Homily for Tuesday of the 7th Week in Ordinary Time

Several years ago, I was privileged to attend a Youth Ministry conference in Colorado Springs. I vividly remember one of the workshops, where a fellow attendee made a profound comment about youth, referring to them as "the future of the Church." The presenter's response was even more impactful: "Young people are not just the future of the Church; they are a real part of the Church of the present as well." This resonated deeply with me, a sentiment we should all embrace. One day, it will be their duty to teach and carry on the faith long after we are gone.

It is with tender devotion, then, that the Church prepares our youth for their First Communion and (a few years later) for their Confirmation and their future role as teachers of the faith. In these sacraments, we welcome them into the Church and receive them into the family of faith. That welcoming children is important is clearly evident from today's Gospel passage. In it, Jesus identified Himself very closely with children; He went so far as to say, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me."

Our Gospel passage today suggests that somehow, it is in and through children that we can best encounter Jesus and His Father. Elsewhere, Jesus identifies Himself with the most vulnerable — the sick, the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the stranger, the imprisoned. Children, by definition, are among the most vulnerable; they are dependent on others for life in all its dimensions. Today's Gospel passage suggests that ministry to children and young people, whatever form it takes, is sacred; it is indeed holy ground.