Parents ruin simple Easter fun

Because I've been in youth ministry for a number of years now, I'm often asked a question something along these lines: "What's wrong with kids today?"

It's a loaded question, of course, and carries with it all sorts of presumptions, which - in my experience - are not generally true.  Even so, when asked this question I usually answer, "Their parents."

As one piece of evidence for my answer, consider this story (it's a bit old, I know, but I've been otherwise occupied) about the cancellation of an Easter Egg Hunt in Colorado Springs because of the behavior of the parents:

Parenting observers cite the cancellation as a prime example of so-called "helicopter parents" — those who hover over their children and are involved in every aspect of their children's lives — to ensure that they don't fail, even at an Easter egg hunt. 

"They couldn't resist getting over the rope to help their kids," said Ron Alsop, a former Wall Street Journal reporter and author of "The Trophy Kids Grow Up," which examines the "millennial children" generation. 

"That's the perfect metaphor for millennial children. They (parents) can't stay out of their children's lives. They don't give their children enough chances to learn from hard knocks, mistakes" [more].

Parents, please don't ruin your children's fun by being obnoxious.

Capello tip to Deacon Kandra.

Modern youth in Plato's cave

Writing for The Catholic Thing, David G. Bonagura, Jr., comments wisely on "The Youth, the Pope, and the Media."

His text follows, with my emphases and comments:

Whenever and wherever the pope appears in public, young people gravitate to him with genuine affection and enthusiasm. At World Youth Day, papal trips abroad, and weekly audiences at St. Peter’s, young Catholics chant: “John Paul II! We love you!” or “Ben-e-det-to!” – at the awe-inspiring sight of the Successor of St. Peter. John Paul II and Benedict XVI have been moved, in turn, by every new encounter with the young, and they address them with paternal love and respect. The two pontiffs have written thousands of pages of learned philosophy and theology between them, yet their speeches to young people are among the greatest and most accessible statements of the essence of Christianity in the modern era [If you have not yet read them, it is time to do so].

But only a small number of young Catholics are blessed to see and hear the chief shepherd of the Church in person. The vast majority meets the pope only through the mainstream media and the framework in which the media cast him. This would be no cause for alarm if EWTN or other sympathetic media outlets were the primary sources of information. But most young people hear about him through the likes of CNN or Wikipedia, at best, or Bill Maher at worst [which means that we in the Church had best step up our efforts].

Several conversations with Catholic high school students over the last few months have made this painfully clear to me. After Benedict’s trip to the United Kingdom, I asked a few groups of such students where the pope had visited the prior weekend. Only a handful had any idea that he had set foot outside of Rome. But for those who did know, the answer to my follow-up question, “Why did he go there?” was unanimous: He went to apologize for clerical abuse. Blessed John Henry Newman and Benedict’s lovely remarks about him might just as well have never existed.

Not surprising, given the mainstream media’s obsession with the abuse crisis. Far more disconcerting, however, is what young people think they know of the man who is Benedict XVI. In three different settings over the last few months, five students, independent of one another asked me whether the pope was a Nazi. They all asked this innocently, merely repeating what they had picked up elsewhere [I've had the same question posed to me several times]. But where did they hear this? Not long ago – it’s gone now – if you typed “Benedict XVI” into the Google search bar, “ Nazi ” was one of the first options offered by the auto-complete function. Apparently, Internet searches for the alleged connection pointed the search engines in that direction.

It’s easy to excoriate the media or the Catholic hierarchy for this state of affairs – each incurs some blame. And neither has been very helpful in addressing the crisis of faith among the young. They have received the supernatural gift of faith in baptism, but the natural conditions necessary for faith to develop do not exist in our culture, except in rare circumstances. Grace has great difficulty perfecting nature when nature is deliberately being held incommunicado [well said].

