MADE IN GOD'S IMAGE

Hello everyone

I hope you are well and at peace.

At the end of August I travelled to England to do a

talk at a youth conference for a group called Jesus

Youth. There were about 400 young people 

attending. I gave my testimony followed by a time

for questions. These were very deep and to me 

expressed what the young people were struggling

with, ranging from accepting themselves to 

sometimes feeling isolated and lonely.

In answer to self acceptance I would say that we 

have to start looking past our brokeness and

sinfulness to see the reality that God uses us in

our weaknesses for His glory. This is not to say

that we shouldn’t examine our conscience, but 

that we shouldn’t focus on where we get things 

wrong, but bring these things to God’s mercy.

As for feeling isolated, I think a lot of people old and

young, are deep down very lonely and are always

trying to be what other people want them to be in

order to win their friendship. But these relationships

have no grace as they are based on a lie. So it may

appear that we have many friends around us but the

reality is that no one truly knows us as we are never

real and never ourselves, hence this only adds to

our loneliness rather than relieving it. The opposite

is true when we are real and not wearing any masks,

that’s when we have deep friendships that are based

on truth, because our friends really know and 

understand us. The isolation is then automatically

taken away.

Next I travelled to Canvey Island to do a mission 

with a good friend of mine Fr Eamonn. He is 

someone who has great discernment and a lot

of experience when it comes to spiritual warfare.

It’s always a blessing to see the fruits of God 

working in the parish missions. Because we have

Mass, adoration, confession, the rosary and call

upon all the angels and saints of heaven, one 

priest said it is like us standing aside and 

allowing Jesus to do the mission.

My next stop was Los Angeles to give some talks.

While I was there I met my good friend Paul 

Kelmenson, the film producer who is still very

interested in making my first book into a film. Also

while I was there I had the joy to meet another 

friend of mine, James Pinedo who is a young

man who has stepped out in faith to make pro life

films. His first venture seems to be very exciting

and hopefully will be on the big screen very soon.

On returning to Ireland we ran a mission in the 

Divine mercy church in Lucan South. One of the 

things that touched my heart was seeing the primary

school kids come every night of the mission. They

seemed to be captivated by wanting to know Jesus

more. One little boy aged nine asked when we were

coming back because he didn’t want the mission to

stop. It reminded me that Jesus said  “Come to me 

as little children!”

I then caught a flight to Washington where I did a 

number of talks and a parish mission in Maryland

near Washington DC. I was in a parish where there

are amazing graces happening with the young 

people with great work going on in the local schools,

summer camps and various parish youth groups.

The have had a number of vocations to the 

priesthood and religious life and it was great to see

so many people, including the parish priest on fire

with the desire to bring the Gospel alive. In the high

school where I spoke to 700 students, 250 young 

people are receiving monthly spiritual direction,

which I thought was a brilliant idea and the fruits

of this were self evident. At the end of my time in

the parish it was wonderful to have 4 people of

different ages come up to me saying how the 

mission had changed their lives. It always amazes

me how God is so faithful and can use the most

broken of instruments, if we give Him permission!

People sometimes say to me that I am doing

so much good, but the truth is that it is God who is 

so good and it is a privilege to speak on His behalf.

May God bless you in his deep love

John Pridmore