The apostles went fishing and that night they caught nothing. Then they encountered the risen Lord and they were asked, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” He then instructed them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.”
What is it that we find when we cast our net towards the right side of the boat? When we are willing to be present with the Lord we receive the gift of His grace.
When the age for the norm of reception of the sacrament of Confirmation in this diocese was lowered there were some who were upset with this change of age. They wanted to stress the importance of education in order to retain our youth in the faith over the gift of God’s grace. An infant can receive confirmation and receives an equal amount of grace as the most educated of adults. This reality is true not only with confirmation, but with all of the other sacraments.
Christ instructed His apostles to cast their net to the right side of the boat. They consented to Him and received a great gift. So too must we allow ourself to be opened to receive the gift of God’s grace. The Catechism of the Catholic states, “Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and eternal life. Grace is a participation in the life of God.”
The apostles participated in this gift in the life of God when they listened to the Lord. Whenever we have the opportunity to assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass we listen to the Lord and are made present to Him. Some confess that their mind wonders during the Mass. We should do the best that we can to listen and be found attentive, but despite what is lacking within us may we realize that God is the one who is at work within our life. We can only do the best that we can with His help.
The presence of adults at the Mass is important, but we cannot overlook the importance of our youth. I am speaking not only those in high school, middle school, or elementary school, but also those toddlers and the loudest of infants among us. I feel for families who feel that they are not welcome here because their child makes noise at Mass. We need the joyful noise of our children among us. Why would we want to deprive them of the gift of God’s grace?
Sure if your child is crying uncontrollably use the cry room and then make your way back into the Church. When a child is making noise let us not rebuke parents for bringing their children to Mass, but be filled with joy at the grace that child receives as well as us.
To the parents of those children who make such joyful noise I give you thanks for your endurance. I understand that your ability to listen at Mass has diminished, but please realize that you too are receiving the gift of God’s grace just like your child. You are answering God’s call, you are living up to your state in life as a parent, and you are ensuring that your child is found receptive of the gift of God’s grace. Christ and the gift of God’s grace is present not only to adults, but to all the baptized.
Therefore, let us ALL be found attentive to Him and cast our net out through His help in order that we may come to receive the gift of His grace in great abundance.
No comments:
New comments are not allowed.