No written exam on the papacy is required for entrance into eternal life. But the way Catholics see Christ’s Vicar correlates with how they see Christ himself. Young Catholics today are like the people tied up in Plato’s cave: their only knowledge of the pope and the saving message he bears comes not from the Church, but from distorted shadows on the electronic wall, shadows deliberately contrived along non- and even anti-Catholic lines [an excellent image!].

Handing on the faith to the young in the cave is extraordinarily difficult, but the few young Catholics who have emerged intact are determined to break the chains binding their duped contemporaries. They are the ones chanting the pope’s name at his public appearances – the young priests, religious, seminarians, youth ministers, catechetical instructors, and lay faithful – and they are preaching, teaching, and living the Gospel. They also increasingly utilize technology to penetrate the media’s cultural shadowlands. Our Lord promised that the truth would set us free. The light of truth is now shining into the cave, even if the darkness swallows much of its brilliance.

The greatest living and effective weapon in the arsenal of truth is the pope himself. His person electrifies sympathetic observers; his message tugs at their hearts. And he is readily accessible in schools and religious education programs via creative uses of technology. I recently read Benedict’s address to students in the United Kingdom with three high school boys. Two were impressed at its profundity. The third was visibly stirred. If some aspect of the media can be harnessed to bring the pope and his message to Catholics – rather than the media distorting his image and ignoring his message – we may be surprised at how many souls are waiting to be freed from life in the cave.

Be sure to click over for a good images of Pope Benedict XVI with some of the world's youth.

A good retreat

This past Tuesday I led a retreat for the 8th grade students from Blessed Sacrament parish in Springfield; they were confirmed Wednesday evening.

I had planned to spend the day going through the Scriptures with the students looking for instances of the laying on of hands, the anointing with oil and the role of the Holy Spirit in hopes of drawing insights to help them understand and appreciate all the more what would soon be happening to them. Sadly, these Scriptural aspects seem to be neglected in many preparation programs (I can't speak to the program at Blessed Sacrament parish; this is simply an observation I have of programs generally).

When I awoke Tuesday morning I decided to go in an entirely different direction with the students, if it would work (I brought the prepared ideas with me just in case). What I now wanted to do would require a lot of work and interaction from the students.

I arrived in time to visit with a few students from Sacred Heart-Griffin high school in Springfield who came to help with the retreat day and lead discussions.

When the 8th graders arrived I was very surprised at how rambunctious they were, even at an early hour. Almost all sixty of them. It was then that I realized that my initial plan would not likely go over well with this group.

After breaking them into groups, I gave them a few of my usual disclaimers:

• I speak quickly and don't often know it; if you can't listen fast enough, let me know and I'll try to slow down;
• I want this day to be fun, but that requires interaction on your part;
• if the day gets to be too boring let me know and I'll see what I can do to correct it; and,
• we're going to go deep today, because you can handle it and these are important questions.

We broke them up into groups of eight and set to work.

For the first order of business, I asked them to discuss in their groups what they wanted out of life and to be prepared to share it with the large group.

When the responses started coming I wrote them on a white board and addressed a few of them, boiling it all day to the conclusion that we all want the happy life.

Back in their small groups, I asked them to discuss what the happy life is - what it looks like - and to be prepared to share this with the large group.

We talked about these responses, which led into a good discussion about realitivism and it's obvious dangers and fallicies. In the end, we were able to boil the happy life down to life with an in God, taking Saint Augustine's excellent observation, "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you."

By this time it was time for Mass and then lunch.

After lunch I tried to go a bit further with them talking about the role of the Holy Spirit, but by this time they were worn out. They had excellent discussions in the morning and I think they simply thought too much, though they thought very well.

We returned to the church and prayed the rosary and they then received a letter from their sponsors. Once this was wrapped up it was time for them to return to school.

All in all, the day was excellent and I was very impressed with that group of eighth graders. Going into the day I knew they would either be interested or not; with that age, there isn't usually an in between. Thanks be to God they were interested.

After the retreat I received an e-mail from their teacher in which she thanked me for the day and passed on some of what the students said of the retreat:

The students responses were positive. They felt like you treated them like adults. I do believe the time was worthwhile. Thank you. Thank you also for being flexible.

