Bishop urges students to prepare themselves for service

Bishop Michael Mulvey told students returning for the new school year that they should focus on preparing themselves to be leaders who will serve others. He said that they should concentrate on service not on self-gratifying notions of accumulating wealth and material goods.
 
The bishop led the students in a "Back to School Night of Adoration" at the Corpus Christi Cathedral on Wednesday, Aug. 20. In his homily, he also reminded the young students, teachers and parents that they should also pray for Christians in Iraq who are under attack for their faith.
 
"We are a counter culture people," Bishop Mulvey said, in reference to Catholic Christians. "Education is to serve others not to accumulate wealth and things."
 
The bishop reminded the students that while they were returning to school, Chaldean Catholic children in Iraq were running for their lives. They are not in school because they have been chased out of their homes because they refused to renounce their faith.
 
The need for service can be found close to home, as well, the bishop said. He alluded to the challenges faced by young immigrants just 100 miles away who are coming to our country in search for a better life and the racial divides unfolding nightly in Ferguson, Missouri.
 
"We who have so much must be prepared to help our brothers," Bishop Mulvey said.
 
He told students in attendance that they needed to become the future leaders in their faith and witness to their faith. "It's is easy to be insensitive to the needs of these children but we stand tonight as Catholic Christian leaders to pray for them."
 
"Keep in mind that you are not doing this for yourselves but to serve others. You are preparing to respond to what God wants to do with your life," Bishop Mulvey said.
 
The bishop advised the students to take three minutes everyday for complete silence so that God could speak to them. He told them that for those three minutes they should avoid headphones, computers, iPads, cell phones, texting and Facebook and just sit quietly.
 
"Don't ask for anything, just listen," the bishop said.
 
He told the students to study well, prepare themselves and listen to God.
 
After the homily, students prayed the Rosary and spent time in silent meditation.
 
On Tuesday, Aug. 26, Bishop Mulvey will celebrate a "Liturgy to Begin the School Year" at 10 a.m. in the Cathedral.