let your light shine!

I know I shouldn't be wasting my time on catholic forums...but I am!

I came across this very very sad discussion here.

A woman write about their Parish's Youth Director.
(in America all big parishes seem to have full-time paid and employed Youth Directors, whose entire job it is to organise youth activities and catechesis. There is basically *nothing* like that in your typical English parish.)


anyhoo, so this young unwed Youth Director is now pregnant by her boyfriend.


and the post is all about "what should happen?" and people debating the various benefits or disadvantages of asking her to leave her job etc.

This whole situation makes me very upset.

In a society in which young people are bombarded by messages of sex sex sex sex sex sex sex (and then more sex) , with the whole world saying "It's just not possible to be chaste", I think it this situation is simply tragic.

No doubt some of the (thousands) of young people in this Parish will look at the youth director as confirmation that the Church's teaching just are "good in theory, but don't work in practice."

If not even the woman who is in charge of teacing them about faith and moral can do it, then who can?!

"See? NOONE can actually live as the Church teaches!"

I'm not for one second judging her in any way. I know nothing of her situation and nor do I have any desire to speak badly about her in at all.

What makes me so sad is the potential effect this could have on so many young people at that crucial age, and crucial stage of life.

I know even myself when I was in my teens I used to get very very demoralised (to the point of crying) when I started to realise how many people had pre-marital sex.

I remember when I went to world youth day 2002 to Toronto with my diocese; at night in the girl's room lots of the girl's were talking about their sexual experiences, and I was so shocked.

I had just come back from 17 years living in Saudi Arabia; I never really had that much contact with big groups of young Catholics my age.
Here I was, at World Youth Day, seeing the Pope, expecting the Catholics to all be 'good'....and they were all talking about the sex they had had with their boyfriends!!

I myself was certainly no angel....but I didn't actually realise people my age went that far.


and then when my cousins all started having babies outside of wedlock and living with their boyfriends and girlfriends....I mean, I love my cousins in Italy. I think they are fantastic, but their life choices really affected me and demoralised me.

I remember in confession once when I was 17 blabbering through the tears to the Priest saying "So many people have sex before marriage, and I'm not better than they are, so maybe I will eventually do it to...but I don't want too!" waaaaa!

(yes, I know, messed up logic! everyone else does it, ergo I will eventually do it too even though it goes against my will.)

Thankfully though, when I was 18 I then met one really really good Catholic (thank you God for this girl in my life) and she was a real solid rock and an example to me that no, not 'everyone' does this, it is entirely possible not to.


I just say that to illustrate the huge impact that our choices and behaviours can have on others.

So when we make decisions I think it is important to be aware of the scandal that they could potentially cause to others.

Even with 'smaller' things though, like gossiping, sligtly twisting the truth, saying bad words...if people know you claim to be religious, but then see you doing such things, it could lead them astray.

I think that's what it means to be a light to the world; to be that example of goodness.
To use your life as an example that it is possible to do what God asks.

and yes, we do all fail. But that's okay too if you acknowledge it, repent, and then you can still use it as an example of what not to do, and how great God's mercy is and His adundant grace allowing you to change!

But yes, peraphs say a Hail Mary for the young people in that parish in America.
---