April 15, 2018 - "Pastoral Plan - Parish Life"

Cardinal Wuerl promulgated a Pastoral Plan to implement Pope Francis’ post-synodal apostolic exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, on Sunday March 4, 2018.  The fourth section of the pastoral plan stresses the importance of parish life.  Cardinal Wuerl introduces this section with these noteworthy comments:
 
The home of pastoral accompaniment is the parish, where we all experience the healing love and mercy of Jesus Christ.  Accompaniment connects people with the relationships and resources needed to sustain and nurture family life and to heal broken relationships that weaken or break family ties.  The parish has a central role in making visible the Gospel vision for marriage and family life.
 
In Amoris Laetitia, the Holy Father underlines the importance of parishes:  “The main contribution to the pastoral care of families is offered by the parish, which is the family of families, where small communities, ecclesial movements and associations live in harmony” (202).  We are blessed in the Archdiocese of Washington by the presence of all three experiences of Christian communities that provide numerous support and resources. 
 
Our parishes, as the place where people most experience the life of the Church, must be places of welcome, where everyone is invited, particularly anyone who might be disillusioned or disaffected by contemporary society or even by our faith community.  The Church assures all that there is a place for everyone in our spiritual home.
 
Today I want to present some thoughts for accompanying youth that are presented in this section of the pastoral plan.
 
The Scriptures and stories of the saints remind us that God does not wait until someone turns 18 or 21 to call them to great things.  He chose a young adult, Mary, to become the Mother of God.  Many of our great Christian saints and heroes were young people who listened daily to God in prayer and made courageous decisions to answer His call in their lives.  As Saint Paul reminds us, “Let no one have contempt for youth, but set an example for those who believe in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).
From many of our young people, we learn some ways that youth can deepen their faith and be engaged in parish life include:
· Strengthening their faith with their family (parents, siblings, grandparents and other relatives) by praying and going to Mass and parish activities together;
· Actively participating in preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation and continuing to put their faith into practice as a fully initiated Catholic;
· Selecting a sponsor for Confirmation who will be present during the preparation for this sacrament of initiation and also after Confirmation as a mentor in the Catholic faith;
· Seeking out opportunities to serve others within your parish or your local community;
· Becoming an active participant in the life of the parish through opportunities such as youth ministry programs, or as altar servers, lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (for those eighteen and older), etc.;
· Being actively engaged during Mass and participating in the liturgy with enthusiasm;
· Attending a retreat or conference during high school years (annually if possible); and
· Getting to know the priests and deacons in the parish.
 
Until next week,
Fr. John Dillon