Working with young people really isn't too difficult. You simply have to treat them like thinking people and be flexible with them.

Pope Addresses Youth of the World

This may be a little late, but the Holy Father's Message for World Youth Day 2009 (this past Palm Sunday) is too good not to post:

“We have set our hope on the living God” (1 Tim 4:10)

My dear friends,

Next Palm Sunday we shall celebrate the twenty-fourth World Youth Day at the diocesan level. As we prepare for this annual event, I recall with deep gratitude to the Lord the meeting held in Sydney in July last year. It was a most memorable encounter, during which the Holy Spirit renewed the lives of countless young people who had come together from all over the world [you can say that again!]. The joy of celebration and spiritual enthusiasm experienced during those few days was an eloquent sign of the presence of the Spirit of Christ. Now we are journeying towards the international gathering due to take place in Madrid in 2011, which will have as its theme the words of the Apostle Paul: “Rooted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith” (cf. Col 2:7). As we look forward to that global youth meeting, let us undertake a path of preparation together. We take as our text for the year 2009 a saying of Saint Paul: “We have set our hope on the living God” (1 Tim 4:10), while in 2010 we will reflect on the question put to Jesus by the rich young man: “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mk 10:17)

Youth, a time of hope

In Sydney, our attention was focussed upon what the Holy Spirit is saying to believers today, and in particular to you, my dear young people. During the closing Mass, I urged you to let yourselves be shaped by him in order to be messengers of divine love, capable of building a future of hope for all humanity [This message really, it seems to me, is at the heart of his entire pontificate]. The question of hope is truly central to our lives as human beings and our mission as Christians, especially in these times. We are all aware of the need for hope, not just any kind of hope, but a firm and reliable hope, as I wanted to emphasize in the Encyclical Spe Salvi. Youth is a special time of hope because it looks to the future with a whole range of expectations. When we are young we cherish ideals, dreams and plans. Youth is the time when decisive choices concerning the rest of our lives come to fruition. Perhaps this is why it is the time of life when fundamental questions assert themselves strongly: Why am I here on earth? What is the meaning of life? What will my life be like? And again: How can I attain happiness? Why is there suffering, illness and death? What lies beyond death? These are questions that become insistent when we are faced with obstacles that sometimes seem insurmountable: difficulties with studies, unemployment, family arguments, crises in friendships or in building good loving relationships, illness or disability, lack of adequate resources as a result of the present widespread economic and social crisis. We then ask ourselves: where can I obtain and how can I keep alive the flame of hope burning in my heart? [How can anyone really believe that this Pope doesn't get it? He does. He understands humanity far better than many of us, and he is not afraid to address the difficult and painful questions of life that so many others do not touch. Too many youth ministers today are content with "fluff;" not Pope Benedict.]

In search of “the great hope”

Experience shows that personal qualities and material goods are not enough to guarantee the hope which the human spirit is constantly seeking. As I wrote in the Encyclical Spe Salvi, politics, science, technology, economics and all other material resources are not of themselves sufficient to provide the great hope to which we all aspire. This hope “can only be God, who encompasses the whole of reality and who can bestow upon us what we, by ourselves, cannot attain” (no. 31). This is why one of the main consequences of ignoring God is the evident loss of direction that marks our societies, resulting in loneliness and violence, discontent and loss of confidence that can often lead to despair. The word of God issues a warning that is loud and clear: “Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord. They shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when relief comes” (Jer 17:5-6).

