As a college professor, I confess an enormous amount of ignorance about what is happening with kids who range in age from 11 to 13 today. My research suggested that questioning the value of religious practices begins during these adolescent years. Likewise, dangerous activities are also on the rise such as cyberbullying and sexting, both of which are immoral and illegal. I alerted the administrators that I would be placing a great deal of emphasis on the need to finish high school, obtain a legitimate paying job, and wait until marriage before having children. I chose not to broach the subjects of alcohol or weapons but I will happily cross those bridges if I am invited back.
Since my talks occurred just as classes were resuming after the Christmas break, it came as no surprise that television commercials and store shelves were already brimming with Valentine ads and heart-shaped gifts. In fact, it was the aisles and aisles of red velvet hearts that reminded me of the biblical verse: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be (Matthew 6:19-21).”
What treasures are we storing up for ourselves these days and are they the Christ-like values that we want our hearts to be? Do we treasure people or power, wisdom or wealth, abundance or beauty? In our list of Valentine loves, where does the name of God appear or the face of a neighbor or the image of an enemy?
Holy Homework:
Since the human heart has four chambers, let’s use a red marker to write on a heart-shaped paper the four treasures that are dearest to us. Let’s place this Valentine where we can see it every day during the month of February so we can decide as we move toward Lent whether we need a change of treasure and a change of heart.
Comments can be sent to FatherBobPagliari@Yahoo.com.