Can you imagine if you were never taught about God as a child. Never taught to pray before going to bed. Never brought to Mass. Never had the opportunity to be instructed in your faith, to receive Jesus in First Communion….
Children like this are deprived, without knowing it! Deprived of knowing God’s love and grace! Deprived of so much!
Some of these children are from otherwise decent families, and some may be from immoral or dysfunctional families. Whatever their family background, they are deprived, nevertheless, of knowing and loving Jesus!
We meet these children so often. There are so many children like this. How this must sadden the Heart of Jesus. Does this touch your heart, too?
These are the children our community was founded for, they and their families. They need to be found and to be taught about Jesus, and their families helped to live the faith. This is the work of the Good Shepherd, who came “for the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Children are part of the flock of lost sheep! How they must tug at His heart! Children growing up without God, perhaps being taught all kinds of wrongdoing. Children who should be pure and loving, prayerful and kind.
Then there are the families and children who “just go through the motions” of being Catholic. They need to be helped to a faith that is living and loving and active!
Parish Visitors have been seeking the lost, instructing them in the faith, and guiding youth since our foundation, and the need is greater and greater, as you can imagine. Our contemplative prayer life–a life of deep prayer and recollection centered on the Eucharist–gives us the grace to be instruments of the Good Shepherd. A joyful community life further sustains us as we go out in His name.
Wouldn’t you like to come and do this with us?
Jesus calls, “Come follow me.” He looks with love and calls, hoping for a “yes.” He longs for a “yes” to His call—a loving, generous “yes,” or even a hesitant, scared, but sincere “yes.”
He calls ordinary people. If He only called saintly people, there would be very few to call! The apostles were very ordinary, and they became saints after a life of following Jesus.
Pray, pray much and sincerely, to know what God is asking of you! God bless you!
In Jesus,
Sister Dolores Marie