"Come after me": Family life is a discipleship life
From the historical land of America, from the great city of Memphis, in the year of 2013, I journey in reflecting and writing my petty thoughts on discipleship life. I began this journey many months ago reflecting the majesty of Jesus at the sea shore of Galilee, when He called His first disciples. I was fascinated in wonder looking at the spontaneous discipleship of Peter and his brother, when they left their boats behind to follow Jesus. From this awesome scene and thought, I began this journey of " Come after me." My plan was to reflect on each disciple and their perspectives on Jesus. However, while on reflections, I took an unusual route of reflecting discipleship in a retrospective pattern from Galilee to Jesus Childhood, which I had not planned or even thought about until, I journeyed through that route. As a result, I discovered some elements and essentials of discipleship life among all those who were around infant and child Jesus life. Particularly, I admire the Holy Family's discipleship life. My mind really wound like to travel further to river Jordan and witness the awesome wonders of each disciple, in the light of Holy Bible, but my heart refuses to depart from the concept of Holy Family. So I dwell in the concepts of Holy Family and family for little while. I thank God for this oasis in my life path that I enjoy, while I write my thoughts and reflections. I enjoy writing, not just because many come to read them ( I thank God for my friend viewers, who support me in my journey through their viewing), but beyond that there is an experience of joy, warmth, and wonder, which I am unable to capture in words, when we reflect the biblical scenes. I am hooked to that Joy, which comes from the dwelling into God's words and reflecting them. I approach the concepts with a curious mind with a admiring heart.
As I said, I would like to dwell around the concepts family for little while. This week, I read an article written by Our Bishop, Most Rev. Bishop Terry Steib, which was published in " faith West Tennessee" titled as, " This far by faith". This article and sections within the article makes me to pen a year long observation, I have made among youth and young adults. The observation was not purposeful but those events which drew my attention.This week I had a plan to reflect on family discipleship call in guiding the youth. So, naturally, this article attracted my attention and intention.
First all, let me quote a paragraph from Rev. Bishop's article, then I will place my observations to support those statements.
"My experience of young adults is that they are warm and enthusiastic, that they are spirit- filled and Gospel oriented. When I meet with them, they often tell me the story of their confirmation. The joyful manner in which they relate the details encourages me in the belief that God is indeed alive in them and in me. ........." ( Bishop Steib, 2013).
I agree with the optimistic statements of Bishop about the young adults. I am also witnessing extraordinary faith activities and prayerful state among youth, as a mother, as a PRE teacher, and as an adult. I am seeing a shift in increasing affinity towards faith among youth and young adults. I think, growing youth have faith to evangelize retrospectively to their parents and grand parents, as I consider those two generations are submerged to technology, rationalism, and atheism.
Let me place few real events which caught my attention in supporting above statements. Other day, in the adoration chapel, I saw a young boy, who was in his teen, reading bible and he was in a genuine meditation. It was a scene which ignited hope in my heart and I thanked God for that child. I have a habit of appreciating anything which is good, immediately. So I waited with joyful heart to appreciate the young man, when my routine brief visit 2 minutes visit became 30 minutes prayer. When the teen got ready go out, I did gently appreciated him for his faith and individual dedication for prayer at this age. I do seriously believe in promotion of goodness in the world.
Just after few days, after the Sunday Mass, I visited the blessed sacrament in the tabernacle, where I witnessed a child, who was about six years old, kneeling and praying alone with joined hands and closed eyes. The scene looked as though an angel was praying. It was an awesome moment, when I saw that child's posture in prayer. I thanked God for that child's faith and their parents faith silently. During my visit to India, we were blessed with a grand family function in our house. Many of our close relatives attended the function and they had come from far places and they stayed in our house for about four days, because the function was for three days. Among them, I enjoyed the visit of my younger sister's son Julian. He is six years old, but he seems to be very prayerful. He was very attached with me and I was very much attracted towards his piety. When prayer times came I always witnessed that Julian closed his eyes and joined his hands and he was praying silently with deep sincerity. Once, we took the relatives to visit St. Thomas Mount. I took this little boy and taught him the pictorial messages of all the apostles displayed inside the church. He is a quick learner and a brilliant child. Within no time he learned them and brought his parents, who were busy in shopping at that time, and he began to explain those pictures to them. I was watching and enjoying that wonderful moment with tears in my eyes standing far. Later, I went near him and asked him to pray for me. Immediately, he took a small infant Jesus statue from his pocket, which I just bought for him, he placed the statue in front of him and he knelt and closed his eyes joined his hands and prayed for me. I could not help but just lift him into my arms and appreciate him, soon after he completed his prayers.
