Passion

Today is the Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, so I did some research and reading in an effort to get to know him better. He lived in the first and second centuries A.D. - a long time ago when the world was a very different place.

In a time when the Church was very young, he was zealous not only about learning the lessons that Jesus tried to teach, but about sharing this good news with others. I always find it a worthwhile endeavor to read some the texts of the early Church. It seems that our world today has lost much of the lustre and passion that these people had - at least the ones who were educated enough to know how to write, and took the time to write about their discoveries, musings and puzzlings.

Don't get me wrong. There are lots of people who, even today, thirst for some sense of the spiritual in their lives, even though they may not call it that. The problem is that not too many people seem to have the answers to our many questions, and those who do find confusing ways at times to convey the message. When all is said and done, the questions posed in the depth of our hearts today are not that different from people who lived in the first and second centuries A.D.

We all want to be loved, but unfortunately, life these days seems so complicated for some that love can seem illusive at best. We all want to be accepted and to find a place where we are welcome, but for some, there are more often closed doors than there are open ones. We all want to find something useful to do with our lives, and we all want to know that our lives make a difference, but all too often, we get sidetracked by the adventures and mis-adventures of youth, or the misguided twists and turns that our lives sometimes take, and are left wondering ... and wandering in our search.

Now more than ever, people need to find heroes who can inspire us. These are people who can model for us what it's like to live life the right way, to find the answers to the questions that we sometimes don't even have words to ask, to discover the truth about love that is unfailing, a road along which we can discover the truth about all we are meant to be, and some companions who are willing to walk the road with us.

Some of the modern-day heroes who might have something worthwhile to say on this score are people like the Servant of God, John Paul II, who never shied away from the difficult questions of life. His discourses with the young were meant to inspire, and inspire they did. Some of these discourses are still available on the Vatican website and in other places.

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frasatti is another example for those who are searching. This past July, as part of the celebration of World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia, a special exhibition was set up to teach young people about this special young man. There was also a display explaining the life and work of Blessed Mary McKillop, Australia's native daughter.

Even today, there are people all round us who are inspirations to us, 'heroes' if you will. Who are the people that inspire you to discover your passion?