UNIVERSAL CHILDRENS DAY
Luke, Chapter 19,
Verse 20-21
20 Then the other
servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it stored away in a
handkerchief, 21 for I was afraid of you, because
you are a demanding person; you take up what you did not lay down and you
harvest what you did not plant.’
When I read this verse; I thought of Mathew Kelly’s
writing from his book, “Rediscovering Catholicism.” Kelly speaks about the
various attitudes and philosophies which shape and define the mindset of the
modern secular world. He identifies three key lifestyles: individualism,
hedonism and minimalism.
First, what’s
individualism? Individualism
is an attitude whereby I come to see myself as the center of the universe. The
individualist will typically go through the course of his or her day asking
himself or herself one question: “What’s in it for me?”
Secondly, what’s
hedonism?
Essentially, it is an attitude whereby I come to see the pursuit of my own
personal pleasure as my primary concern in life. The hedonist will typically
ask himself or herself this question: “How
can I maximize the amount of pleasure in my life while minimizing the amount of
pain and inconvenience which I must endure?”
Thirdly, what is
minimalism? This
is an attitude whereby I look to put in the minimum amount of effort that I
possibly can into life, while reaping the maximum amount of reward. The
minimalist will typically ask himself or herself questions such as these:
·
“What’s the least amount I can possibly
do at the workplace and still keep my job?” Or perhaps:
·
“What’s the least amount I can possibly
do at school and still get a good grade?”
There are many people in the world today who might
“self-identify” as being “Christian”, if not “Catholic”, who are still giving
their hearts very much to the so-called “spirit
of the world”;
whether we’re talking about the spirit of individualism, hedonism or
minimalism. For instance, we can say that there are many Catholics in the world
who go to Mass, say their prayers, and perhaps even occasionally eat fish on
Fridays – who still govern most of their conduct by asking themselves this one
simple question: “What’s in it for me?” Many of these
people might still be very “kind” and “generous” to certain persons that they
happen to know. Who isn’t from time to time? But perhaps, this sense of
“kindness” and “generosity” is still governed by a pervasive sense of
selfishness and self-interest. In other words: “I’ll be kind to you, but only
insofar as you’re being kind back onto me!” And what is that but the spirit of
individualism. Let’s take a different example. Again, we can say that there are
many Catholics in the world today who go to Mass, say their prayers, and
perhaps belong to certain religious clubs or organizations who still govern the
bulk of their conduct by asking: “How can I get through the course of my day
while incurring the least amount of pain or inconvenience to myself?” Many of these people might still
be saying their prayers, perhaps even every day, but what’s often the real substance behind
these prayers? “O Lord give me the things that I want, the things that I
desire, the things that I believe to be essential to my own sense of happiness
and well-being. But Lord, whatever you do: do not make me suffer, do not give me
inconvenience, and do not give me pain! In other words, do not give me the
Cross!” And
that is the spirit of hedonism: the relentless and almost single-minded pursuit
of one’s own personal pleasure as one’s ultimate concern. This takes us to our
third example. Again, there are many Catholics in the world who go to church,
go to confession, and even follow the Commandments who still perhaps ask
themselves this question repeatedly: “How can I get myself into the kingdom of
heaven, while putting the least amount of effort into my relationship with God?” These people might try their very
best to avoid all sorts of serious sin. But, as we know from personal
experience, there is a huge difference between simply trying to avoid “serious sin”, and actually trying our very best
to please the Lord in all things, especially in those little details which
perhaps no one else would ever notice, except Christ Himself! But that’s really
the difference between being a “lukewarm Catholic” (or a “minimalist”) and
being a true disciple of the Lord.[1]
Universal Children's Day aims to create a day of international fraternity and understanding between children all over the globe. The holiday's secondary purpose is to promote the objectives and ideals of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child through activities and awareness. Children are the future of the planet, but they are a vulnerable group exposed to abuse and exploitation on a daily basis. As young dependents, children rely on adults for everything from food to shelter to education and it is imperative that their rights be heard if they are to survive and develop into the next generation of world citizens. Universal Children's Day was declared on in 1954 by the United Nations General Assembly as a day to be celebrated on November 20, the anniversaries of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, both of which protect the human rights of children.
Universal Children's Day Facts
& Quotes
·
The
UN General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the
Child in November 1989. The United States drafted and signed the treaty;
however, it is currently the only member county that has not ratified it,
meaning that the US is not legally bound by the Convention. Ratifying the
treaty would go against certain laws currently in place in the US, most
notably, the treaty forbids life imprisonment without parole for children under
18.
·
According
to UNICEF, 22,000 children die every day as a result of poverty, often due to
preventable diseases such as diarrhea and pneumonia.
·
As
of 2013, 21.8 million children worldwide in their first year of life had not
received adequate vaccine doses against diseases such as tetanus, diphtheria
and pertussis.
·
The
poor are hungry and their hunger traps them in poverty. - The World Food
Programme
·
What
is at stake is nothing less than the survival and well-being of a generation of
innocents. - Antonia Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Universal Children's Day Top Events
and Things to Do
·
Read
the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of
the Child to learn more about how these treaties can impact your community.
·
Spend
the day playing with your children, your nieces and nephews, your grandchildren
or other children that you know. Take them to the beach, a playground, a movie,
or any other outing of their choosing.
·
Donate
your time to American organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
or UNICEF that constantly need volunteers to organize and execute activities
for children in needy communities.
·
Watch
a movie that touches on children's rights. Our picks are In This World (2012),
Arna's Children (2002) and Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Daily Devotions
No comments:
Post a Comment