Pontifical Mission for Palestine

The Pontifical Mission for Palestine is working with seven Christian schools in East Jerusalem and the Old City to provide careers guidance for 270 young people in the tenth grade. In the region’s difficult social and political situation, teenagers can lose hope and motivation – this guidance will help them understand their strengths and plan for a successful future.

The poverty rate among Palestinians in East Jerusalem is high (61%) and the school drop-out rate is correspondingly high (33% of students fail to complete 12 years of schooling). For those that do graduate from school, a lack of careers counselling at school mean that many underestimate their potential and don’t understand the needs of the local job market. Many school graduates end up dropping out of university courses or opting to join the labour force in low-paid jobs.

Providing careers guidance to young people is a simple but effective way to counter these negative trends. Each of the 270 students will receive 10 hours of training that focuses on building personal skills, identifying personal interests and abilities, and matching those abilities to a specific career.

Bible reading

‘Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
    your vindication like the noonday sun.

Be still before the Lord
    and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
    when they carry out their wicked schemes.’

Psalm 37:3-7

Thought

This psalm reminds us to trust God for the future. In a world where we can often feel anxious and overwhelmed, we are commanded to take delight in the Lord and commit our way to him. In a fast-paced world, taking the time to pause and pray is counter-cultural – but through actively seeking God’s presence, and being still before him, we will learn to trust our good God. Delighting in God elevates our desires and brings them into alignment with God’s perfect plan for our life.

Ask yourself: The Pontifical Mission for Palestine is actively improving the life chances of school children in an area under extreme political pressure. Spend some time reflecting on what it looks like to trust God in adverse circumstances – and how we can delight in God even when facing trials.

Prayer

Father God,

We lift up to you the work that Pontifical Mission for Palestine is doing among tenth-graders in East Jerusalem. We pray that the careers training and guidance would be transformational for these young people. We pray that they would exercise wisdom and discernment for their futures, and we pray that you would open up new opportunities for them.

We acknowledge that many of these young people and their families are facing the challenges of poverty and intense political pressure. May they know the reality of your love and the delight of your presence.

In our own lives, help us to continue delighting in you and trusting you – even when things are hard.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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