Spirit Led (01/19/2024)

Wednesday evening faith formation sessions are usually a bit hectic with youth arriving and visiting, me trying to take attendance and hand out books, etc. We were missing students, so I waited five extra minutes then decided it was time to begin. I told the students to open their books to a particular page. That’s when the lass in the front row looked at me and questioned, “Aren’t you going to begin with prayer?” I smiled, uttered a silent, “Thank you, LORD,” and announced, “Indeed, we are going to start with prayer.” And I knew it was going to go well; the Spirit was with us.

This year, I have really tried to stress with the youth that everything we do needs to start with prayer. We also end the classes with prayer, asking for the LORD’s blessing upon each student by name and raising any needs we or those we love have to the LORD. The students at first were squirmy during prayer; now they not only are comfortable in it; they are uncomfortable beginning without it. We have come a long way.

Our journey of faith, hope and love is in, with and through the LORD. It’s no ordinary journey. We on the way recognize our dependence upon the LORD. And so, prayer marks our beginnings. We begin our days, our trips, our work with prayer, seeking the Spirit’s guidance and graces. And through the prayer, we find ourselves opening ourselves to the LORD and that which the LORD provides. Prayer isn’t a “nice touch” to our day; prayer, we recognize, is an “essential”.

And so, when the lass in the front row stopped me asking about prayer, I must admit, my heart leapt in gladness and my face lit with joy. I understood the joy of the shepherd in finding the lost sheep, the woman in finding the lost coin, the merchant in finding the pearl of great price. Her question and the expression on the faces of the other students that suggested they too wanted to “do this right” warmed my heart deeply.

Our youth are one of the LORD’s gifts to us. I pray that we will help them find their way to the LORD and, through that relationship, to a better knowledge of themselves and others. I pray that we will guide them through prayer and to prayer. And lastly, I pray that we will recognize within them the Spirit at work.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.