The crisis of hope is more likely to affect the younger generations. [Notice that the Holy Father clearly sets forth the danger here for the youth, but in what is to come he offers the solution to the dilemna. Only a person with authentic love for the youth would lay out the danger so clearly.] In socio-cultural environments with few certainties, values or firm points of reference, they find themselves facing difficulties that seem beyond their strength. My dear young friends, I have in mind so many of your contemporaries who have been wounded by life. They often suffer from personal immaturity caused by dysfunctional family situations, by permissive and libertarian elements in their education, and by difficult and traumatic experience. For some – unfortunately a significant number – the almost unavoidable way out involves an alienating escape into dangerous and violent behaviour, dependence on drugs and alcohol, and many other such traps for the unwary. Yet, even for those who find themselves in difficult situations, having been led astray by bad role models, the desire for true love and authentic happiness is not extinguished [Indeed, it is usually this desire for true love and authentic happiness that leads them astray. Thinking they will find love and happiness in these things, they never do. They fall for the lies that others tell them.]. But how can we speak of this hope to those young people? We know that it is in God alone that a human person finds true fulfilment [Here, then, lies the answer to the difficulty]. The main task for us all is that of a new evangelization aimed at helping younger generations to rediscover the true face of God, who is Love. To you young people, who are in search of a firm hope, I address the very words that Saint Paul wrote to the persecuted Christians in Rome at that time: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom 15:13). During this Jubilee Year dedicated to the Apostle of the Gentiles on the occasion of the two thousandth anniversary of his birth, let us learn from him how to become credible witnesses of Christian hope.

Saint Paul, witness of hope

When Paul found himself immersed in difficulties and trials of various kinds, he wrote to his faithful disciple Timothy: “We have set our hope on the living God” (1 Tim 4:10). How did this hope take root in him? In order to answer that question we must go back to his encounter with the Risen Jesus on the road to Damascus. At that time, Saul was a young person like you in his early twenties, a follower of the Law of Moses and determined to fight with every means, and even to kill those he regarded as God’s enemies (cf. Acts 9:1). While on his way to Damascus to arrest the followers of Christ, he was blinded by a mysterious light and he heard himself called by name: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He fell to the ground, and asked: “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:3-5). After that encounter, Paul’s life changed radically. He received Baptism and became an Apostle of the Gospel. On the road to Damascus, he was inwardly transformed by the Divine Love he had met in the person of Jesus Christ. He would later write: “The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20). From being a persecutor, he became a witness and a missionary. He founded Christian communities in Asia Minor and Greece, and travelled thousands of miles amid all kinds of perils, culminating in his martyrdom in Rome. All this for love of Christ. [He will use the Apostle to the Gentiles as a model for the youth.]

The great hope is in Christ

For Paul, hope is not simply an ideal or sentiment, but a living person: Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Profoundly imbued with this certainty, he could write to Timothy: “We have set our hope on the living God” (1 Tim 4:10). The “living God” is the Risen Christ present in our world. He is the true hope: the Christ who lives with us and in us and who calls us to share in his eternal life. If we are not alone, if he is with us, even more, if he is our present and our future, why be afraid? A Christian’s hope is therefore to desire “the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ's promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1817).

The way towards the great hope

Just as he once encountered the young Paul, Jesus also wants to encounter each one of you, my dear young people. Indeed, even before we desire it, such an encounter is ardently desired by Jesus Christ. But perhaps some of you might ask me: How can I meet him today? Or rather, in what way does he approach me? The Church teaches us that the desire to encounter the Lord is already a fruit of his grace. When we express our faith in prayer, we find him even in times of darkness because he offers himself to us. Persevering prayer opens the heart to receive him, as Saint Augustine explains: “Our Lord and God … wants our desire to be exercised in prayer, thus enabling us to grasp what he is preparing to give” (Letter 130:8,17). Prayer is the gift of the Spirit that makes us men and women of hope, and our prayer keeps the world open to God (cf. Spe Salvi, 34).

