Welcome to our "take Jesus at his word" reflections. This project was initated by Fr Meinolf Wacker of Paderborn, Germany. These cards are sent out, all over the world, and young people gather in small groups to reflect on the meaning in thier lives.

Sandhurst has a special link with Paderborn, and as well as inviting about 300 young people to our diocese before WYD, we are encouraging all registered pilgrims to reflect on scripture.  Through this program, reflecting the same way our German family do,  we hope to forge greater links between our young people in the two dioceses.

Fr Meinolf's reflection is below...

Dear friends of the word!

How often did I stand in the garden of my parental house and waited impatiently. I had split up a little patch for me with a little fence and planted some different corn and fruits there. And then I had to learn to wait. Every morning before school I went to “my garden” to look for some tenderly plants coming up. And what a joy in my heart when finally – usually after a warm heavy shower – the earth brought up the first plant.

Often word are like thoseeds. They are laid down in the bottom of our lives to sprout and to change in the concealed of our hearts. But it needs the ability to treasure these words and to give them space and time so that they can grow and fulfil its purpose. As a young boy if I had turned over the earth again and again to look for some fruits coming up, they wouldn’t had been opened to live. Just like that it is with the words. Both with the spoken words of the people both the words of Jesus. If they are spoken to us ones and had been touching our hearts, then we have to give them the time and space so that they can open up and they can achive something. We often cannot understand so many things – but we can let it happen.

Maria had to experience so many unexpected things. Jesus was born, in a stable. Angels from heaven had spoken indicating words and sheperds and kings had come and had brought their honor to The Child. She didn’t understand. But she did let happen and treasured and pondered everything in her heart and thought about it. With this position she gave space to the things God wanted to be happened. And she thought about it again to understand the things from inside. Her position was not to want to understand but to recognize the things with the eyes of God.

Dear friends of the word, facing our lives God calles us to come into this position. He gives every single one of us so many experiences, some happy and some sad. He gives them to us as our lives. And this life – with all these pieces of experiences – we have to bring to God, to move them infront of Him, to let HIS impress shine on in it. And to the same position JESUS invites us in HIS WORDS. We can also move them infront of God until they reach the depth of our hearts and you can feel the spark of God in them. God speaks to us thru His words – but they often have an impress like “medication with long-term effect”, we don’t feel their effect immediately. Slowly they bring up they power to change.

After a few years I met a woman. She had often been to our house. I remembered. Coutiously and with lots of sorrows she had often stand infront of me. Now she stand there with bright eyes full of power and with two little children at her hands. “Do you remember how often you encouraged me with your words ‘give and you will be given!’ Someday I started to live these words. These words have become a anchor to me. I sticked to them. It changed my life!” Let us give the words of God a new chance to develop in ourselves at this month. Let us give them time and space. It is not in our hands to say when it is harvest time.

 For the OnWord-Team                Meinolf Wacker