clearly a gift of the Holy Spirit. Therefore in order to have discretion we must constantly turn ourselves into vessels in which the Grace of God may rest).

(Our life then will be full of His blessings. This will make us more accessible to the young. Then we will be able to take our children to Christ and say to him: “Lord, we bring you our children. They are Yours. We did what we could to help them. Mainly though we tried to connect them with You. They are Yours”).

(But how can this transmission take place). It is a fact that today we face the problem of communication with our children.

We must try to find the point of contact. We must try to speak in a simple, plain way avoiding pretty but empty words. We should aim at our target and try to say things the way our love, as well as the Grace of God, which we should always seek, will guide us.

We should lower our lever to theirs but without retreats on our principles. We should try to speak their language. A language simple and grounded with no prefabricated formulas.

We have to seek their interests and their quests and adopt ourselves accordingly. Always of course lowering our principles.

We should inspire them. We should encourage them. We will tell them we love them and it will be the truth. And love unites, combines, brings people nearer to each other.

And all these will be for us the work of a lifetime and not a hobby.

It is time then for a recreative thinking. Without forgetting of course that after all “We are unprofitable servants”. (Louk. 17:10). No matter how much we try, how much we achieve. In any field.

(I wonder, will things be so that we will hear from the Master that wonderful phrase: “Well done thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things” (Math. 25:21)?

We all wish and pray to be proved as people of offer. A live and creative offer to all. Especially to the young.

A life blessed by Jesus Christ.

May God bless.

+Fr. George

Дата добавления: 2015-10-23