Patient trust

By Steven Polley

Director, Offices of Youth Ministry and Religious Education

I am sure that most everyone realizes that these columns are written about one week prior to the readers seeing them. So here I am toward the end of the first week of Easter writing this column, and you are reading this on the third Sunday of Easter.

I must be honest; as I write this, I am dealing with a little anger, but maybe more frustration and stress. You see, this upcoming weekend, April 2-3, is our annual high school youth rally. As I have progressed through the weeks and months of preparation leading up to the rally, many hours have been devoted to getting ready for this weekend. And as I write this, there are only a little more than 60 young people registered for this rally. Now granted, two of our parishes have the Sacrament of Confirmation scheduled for this weekend, and I know that two or three of our communities have prom. So this explains why some of our parishes have not had anyone register for the rally. But, as I reflect on this I ask myself a question: When we have 49 parishes in our diocese, and representation for the rally from only 15 of these parishes, where are the other 35?

I know that I am being very blunt, and I know that our young people as well as our adults are very busy. In no way do I want to offend anyone. But I would like to offer this as a challenge or at least something to ponder. As the Diocesan Youth Minister, I remain committed to ministering to our youth and to offer programs, activities and ways for each young person to deepen their relationship with our risen Lord. So for myself, part of this challenge is to look at why the number of youth attending the rally is so low. Why do the majority of our parishes not respond in any way to what the diocese is offering our young people? I ask you then to ponder this. Feel free to offer me suggestions, opinions or ideas as to how we can better meet the needs of our busy youth. I believe very strongly that this is part of our baptismal call. As we celebrate this most joyous season and are drawn more deeply into our baptism, how can we respond to these concerns and to these needs?

I believe that my greatest challenge is to patiently wait. Maybe God is simply telling me, "Steven, not yet." I don’t know, but I have to continue to trust. During the recent TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) weekend, I was drawn to a prayer that my mother gave me at one time in my life, when I probably needed it the most. As I have prepared for this rally, this prayer seems to have been a foundation for my efforts. It was written by Pierre Tielhard de Chardin, SJ, and it is entitled, "Patient Trust in Ourselves and the Slow Work of God." I leave you with this prayer and invite you to ponder, and look toward the second part of this column in the next issue. Set your eyes on, "Help Them Feel Loved!"

"Patient Trust…"

Above all, trust in the slow work of God. We are, quite naturally, impatient in everything to reach the end without delay. We should like to skip the intermediate stages. We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new. And yet it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some stages of instability – And that it may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you. Your ideas mature gradually – let them grow, let them shape themselves, without undue haste. Don’t try to force them on, as though you could be today what time (that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will) will make you tomorrow.

Only God could say what this new spirit gradually forming within you will be. Give our Lord the benefit of believing that his hand is leading you, and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.