“Let no one have contempt for your youth but set an example for those who believe.” When I was younger, I used to think that my mission or my work for the Lord would be for when I was older. I thought, “I’m too young right now, I will be more of a passive or quiet member of the Church, and then, when I am older, the Lord will give me a mission or vocation or call, to live out in my life.” Sometimes, young people can feel it is not their place or time to be valuable witnesses to the faith and to work for the building up of Christ’s mission. I saw this as a high school teacher for many years. 

Today’s reading challenges this notion. St. Paul writes to his young disciple Timothy and encourages him to not let people shame him or silence him for his youth. Timothy has something to share with the community, real spiritual gifts and a real witness to the faith NOW and Paul challenges him to continue to do this in the face of difficulty or the disdain of others. The Scriptures and Christian history are full of examples of God calling young children and young adults to be powerful witnesses to the faith: Mary, David, Jeremiah, the children at Fatima, Joan of Arc, and the list goes on right up to our very day. 

Your youth is not an obstacle to evangelization and gospel witness, it is an opportunity. Think of all the people you meet daily in your family, your school, your activities, and how God is inviting you to give witness to them of your relationship with Jesus and his Church. God doesn’t wait to call you into mission for His Kingdom until you are older, He calls you NOW to be a humble and bold light to those you walk with. Like Timothy, you are called to set an example for those around you “for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers.” It is often fear or unworthiness that holds us back in our witness and causes us to live our faith in an underground way, perhaps Timothy was feeling some of this when St. Paul wrote to him. Fear of what others might think, or not being thought “cool” or not knowing what to say, or fear of failing. These fears can lurk in our heart and tempt us into silence. Today’s readings challenge us to pray about how God is inviting us to witness NOW in our youth, and what fears might hold us back from this. 

"Thank you, Lord."

"Strengthen me."

​"Send me."

Today, be bold and humble. No matter what age you are, be a witness to God to others. Be like Christ in your actions and your words and have confidence in the grace and skills He has given you to be His witness.  

Use the following meditation to help you reflect more deeply on the Scripture (you may want to read the passage again).
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I remember, as a young teen, one of the first times that my parents trusted me to stay at home alone and "babysit" my younger sister. It was a BIG deal, and I felt SO "adult" at the time. My parents trusted us to know how to behave while they were gone for a couple of hours, much like St. Paul writes in today's first reading. However, my mother can still tell you, in detail, how the night quickly devolved. Long story short, it may or may not have ended with my sister calling my mom in tears because she had bright red five-star on her back... Needless to say, I was in some trouble after that night and definitely needed to go to Confession...

There was definitely some trust broken that night. My parents had given me some great responsibility in their household that night. How much more so has the Lord entrusted to us our time here on earth and in his household (the Church) for us to use that time well and behave in a way that glorifies him. When we misbehave, the writing is on the wall (well really on our soul). 

I think sometimes we can sneak our sins past God, that maybe he won't notice, but the mark sin leaves on our souls is just as visible and known to God as a bright red five-star. The responsibility of Christian living is not one to be taken lightly or treated flippantly. The Church, "the pillar and foundation of truth," is meant to be the home where we find rest and guidance. The mysteries that we proclaim are not meant to merely be spoken but to animate our very souls. 

Sometimes this means reexamining the way we are living. Even if we don't feel God's presence, that isn't an excuse to give up on living out Christian virtue or act like rebels without a cause. While none of us are perfect and all of us fall short, we must constantly resolve to stand back up and start again, until the day when we come face to face with the Lord.

These questions are to be used to talk to God; have a conversation with the Lord about these questions and what is going on in your heart as you pray today.

How have I been living lately?

Are they any behaviors, sins, or things I need to change about the way I am living?

How has the Church guided me and how am I helping take care of the Church and her members?

In this step, you listen. Stop talking, let God speak to your heart. You may repeat one of these short phrases to focus your mind on the Lord.
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"You see me."

"You know me."

​"I return to you."

In light of today's reading and your time spent in prayer with the Lord, what concrete action or actions will you take to let this encounter with the Lord bear fruit in you today?
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Take sometime to examine how you are living today. Christ already knows everything, so do not be afraid to return to him and begin again.