LEARN FROM ME

This is a very special time of the year in St. Joseph’s, especially for our young people. It’s the time when we celebrate Confirmations and First Communions. We had a lovely ceremony of Confirmation last Sunday afternoon, celebrated by Bishop Tom Williams from Liverpool. To see our church packed, standing room only, as people came to celebrate with, and to be a support for, our young people was truly impressive. I know it’s a day that our young people, and their families, will remember for a long time. It will be these young people who, hopefully, will pass on to the next generation the faith that has been so staunchly passed down through the centuries since Christ.

This week-end we’ve had the First Communions for the children from Marymount school, and next week-end we’ll be having the First Communions for the children from the CCD program. Both occasions help us to appreciate what kind of image Christ must have mind when He uttered those immortal words – “Let the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them”, and again “unless you turn and become like children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” I know, when you’re living with them every day, and when they have their moments, these sorts of sentiments may appear rather unrealistic, but on days like First Communion; at those times when you get the special hugs; during those special moments that you alone share with them; these are times that help to remind all of us of the more important things in life – love, trust, innocence.

I had occasion recently to look up the origins of the word ‘innocence’. Without boring you with details, it’s based on Old French and Latin words that can mean either ‘not hurt’ or ‘not hurtful’ – ‘innocuous’ and ‘not noxious’ come from the same roots! Losing our innocence usually comes when we have been hurt, or when we’ve learnt to be deliberately hurtful. When Christ invites us to become like little children, He is in a very real sense inviting us to return to innocence – to take our hurts to Him and allow Him “to make them better” as He hugs us with those loving arms that were stretched out in love for us on the cross. He invites us to bring to Him those moments of frustration or anger that make us want to lash out and be hurtful and allow His soothing embrace to calm us down.

We rightly are very concerned about the upbringing and education of our children, and of course we want the very best for them – but I think occasions like First Communion days are very healthy reminders to all of us that there are lessons that it wouldn’t hurt us to learn from them!