Make space for prayer in your lives! To pray alone is good, although it is even more beautiful and fruitful to pray together, because the Lord assured us he would be present wherever two or three are gathered in his name (cf. Mt 18:20). There are many ways to become acquainted with him. There are experiences, groups and movements, encounters and courses in which to learn to pray and thus grow in the experience of faith. Take part in your parish liturgies and be abundantly nourished by the word of God and your active participation in the Sacraments. As you know, the summit and centre of the life and mission of every believer and every Christian community is the Eucharist, the sacrament of salvation in which Christ becomes present and gives his Body and Blood as spiritual food for eternal life. A truly ineffable mystery! It is around the Eucharist that the Church comes to birth and grows – that great family of Christians which we enter through Baptism, and in which we are constantly renewed through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The baptised, through Confirmation, are then confirmed in the Holy Spirit so as to live as authentic friends and witnesses of Christ. The Sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony enable them to accomplish their apostolic duties in the Church and in the world. Finally, the Sacrament of the Sick grants us an experience of divine consolation in illness and suffering.

Acting in accordance with Christian hope

If you find your sustenance in Christ, my dear young people, and if you live profoundly in him as did the Apostle Paul, you will not be able to resist speaking about him and making him known and loved by many of your friends and contemporaries. Be his faithful disciples, and in that way you will be able to help form Christian communities that are filled with love, like those described in the Acts of the Apostles. The Church depends on you for this demanding mission. [Remember his Message for the World Communications Day in which he entrusted the use of the new media to the youth to proclaim the Gospel.] Do not be discouraged by the difficulties and trials you encounter. Be patient and persevering so as to overcome the natural youthful tendency to rush ahead and to want everything immediately.

My dear friends, follow the example of Paul and be witnesses to the Risen Christ! Make Christ known, among your own age group and beyond, to those who are in search of “the great hope” that would give meaning to their lives. If Jesus has become your hope, communicate this to others with your joy and your spiritual, apostolic and social engagement. Let Christ dwell within you, and having placed all your faith and trust in him, spread this hope around you. Make choices that demonstrate your faith. Show that you understand the risks of idolizing money, material goods, career and success, and do not allow yourselves to be attracted by these false illusions. Do not yield to the rationale of selfish interests. Cultivate love of neighbour and try to put yourselves and your human talents and professional abilities at the service of the common good and of truth, always prepared to “make your defence to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you” (1 Pet 3:15). True Christians are never sad, even if they have to face trials of various kinds, because the presence of Jesus is the secret of their joy and peace.

Mary, Mother of hope

May Saint Paul be your example on this path of apostolic life. He nourished his life of constant faith and hope by looking to Abraham, of whom he wrote in the Letter to the Romans: “Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become the father of many nations” (Rom 4:18). Following in the footsteps of the people of hope – composed of prophets and saints of every age – we continue to advance towards the fulfilment of the Kingdom, and on this spiritual path we are accompanied by the Virgin Mary, Mother of Hope. She who incarnated the hope of Israel, who gave the world its Saviour, and who remained at the foot of the Cross with steadfast hope, is our model and our support. Most of all, Mary intercedes for us and leads us through the darkness of our trials to the radiant dawn of an encounter with the Risen Christ. I would like to conclude this message, my dear young friends, with a beautiful and well-known prayer by Saint Bernard that was inspired by one of Mary’s titles, Stella Maris, Star of the Sea: “You who amid the constant upheavals of this life find yourself more often tossed about by storms than standing on firm ground, do not turn your eyes from the brightness of this Star, if you would not be overwhelmed by boisterous waves. If the winds of temptations rise, if you fall among the rocks of tribulations, look up at the Star, call on Mary … In dangers, in distress, in perplexities, think on Mary, call on Mary … Following her, you will never go astray; when you implore her aid, you will never yield to despair; thinking on her, you will not err; under her patronage you will never wander; beneath her protection you will not fear; she being your guide, you will not weary; with her assistance, you will arrive safely in the port” (Homilies in Praise of the Virgin Mother, 2:17).

Mary, Star of the Sea, we ask you to guide the young people of the whole world to an encounter with your Divine Son Jesus. Be the celestial guardian of their fidelity to the Gospel and of their hope.

Dear young friends, be assured that I remember all of you every day in my prayers. I give my heartfelt blessing to you and to all who are dear to you.

