Bishop has a teaching moment

Intermountain Catholic

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Bishop John C. Wester answers questions about himself and the Cathedral of the Madeleine following the annual eighth grade Mass for eighth-graders throughout the Diocese of Salt Lake City.

SALT LAKE CITY — The bishop had an opportunity to teach the eighth-grade students at the annual eighth grade Mass and they had chance to get to know him.

The Most Rev. John C. Wester, bishop of Salt Lake City, celebrated the Mass for eighth-grade students in the Catholic schools in the Diocese of Salt Lake City at the Cathedral of the Madeleine Oct. 27.

The eighth-graders are school leaders, he said, adding that it was good it was the Mass of vocations because Jesus Christ is calling each student by name.

"Although most of you will be called to married life, some of you may be called to the priesthood or religious life," Bishop Wester said. "I’m offering this Mass that you will be generous in responding to that call."

In his homily Bishop Wester said the readings tell us to go out and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to all people, and the good news is that God loves all of us. Sometimes we exclude certain people and include other people either at school or at home, said Bishop Wester. "Adults do the same thing, we distinguish between ourselves. It’s a way of saying these people are accepted; these people are not. So as human beings we try to be accepted."

Students run risks by trying to be included by following trends, playing sports, or talking with the "in" language, he said. The students agreed, saying it changes the way they act and who they are.

"I want to be accepted for who I am, not for who I can pretend to be," Bishop Wester said. "That’s the good news of the Gospel today. Jesus is saying to us that God loves each of us as we are. If you speak in Greek or Latin, you’re tall or short, thin or fat, smart or not so smart, if you’re good in sports or not; it’s OK, I love you just as you are. You don’t have to do all these things to be accepted."

There is a catch, the bishop said. "He wants us to love everyone else the same way and to reach out to others the way he reaches out to us," he said.

The bishop encouraged the students not to judge others but to invite those who are being left out to join them; to invite them to sit with them at lunch. He said the sad thing in our society and our world today is that so many people suffer because of rejection.

He referred to many young people committing suicide now because they feel poorly about themselves and make poor choices because they feel they are not worth anything.

"The sad thing is we may have the power to change that and we let it exist," said Bishop Wester. "The way to proclaim the good news is to accept each other and love each other."

In response to questions following Mass, Bishop Wester said he was about 12 years old when he knew he wanted to become a priest. He was ordained a priest in 1976, and ordained an auxiliary bishop in 1998.