IPOH: Family time and how adults can make a difference in the faith of young people were the key points of the preached novena Masses at Our Mother of Perpetual Help Church June 19-20. The inspiring and powerful homilies preached by Fr Paul Kee CSsR and Fr Glenn de Cruz, CSsR, invited the congregation to look deeply into their own families and how they make or made an impact on the young people in their lives.

Recalling how he first found his interest in the priesthood while still a young boy of five, Fr Kee said as a young boy, he connected church with incense, Christmas carols, the singing of the exultet and candlelit processions, whenever his sister brought him to church. She was the one who made him go to confession before Mass and impressed upon him the importance of being connected to God. “I used to play-act being a priest. But what struck me most was that (like most people) it was fear that made me go to confessions, as my image of God was different.

But as I got to know this wonderful God of love, my perception changed. “If we accept that Jesus came to build the kingdom of God here on earth, then we will not be so afraid or preoccupied with the afterlife. The importance of this is that we tend to focus too much on the requirements to get into heaven, to earn “brownie points”. If we do this, we begin to be less concerned about the present and how we affect others through acts of commission or omission,” he pointed out.

“We begin to be concerned about the future and not the present,” he added. He hoped that as families, the people would be more open about discussing issues, and would have more time for each other. “My childhood experiences had a powerful impact on my faithlife. Faith is what you do to connect with life and with people. It’s a horizontal dimension and not so much about earning points to get to heaven.

Family time is not about the past but the present,” he said. Fr Glenn stressed on three points, namely, to see what part family played in faith formation, how the image of God changed over the years, and how we came to be here now in our faith life. In telling his own story of how he became drawn to priesthood, Fr Glen showed that adults can certainly help young people, by inspiring and instructing them in a number of ways, and just by being “there” for them.

This is especially so when a boy or girl is at a crossroad, deciding which way to go in his or her faith and when a knowledgeable and insightful adult gives the support and encouragement needed. It can spark a turning point in that young person’s life. “My grandmother and mother were the ones who played a large role in my faith formation. My image of God was a God of terror, and a judge to be feared. “As my understanding of God changed, it dawned on me that he is a God of love and compassion.

“The seed of faith planted in me, by my grandmother and mother, made me think of joining the priesthood, as I wanted to make a difference in the lives of others. “Since I loved animals and ecology, I even worked in a zoo, once, before joining the Redemptorists. “But it was my grandmother and mother sharing their faith life with me, that makes me thankful for having them in my life, and here I am today sharing my faith with you,” he said.