A treasured faith, loved and retained

It never ceases to amaze me, the ever gentle and loyal presence of our ‘Senior Citizens’ who duly grace our churches for the Sunday Mass; not to mention weekdays too! And in this age of loose morals and materialism, their ever support, strength, sureness,

Br Marty sm

It never ceases to amaze me, the ever gentle and loyal presence of our ‘Senior Citizens’ who duly grace our churches for the Sunday Mass; not to mention weekdays too! And in this age of loose morals and materialism, their ever support, strength, sureness, solidarity and due insight, surpasses the dreams and vision of the – ‘Faith of our Fathers’.

Society’s laissez faire attitudes also … are not citadels that we should cling to, yet with all of this our ‘Senior Citizens’ continue to support our very priceless Catholic Faith.

The Third Order of Mary and the Catholic Women’s League along with the St Vincent de Paul Society, harbour a wealthy storehouse of generosity and commitment. Added to all of this, is the respect and kindness manifested to the clergy and dwindling number of religious here in New Zealand.

And yet … our precious ‘Senior Citizens’ still continue to support those all important School Gala Days, along with family-sustained preparation for first Holy Communion and Confirmation.

If that’s not enough, there are the dedicated Ministers of the Sacred Eucharist and visitation to the shut ins. It never lets up. It continues to flourish and ferment, like a yeast in the rising bread.

And so … I ask myself (at times) “What legacy and due mandate is left for the next generation – coming on?” Today’s youth and the working housewife, are committed to secondary employment and the intoxicating lure of sport, with the added opium of a plethora of dollars.

Thus in this mad scramble to attain 21st century technology and to text endless messages, sadly leaves a large gap in the call to assist at Mass and support our Catholic Church…!

We as an older generation should never tire or give up hope, as the Master Himself, has promised us a Utopia beyond our wildest dreams. Thus somehow we have to be the signposts, the illumination in a certain direction. These things being said, the question invariably surfaces: ‘How exactly do we go about doing this? How do we continue…?’

At times and over a cuppa and cookies at the end of Mass, there is the opportunity to rub shoulders with the younger generation, and share the week’s events even if it’s the latest All Blacks game or progress at school and college with pending exams.

Perhaps as the older ones, we should invite them to share in our prayer even if it’s the Rosary. The very Master Himself informs us in no uncertain terms that the prayers of the adolescents are taken very seriously as … it’s so often their very sincerity, that emerges. Too true!

That the first panache, elan and fervour of the coming generation is sadly lost after their First Communion and Confirmation is not exactly our fault; after all parents and teachers have, without stint, laboured to prepare our youth for the real meaning and grace of the sacraments.

Thus we can only plough on, with due hope and trust in the Divine Master, in that we have only undertaken our best, leaving a trusting legacy and sense of direction for those who shall come after us.

Our Catholic Faith is very sacred and a priceless cache, that is, at times, to be a bulwark against Satan, and the inevitable evil that stalks our planet earth. We must attend Mass as regularly as possible with our hope and trust, placed in unending prayer.

At dusk their beads were told without fuss

A call from Mary, to heed a call ‘n pray.

Tired sinews squat on varnished pews,

My anima is soothed and steered true.

The Mass and sacraments our only true hope,

A clarion call that he gave and spoke.