Fr. Kevin – Page 3 – Saint Anne Catholic Church

Be not Afraid

First of a series of letters to youth making confirmation this year. Even if you’re not in that group, perhaps the thoughts will still be of value.

My younger brothers and sisters in Christ,

“Be not afraid” is a common phrase you’ll find in your Bible. Jesus said it to the disciples before he calmed the storm, an angel said it to the women who found the tomb empty on Easter Sunday, and it can apply to us as well.

What’s to fear, you ask? Well, for many teens (and adults too!) there is a fear of becoming a true disciple of Christ – that really trying to live out our faith will be hard, or worse, make us some sort of outcast.

Oh sure, you can go through the motions – finish up your prep classes, do the service hours, say all the right things – and then, after you’re confirmed just live the life of a typical 21^st century teenager. But I hope you won’t do that. At the very least, I hope you won’t do that without seriously considering the alternative because that alternative may not be what you think it is. In fact, becoming and committing to be a disciple of Jesus will be the best thing you ever do in your life.

That may sound exaggerated – could it really matter that much? Yes! I’ve staked my life on it.

It all comes down to two facts. First, God loves you and me. Second, he loves us so much that he only wants the best for our lives. In other words, following Jesus – being his disciple – is the way for you to be truly happy. I realize that, at times, it seems following Jesus means following a lot of rules – rules that look like they’ll cut into your fun. Yes, there are rules, but all of them – all of them! – are in your best interest. Following them leads to a great life. Doing your own thing means you’ll settle for something a lot less. And, as you become a better disciple, you find that there’s a whole lot more to the Christian life than following rules. It is a life filled with joy not drudgery.

Some of this may seem strange or new to you because, while you believe God exists, it may be hard to believe that he’s interested in what you do each day. Trust me, he’s interested. You’re right in thinking that he doesn’t have to be – God doesn’t need you or me or any other human. But God is more interested in you – what you think and feel and do – than any person you know. God wants you on his team and once you’re there, you’ll find he’s a fantastic coach.

So, as you prepare for your confirmation, the first step is to not be afraid. Don’t fear what a serious life with Christ will bring; don’t fear what others might think; don’t fear losing things that won’t make you happy; don’t fear, period!

Will you do me a favor? Take a few minutes later today and spend it with Jesus. It doesn’t have to be anything formal or impressive. Just close your eyes, relax, picture Jesus in the room with you, and have a short, silent conversation. Tell him what’s going on and maybe, if you’re ready, ask him to help you to become a disciple.

I’ll be praying for you in the next few weeks. God has led me on a great journey that started in my high school years. He’s got an awesome life planned out for you too. Confirmation is a step on that road. Don’t be afraid!

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Kevin

“I’ve failed to put God first in my life.”

You won’t be the only person who has thought this. Perhaps it came to you during an examination of conscience. While you are to be congratulated for your honest evaluation, what will you do about it?

Most people can’t answer that question simply because the statement “I’ve failed to put God first” is too vague. A better way to approach this is to ask, “What would it look like for me to put God first in my life?” Would you have set times for prayer? Would attending Mass be something you’d choose over everything else? Would you take time each day to let God speak to you through the Bible?

It is critical that you come up with specific things. If not, you’ll be like thousands of people who, on January 1st say, “This is the year I’m going to get in shape.” That’s so vague as to be useless and because there’s nothing concrete in the goal, it will never happen. Consider, however, a goal like, “This year, I’ll go to the gym twice a week.” That’s wonderfully clear. When Saturday rolls around, you’ll be able to definitively say if you achieved your goal that week.

The same is true for our topic. “Putting God first” is vague. You need to come up with specific things to do and it will help to spend some time determining what you are currently placing before God. That may be the hardest task simply because the thing that’s occupying the first place in your life will be important to you. It may, in fact, be a perfectly fine thing that has slowly taken over your life. You would not be the first person, for example, to realize that your love of a particular sport has slowly pushed God aside.

Putting God first won’t happen easily. It will take prayerful thought to understand your current situation and more time to set specific goals. But keep in mind two things. First, this is worth the effort. God’s ways are always better than ours and will lead us to the abundant life Jesus promised his disciples (John 10:10). Second, you don’t have to do this all with your own strength. The Holy Spirit is in your life to help and empower you. That is critical for success.