As I approach 9 months as a priest, I realize the statement, "The children are our Future," is a statement that needs to be modified. I believe the children are our future, but also a glimpse into our past, and a beacon of light on our present. At St. Ann I have ample opportunities to be present to the youth of my community. It is such a joy, from the small child that hugs you around your ankles and knees to the limitless energy of a teenager playing ball. I have the children to truly remind me of my own childhood growing up. They challenge me to really enter into their own particular perspective on the world. I believe children help us focus on what is really important.
With regard to children giving glimpses of our past, I have found that children remind me of a time less complicated in which love, affection, and security were abundant. They remind me of not only the joys but also the struggles that a child goes through as they pass from one stage of development to another. Above all, they remind me of where I have come from so that I may better know where I am going.
With regard to children being a beacon of light upon the present, when I see the awe and wonder in the eyes of child it makes me think, "Am I missing something?" The truth is, most of the time, we are. We miss the awesome wonder that is creation and this world that we live in. We miss the amazing gift that is sweet smell of bacon in the morning, the feel of a gentle breeze, the warmth of a sunny day, or the vastness of space.
I do believe children are our future, but also our past and present. Above all, children are the most precious gift that God gives to us.
Father Paul Lambert
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