These words were said to me just a short while ago by a young adult who is exploring a variety of ministries of service across the diocese. Whatever the encounter, these young people are given opportunities so that they can grow and learn more about their own faith and what God’s purpose might be for them.
The thing is, often it is we (the slightly more aged and experienced!) who can be nourished from the examples which the youth of today are setting. Pope Francis tells us that young people are ‘living hope of a church on the move.’ In listening to these young people describe their faith journey over the past year, I am reminded that they really are bearing witness to the joy of friendship one can encounter with Christ. I’m also encouraged that our young people, through their life and work, are making their voices heard.
Often, we encourage these young adults to consider where they might have seen God in the past week or month. What is surprising is the level of connectedness each person experiences:
“The first time I was involved in ALPHA and the weeks that followed showed me what a strong sense of community can be like. I encountered a different way of experiencing God like I had never had before. The questions scattered throughout the events each week were deep and thought provoking and you really had to come up with something that wasn’t a surface level answer.”
“It was during a visit to the St John’s Villa nursing home where I took a group of Year Five students each Wednesday that I noticed that one of the students was spending some time with Iris, a resident, who is actually one hundred and three years old! Iris said that her secret to a long and happy life was to keep moving and keep the faith. The student, after losing her own grandmother to cancer, was drawn to Iris and she felt quite overwhelmed with happiness that she could spend time with this person who emulated the face of God during those visits.”
At times in ministry, we are called into spaces that take us out of our comfort zone. It can be something that anyone, let alone a young person, with a few years of life experience, may find that they are confronted with certain situations that they have never lived or known before. Within our diocese, there are places that offer a safe space for guests to rest, recover and reconnect with others. Part of ministry in these spaces is to learn the importance of being a good listener:
“I’ve never really had to listen like that before. It’s a skill that I didn’t really have, to be able to embrace the silence. I am a better listener now than I’ve ever been, and I can see the incredible benefits of the skills of active listening in a safe, supportive space with people.”
So, as these young adults who have had a variety of experiences in the Pastoral Placement Program are looking forward to their next chapter, we wish them every blessing on their faith journey ahead as they discern what ministry they might pursue. We invite them to hear the message from Pope Francis to young people: ‘Know that Christ is alive, and He loves you with an infinite love.’ For those of us who have travelled a few more years than our participants, perhaps we can listen to the encouraging words of our youth; open ourselves up to every opportunity, hear others, walk with others and know that our God is always walking right beside us. He knows you are His greatest resource.
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