Image is Everything

It's no secret to you parents that our teens are bombarded with ads that are designed to tell them one thing: you're not good enough as you are. The media sells things to us by telling us how empty we are without this item or how ugly we are without that product. For young people the pressure to be someone other than you are is constant and powerful.

Our life night on Sunday was all about exploring our inherent worth as Creatures of God. Christ reminds us in the 6th chapter of Matthew that our Father cares for the intimate needs of even the birds and flowers, as they are His precious creation. But we are not just creatures, like trees or insects, but Children of God.

Not only has God created us exactly the way He wanted us to be, but He created us in His image and likeness. Jesus, who perfectly embodies humanity's connection with God, shows us that we are not what the world of ads and politics tells us, which is somehow lacking. Instead, we are made to be heirs of an infinitely loving God. This inheritance is God's intention in designing and creating us, both as a group and as individuals.

While spending time in the presence of Christ available in the exposed Eucharist, our teens were invited to admit to Jesus how deficient they are made to feel. We all, including members of the Core Team, felt the reassuring presence of the Holy Spirit in Our Lady's Chapel Sunday night. The Spirit told each of us that we are destined for perfection, if only we would accept God's image displayed to all humanity: Jesus Christ.

The Bible and our faith in Christ affirm the cliché; image is everything! It's knowing whose image to put on that makes the difference.