Columban Jerry Lohera with children in the village using coloring materials based on Sunday‘s gospel reading. Photo: Fr. Jerry Lohera, SSC
Bewilderment and compassion are two dominant feelings when reflecting on the realities of our children here in Mother Mary Parish in the Southeastern part of Pakistan. Jesus‘ sermon on the Mount is particularly fitting for them. Deep inside, I protest the root cause of their dire situation, which I believe doesn‘t please God at all.
Recently, Pope Francis convened children from more than 100 countries for the first World Children‘s Day in Rome. The Pope emphasized our vital role in guiding our children in their faith journey, especially in the context of the world they need to understand and encounter today.
At the parish level, it is of great importance that there is a child-friendly environment that allows children to find joy and a sense of belonging primarily in the Church‘s sacramental and liturgical life, as well as crafting activities that may inspire and foster their involvement in the community. For the young Parkari Kohli community, journeying and forming children is crucial because they live in a country that has a strong influence of Islam and Hinduism in social relations and consciousness among others. Some of these influences are life-giving, such as being family-oriented, but others are dehumanizing, like religious discrimination and many other social issues.
Children are having fun while playing games as everyone cheers them on. Photo: Fr. Jerry Lohera, SSC
Due to poverty, many of our children have forgotten how to smile and it saddens me to see this happening. To bring some fun moments into their lives, our parish team and I bring coloring materials for the children based on Sunday‘s gospel reading, in the villages that we visit. Here in Pakistan, colour, especially bright ones, are a creative expression of life, beauty and ‘freedom‘. A child holding a crayon for the first time bursts with excitement to do the colouring with their favourite colour.
My challenging childhood was not very different from theirs, which is why I can see myself in them. Thanks to my father, who taught me many valuable things, including to dream big, to believe, to persevere and to have the ability to imagine.
These are the qualities our children in the villages lack. To shepherd them is a long journey - a road that is tough and less travelled, yet it is full of opportunities and creativity. Everything is possible when the entire community works and learns from each other to shepherd and guard our children through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who animates us.
At St. John Baptist Urdu Primary School, students, both Hindu and Christian, participate in the Nativity play. Photo: Fr. Jerry Lohera, SSC
Columban Jerry Lohera is from the Philippines and works in Pakistan
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