Home Page
To Sunday Gospel Reflections Index

A few weeks ago, I had the great joy of gathering for an evening with nearly 800 high school students at our diocesan WorkCamp to hear confessions. It is always a highlight of the summer months. I am consistently impressed by the young people and their respect for the sacrament of penance, their genuine sorrow for their sins, their desire to be forgiven and the frequency with which many go to confession.

Today’s first reading speaks very beautifully about why we should approach this sacrament with confidence. It proclaims God’s bottomless mercy. Referring to God, the Book of Wisdom states: “But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency, and with much lenience you govern us; for power, whenever you will, attends you. And you taught your people, by these deeds, that those who are just must be kind; and you gave your children good ground for hope that you would permit repentance for their sins.”

In spite of God’s infinite power and might, he is also wonderfully merciful. He knows that we are broken and weak, and, as a loving father, he judges us with clemency. He fills us with hope by permitting repentance for our sins. We should make frequent use of the great sacrament of penance and live with a profound gratitude for God’s tender mercy.

Another inspiring element of that evening at WorkCamp is a period of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. It is quite a sight to gaze upon hundreds of high schoolers and adults in a high school gym on their knees, bowing before Jesus exposed in the Blessed Sacrament and offering up prayers and praise to God.

We all know that building up a strong prayer life is not easy. Prayer is an art that requires effort, practice, guidance and plenty of discipline. There are moments when it seems easy to pray. That may be the case for many at WorkCamp when so many others are praying, when you are in an environment filled with people who genuinely love God and when you have been practicing the art of prayer all week. But we all know that there are also moments when it is very hard to pray. We may be exhausted. We may be wondering where God is during a difficult moment in life. We may be distracted by an emergency or a critical deadline at school or work. However, remaining faithful to our prayer routines is extremely important.

Additionally, it is good to recall that God does not leave us alone with our own feeble efforts, even in this task of prayer.

God is committed to helping us pray well, especially when we are finding it hard to pray. “The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will.” (Rom 8:26-27) The Holy Spirit, our Advocate, intercedes for us, comes to us in our frailty and assists us in our prayer.

Lastly, it is deeply inspiring to be present, even for just one evening at WorkCamp because of the impact it is having on so many good folks from our diocese. Throughout this week, young people are growing deeply in their faith, celebrating their faith at daily Mass, building the gift of Christian community with their peers, and learning the importance of caring for the poor and the elderly in our diocese. It is a grace to see them coming back from a long day in the heat or rain after sharing their talents and resources with those in need by building handicap ramps, replacing roofs, upgrading bathrooms and replacing windows.

WorkCamp is a wonderful instance of the mysterious power of God to do great things in this world through those who are willing to surrender to him. It makes real the parable of the mustard seed. “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard see that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’ ” (Mt 13:31-32) Just think of the many seeds being planted in the hearts and souls of these young people, and how they will go forth and bear fruit for Christ and his kingdom for years to come.