St Carlo Acutis message to young people, “everyone is born as an original but many people end up dying as a photocopy.  You are called to be greater than that,”.

September 24.   Heritage day.  CHILDREN DESERVE A FUTURE. (From Becoming Eco-Friendly Families)    The sodality leader stated, “The attitude and place of children – or let me say offspring – changes from time to time in Our World, a Family of Families. Who can remember the time, not too long ago, when  “children should be seen and not heard” as they were considered to have little intrinsic value. They were offspring to secure the future of the family or species.  With greater awareness of their value, the attitude became, “children should be seen and not hurt.” Child abuse by adults, who are likely known to them, is a very serious offence today, although historically it has been a reality, possibly even in Jesus’ day. Nowadays the trend is becoming to put children first. The consumer market is certainly very child-conscious. The SA Children’s Act states that a child’s interest should always be paramount in the case of any legal or social dispute. How can families best respond?”  

The Season of Creation promotes the worldview that future generations of people and of every creature, animals and plants too, have to be assured of a future for the world to continue existing in its present form.  It is also important that children, youth, the poor and all disadvantaged people, should be involved in processes to preserve the world for the future and make it a better place. If we ask the young, some may feel anxious, concerned, depressed or disinterested, while others are extremely keen to become active participants. Maybe a majority of young people are fairly alienated, seeing environmental issues as a school subject, or a nuisance if it impacts on their time and use of their digital devices, rather than a very relevant life reality for us all.   It is up to us, families as a whole, to listen to each one, to motivate and agitate for the future of our children. Will AI be on our side? 

Reflect, share, act. Scripture:  Certain books of Scripture express hope, others express depression and hopelessness as these were and still are also the life experiences of humankind. The book of Ecclesiastes states, “Vanity of vanities. All is vanity. What does man gain by all that toil at which he toils under the sun? A generation goes and a generation comes., but the earth remains for ever. There is nothing new under the sun. The sun rises and the sun goes down and hastens to the place where it rises.   Ecclesiastes 1:3-5.   Pope Francis: The notion of the common good also extends to future generations. The global economic crises have made painfully obvious the detrimental effects of disregarding our common destiny, which cannot exclude those who come after us. We can no longer speak of sustainable development apart from intergenerational solidarity. Once we start to think about the kind of world we are leaving to future generations, we look at things differently; we realize that the world is a gift which we have freely received and must share with others.  LS 159.  Eco-tip.  Consider and share with youth the story of a young saint Carlo Acutis, a devout boy dedicated to the Eucharist, who was born in 1991,  diagnosed with leukemia and died aged 15 in 2006.  As a talented web designer he created websites of Eucharistic miracles. He offered his illness and suffering to God, always remaining cheerful. His message to other youth, “everyone is born as an original but many people end up dying as a photocopy.  You are called to be greater than that, so ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to never end up as a photocopy.” 

DAILY FAMILY PRAYER from Season of Creation 2026.  May God our Father, who brought water from a rock, sustain us in the desert. May Christ our Lord, who is Living Water, refresh us for the work of restoration.  May the Holy Spirit carry us on currents of grace until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Amen. St Francis guide and inspire us on our way.