Christifidelis Laici 45-48

     I'm sorry this posting is late.  I took a couple of days away up in northern Wisconsin, which was also a good time for the computer to go into the shop for a little check-up.  But, here you are as we continue diving into the text of Pope St. John Paul the Great’s exhortation on the laity.  We pick up with section 45-48 in which our Holy Father describes, riffing off from the parable of the workers in the vineyard, how each age group has an important part to play in the work of evangelization – from the youngest among us to the oldest.  No age group is simply an object for ministering to, but each age group is called to be an active participant in the work of evangelization, of witness. 

     This is such a departure from the way we often see our youngest and oldest members.  And yet, JPII reminds us that each age group has something to offer, if even it is the nature of their particular age shining through in all their innocence and thereby giving witness to important Gospel (“evangelical”) principles.

     These four sections are worth your time so that in reading each one, each of us might reflect on and be formed in a fuller way in recognizing the gifts offered to us by so many at both ends of life’s journey.   

     That being said, we find ourselves challenged to see the very young and youths, as well as our elderly as something other than to be coddled, protected, and otherwise catered to.

   1.     What is my first thought regarding the very young in our parish?  Do I think of these as those from whom I have something to learn about discipleship?

   2.     What is my first thought regarding the youth of our parish?  Do I try to see the world through their eyes and appreciate their unique point of view about the world?

   3.     What is my first thought about the oldest person I know in our parish?  Am I attentive to this person’s wisdom?  Why or why not?

Challenge:  Pick one of these three age groups described above and ask the accompanying questions of yourself.  See what surprising things God has to show you this week.