“Why does this generation seek a sign?” (Mark 8:12).
Why? we answer back. Why should we believe in Your kindness when You allow the world to suffer?
Lent begins this week, and despite the mix of heartache and joy that will accompany the faithful, they’ll hold tightly to their belief without asking God why He allows suffering – especially His Son’s. They’ll accept as true what they cannot see, cannot touch – cannot fully comprehend.
Faith is a supernatural gift from God to us, but in the next forty days, many will doubt because they won’t receive mighty wonders and signs, despite their fasting and prayers. How God reveals Himself to us is uniquely ours and is a part of His gift. Our gift back to Him is our complete trust in His ways, whether we receive a wondrous sign or not. In return, He deepens our faith with understanding and we begin to receive all we ask for because we stop asking with misgivings but with the Wisdom He so faithfully gives us.
Reflecting on this, I have recognized a disconcerting trend within our beautiful Catholic faith. A rift is brewing between traditionalists and charismatics.
I’m not talking about traditionalists who don’t want to follow Rome (with a unique Pope currently in the seat of Peter) or charismatics who change the words of the Mass and add liturgical dancing; I’m referring to mainstream, truly Catholic groups who just worship differently.
The traditionalists often have little tolerance for contemporary Christian Mass, the music, or things like people ‘resting in the Spirit.’ They reject these experiences as not reverent enough to be valid.
The charismatic movement members, on the other hand, state that they are not moved by the Mass when it’s quiet and traditional. They mistakenly believe that if you cannot visibly see the fruits of the Spirit that you are just not open enough to experience them.
What? The Mass is the Mass!
Have we forgotten that Jesus is present in the Word and in the Eucharist? Whether the gifts of the Holy Spirit are running rampant or there is silent, intense Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, both are forms of Catholic worship. Equal members of the same Faith.
I have seen endless confession lines at the Sacrament of Reconciliation celebrated prior to a charismatic or Life Teen Mass and I have also witnessed incredibly devout traditional Catholics spending hours in Adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament! Neither group can claim the market on loving Christ and wanting to serve him. Who am I, who are we, to determine who has the deeper Catholic faith?
The Body of Christ is complex and diversified. It has many parts, many talents and many ways of expressing ‘authentic’ Catholic Faith. What it does not have is an appendix (an unnecessary or disposable part).
The goal is to move towards embracing and appreciating our differences as complimentary pieces of the same spiritual puzzle. God bless.
Recently, some young twenty-somethings and teens begged me to write about the difficulties of being Catholic at those ages and what could be done about it. After talking with some young adult ministers, young adults and doing some additional research, I recognized some common threads in the struggles and strengths of those who seem to have found a way to maintain their faith.
*Hell! No, really, it is an issue. It seems that in the late teens and early twenties, many people easily accept the idea of heaven, but cannot grasp that a good God who is merciful would ever send anyone to hell. This opens the door to ideas of moral relativism (whatever is good for you is good for you, but what I think is good for me is equally good) or a dismissive attitude towards teachings that are difficult (for example, the Church’s teachings on sexuality). The flip side is that some of these young people do not understand the salvation Christ offers us, thinking instead that they must be ‘perfect’ to be an active member of the Church.
*There is a lack of things for young people to be involved in. Other than youth group, a lot of churches seem to ‘drop the ball’ when it comes to 16-30 year olds. We see a huge drop off in church attendance during those years. Oddly, that age group tends to develop very strong friendship ties during those years outside of the Church. We see young people return to worship after they are married and desire Baptism for their own children.
*Mass just isn’t a priority, especially first thing on Sunday morning after working, studying, or partying the night before. They are tired, hungover, or bored and they don’t see how the Mass is feeding them.
*Hell is real. It is a dogma of the Church and we can’t be afraid to discuss it. Padre Pio once said, “They will very well believe in hell when they get there.” Blessed Richard of St. Anne, the children of Fatima, St. Teresa of Avila and St. Gemma Galgani all had stories of either being taken to hell or shown the suffering there. Helping young people stay connected means being unafraid to take on hard issues or teachings.
*We also need to help young people understand the story of Salvation in a very real way. We need to properly instruct them in the Sacraments, most importantly the Eucharist (which will increase their desire for the Mass) and Confession so that they will realize that there is an ongoing avenue for grace for all of us sinners!
*Our Parishes have to develop and promote activities for our young people to be involved in. St. John Paul II constantly reached out to them, reminding that they are the future of the Church. We need to do the same. We have to recognize the tools and issues our young people are involved in. How do we support young, or unmarried parents? Do we reach out with opportunities for young adults to come to Confession in creative ways? Our parish priest recognized that many teens were at Church for an activity one evening, so he just offered Confession since they were already there. He heard Confessions for almost three hours! We have to think outside the box, or in this case, the Confessional.
*Having a young adult group that spins off the Youth Group is another way to reach out. Sending our high schoolers to programs like LEAD at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, so they can increase their understanding of Church teachings and develop leadership skills, so they have the tools to transition into a young adult group, is one way to accomplish that.
*Offering Masses on Sunday evenings may be another way to reach these very busy young adults. Programs such as LifeTeen offer energetic ways to keep teens and young people engaged in the Mass.
*Mentor programs and accountability partners. One young mother (in her twenties) shared with me, that having someone a little older, well grounded in the teachings of the Church, really helped her get though the tough times. She told me that having someone to talk her through her early marriage days, and having her first couple children was beneficial to her in keeping and practicing her faith.
*PreCana follow ups and reunions. Since many people come back to Church when they seek to be married, we have an opportunity to reach out and continue those relationships after PreCana. This can lead into opportunities to support and mentor, as well.
*Networking. It is easy for Young Catholics to feel like they are the only people out there who feel the way that do. The world is a difficult place to find faith, but networking by using current technologies can help connect young adults who have similar values thus decreasing isolation.
It is vital that we reach out to our younger Catholics in a positive, supportive way, meeting them where they are and addressing their needs. They are our future!! God bless.