From the Vatican, 22 February 2009

BENEDICTVS PP. XVI

A good way to start the day

Every morning - generally before the sun rises and before my shower - I hop online to see if anything happened during the course of my sleeping of which I should be aware (typically, the answer is no). One of my Internet stops is Facebook.

This morning I received a notice that one of our high schoolers - whom I convinced last night to sing in the choir for Confirmation about an hour and a half before the Mass - tagged me a in a note (really, I gave him a guilt trip, asking if it was better to worship God or study geometry; clever, eh?).

It was a random note in which he was to select the last twenty people to have commented on his wall and answer questions about them in a such a way that the questions, too, were random. I was the twentieth person.

The first question he was to answer about me asked, "What is the best thing about 20?" His answer: "That he talks to us highschoolers and how he knows tons of facts." That was a great lift to the day!

I'm awake earlier than I wanted to be and I'm debating with myself about when I should head to Quincy this morning for the inaguaration of Dr. Robert Gervasi as President of Quincy University.

I would like to attend the symposium which will be held before the luncheon, but I'm not sure I really want to start driving in about twenty minutes. I may hang around here until about 8:00 before leaving and arrive in time for the luncheon. We'll see what happens.

At any rate, because I'll be on the road blogging will be extremely light - if existant - today and tomorrow.

The fruits of our labors

I was especially struck this morning by these words of Pope Benedict XVI in the homily he preached for the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Husbund of Mary:

Although the first reading which we have just heard does not speak explicitly of Saint Joseph, it does teach us a good deal about him. The prophet Nathan, in obedience to God’s command, tells David: “I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins” (2 Sam 7:12). David must accept that he will die before seeing the fulfilment of this promise, which will come to pass “when (his) time comes” and he will rest “with (his) ancestors”. We thus come to realize that one of mankind’s most cherished desires – seeing the fruits of one’s labours – is not always granted by God. I think of those among you who are mothers and fathers of families. Parents quite rightly desire to give the best of themselves to their children, and they want to see them achieve success. Yet make no mistake about what this “success” entails: what God asks David to do is to place his trust in him. David himself will not see his heir who will have a throne “firm for ever” (2 Sam 7:16), for this heir, announced under the veil of prophecy, is Jesus. David puts his trust in God. In the same way, Joseph trusts God when he hears his messenger, the Angel, say to him: “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her” (Mt 1:20). Throughout all of history, Joseph is the man who gives God the greatest display of trust, even in the face of such astonishing news.

It is much the same in the life of a priest.

Only rarely do we see the fruits of our preaching, of our conversations, prayers and efforts on behalf of those to whom we are sent.

I often wonder if all of my efforts with the high school students will bear good fruit, if it will truly lead them ever closer to Jesus Christ, yet I keep at it nonetheless.

It is true that from time to time I do see signs of hope, of grace at work, but at other times I do not. This is true of all forms of priestly ministry.

This is why daily prayer for one's ministry is so vital. We must entrust each of our efforts to the Lord, trusting that he knows how to water the seeds that are planted.

I have already asked for the special guidance, protection and intercession of Damien of Molokai and John Bosco in my ministry with the high school students. Today I entrusted these efforts also to Saint Joseph, foster father of Jesus and of each of us.

May Joseph teach me to trust ever more deeply in the Lord in full humility as he did. May he also teach me to care for those entrusted to me, as he cared so well for Jesus and Mary.

Benedict on culture, youth and young priests

The third question posed to Pope Benedict by Father Giuseppi Forlai during his annual meeting with the Clergy of Rome is one dear to one my heart. Father Forlai addressed two concerns: ministry to the youth and the length of stay of a Parochial Vicar. Father Forlai asked His Holiness for "an authoritative word on these two aspects of the challenges facing educators: the necessary length of appointment and the urgent need for priest-teachers who are adequately prepared culturally."

