TURN THE HEARTS OF FATHERS TOWARDS THEIR CHILDREN

PRAYER MOMENT                          

Tuesday 24 June 2014, St John the Baptist  

RENTURN THE HEARTS OF FATHERS TOWARDS THEIR CHILD

Pause. Be still in the presence of God.

Reading: “With the spirit and power of Elijah, he will go before him to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children and the disobedient back to wisdom.” (Luke 1:-17)

Reflection. Besides Jesus and Mary, John the Baptist is the only one who has his birthday celebrated. The gospels carry brief but powerful messages of his witness and we could choose for today this one about “turning the hearts.” It turns upside down the normal understanding of obedience – children towards parents. It basically says parents should be obedient to their children. The meaning is clear: parents have the task of handing on to their children the heritage they have received and John reminded his hearers in no uncertain terms what that was. An obvious modern instance is the environment. We are told the full effects of climate change will only hit people later this century – perhaps in eighty years’ time. Well, hardly any of us will be alive then so we needn’t worry. But our children and grandchildren will.  

Prayer. Lord, as we remember John, help us to think of our children and our children’s children. May we leave them the same beautiful planet that we inherited, or one that is even better. Amen..

David Harold-Barry SJ