Above mentioned events moved my heart and fascinated my soul. Youth and young adults are hope of faith and hope for the future. The role of family in guiding them nothing less than a discipleship call. I thank God for the parents of above three young boys for nurturing their faith.
As I said, I would like to dwell around the concepts family for little while. This week, I read an article written by Our Bishop, Most Rev. Bishop Terry Steib, which was published in " faith West Tennessee" titled as, " This far by faith". This article and sections within the article makes me to pen a year long observation, I have made among youth and young adults. The observation was not purposeful but those events which drew my attention.This week I had a plan to reflect on family discipleship call in guiding the youth. So, naturally, this article attracted my attention and intention.
First all, let me quote a paragraph from Rev. Bishop's article, then I will place my observations to support those statements.
"My experience of young adults is that they are warm and enthusiastic, that they are spirit- filled and Gospel oriented. When I meet with them, they often tell me the story of their confirmation. The joyful manner in which they relate the details encourages me in the belief that God is indeed alive in them and in me. ........." ( Bishop Steib, 2013).
I agree with the optimistic statements of Bishop about the young adults. I am also witnessing extraordinary faith activities and prayerful state among youth, as a mother, as a PRE teacher, and as an adult. I am seeing a shift in increasing affinity towards faith among youth and young adults. I think, growing youth have faith to evangelize retrospectively to their parents and grand parents, as I consider those two generations are submerged to technology, rationalism, and atheism.
Let me place few real events which caught my attention in supporting above statements. Other day, in the adoration chapel, I saw a young boy, who was in his teen, reading bible and he was in a genuine meditation. It was a scene which ignited hope in my heart and I thanked God for that child. I have a habit of appreciating anything which is good, immediately. So I waited with joyful heart to appreciate the young man, when my routine brief visit 2 minutes visit became 30 minutes prayer. When the teen got ready go out, I did gently appreciated him for his faith and individual dedication for prayer at this age. I do seriously believe in promotion of goodness in the world.
Just after few days, after the Sunday Mass, I visited the blessed sacrament in the tabernacle, where I witnessed a child, who was about six years old, kneeling and praying alone with joined hands and closed eyes. The scene looked as though an angel was praying. It was an awesome moment, when I saw that child's posture in prayer. I thanked God for that child's faith and their parents faith silently. During my visit to India, we were blessed with a grand family function in our house. Many of our close relatives attended the function and they had come from far places and they stayed in our house for about four days, because the function was for three days. Among them, I enjoyed the visit of my younger sister's son Julian. He is six years old, but he seems to be very prayerful. He was very attached with me and I was very much attracted towards his piety. When prayer times came I always witnessed that Julian closed his eyes and joined his hands and he was praying silently with deep sincerity. Once, we took the relatives to visit St. Thomas Mount. I took this little boy and taught him the pictorial messages of all the apostles displayed inside the church. He is a quick learner and a brilliant child. Within no time he learned them and brought his parents, who were busy in shopping at that time, and he began to explain those pictures to them. I was watching and enjoying that wonderful moment with tears in my eyes standing far. Later, I went near him and asked him to pray for me. Immediately, he took a small infant Jesus statue from his pocket, which I just bought for him, he placed the statue in front of him and he knelt and closed his eyes joined his hands and prayed for me. I could not help but just lift him into my arms and appreciate him, soon after he completed his prayers.
Above mentioned events moved my heart and fascinated my soul. Youth and young adults are hope of faith and hope for the future. The role of family in guiding them nothing less than a discipleship call. I thank God for the parents of above three young boys for nurturing their faith.
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