In response, Pope Benedict spoke about the nature of a parish, noting that a parish "where only games were played and refreshments provided would be absolutely superfluous." The meaning of a parish, he said, "must be cultural, human and Christian formation for a mature personality."

In today's culture, "so many things are known, but without a heart, without an interior connection, because a communal vision of the world is lacking. For this reason a cultural solution inspired by the faith of the Church, and by knowledge of God, is absolutely essential. I would say that this is precisely the role of such a centre, that one not only finds possibilities there for one's leisure time but above all for an integral human formation that completes the personality."

A priest, then, must somehow "fit into today's culture, and be deeply cultured if he is to help young people to enter a culture inspired by faith."

Culture itself is what is at stake, for a true culture always God as its end.

We see today that there are people with very great knowledge but lacking an inner orientation. Thus knowledge can also be dangerous because without a profound ethical orientation it leaves the individual to his own devices, and hence without the necessary indicators to become truly human. In this regard, the core of all cultural training, which is so necessary, must undoubtedly be faith: to know the face of God, revealed in Christ, and thus to have the fundamental point of reference for the rest of culture, which would otherwise become disoriented and disorienting. A culture without a personal knowledge of God and without a knowledge of the face of God in Christ is a culture that could be destructive, because it would have no knowledge of the necessary ethical bearings. In this regard, I think, we really have a profound cultural and human mission, which opens people to all the wealth of the culture of our time but also provides the criterion, the discernment to test what is true culture and what might become anti-culture.

This is the task of the priest today, especially in regards to the youth.

When speaking of the relationship between a priest and young people, Pope Benedict said, "There is no doubt that a personal relationship with the educator is important and demands a certain amount of time so that he and the young people may get used to each other."

The Holy Father noted especially the years between 16 and 19 in which "the personality is formed: it is an inner journey of great importance, of great existential growth." As such, he suggested an assignment of three years for each Parochial Vicar so that they might establish a relationship with young people and still be able to receive a few assignments as a young priest in order to "become acquainted with other contexts, learn about other situations in other parishes and thus enrich his human skills."

In this response, the Pope Benedict sees "that both needs can be reconciled: on the one hand, the young priest can have different experiences to enrich his own human experience; and on the other, the need to be with young people for a certain length of time, to be able to introduce them into life, to teach them to be human people, is recognized."

I am now in my fourth year as the Parochial Vicar here at St. Anthony of Padua Parish, and I expect to be able to have fifth year here before being assigned to another parish, either as Parochial Vicar or as Pastor (the latter seems more likely).

I certainly cannot argue with the Holy Father's suggestion, but I'm also grateful for the possibility of another year here.

Let us pray that even without a number of assignments the Lord will grant to me the skills that will be necessary in the years ahead.

Thinking and walking

Curiously enough, Fr. Dwight Longenecker has an excellent post on looking out windows which is well worth reading.

He begins, saying, "I'm not big on conducted retreats where a priest tells you what to think and do. I'm sure they're ok, but not for me. What do I do on retreat? Sleep, read, pray, walk around and look out the window." I agree, and that, in large part, is why I am currently in Hawaii.

After Mass and breakfast this morning, I went for a two-hour walk, maybe more, before returning to the Cathedral to celebrate the Noon Mass.

My desire to move to Hawaii is no secret to anyone who knows me. It is stronger than my desire to return to Quincy and even than my desire to live in Rome. If Bishop Lucas were to allow me to transfer to Hawaii, I would do so in an instant, leaving all of my things behind and never sending for them (with feigned apologies to everyone who would have to sort through them!). But that isn't going to happen.

These were my thoughts during my morning walk. I find that walking can be very good for prayer, even in the midst of downtown Honolulu. Walking seems to free me up from other distractions and concentrates my thought.

As I walked along I began to consider the attachments that I have in life. I've been rather an independent spirit since my father died, not keeping too attached to many people (for better or worse) or things, knowing that all things fade away at some point. Being so detached doesn't afford me huge numbers of friends (which is fine by me; I much prefer a few close friends) but it does seem to help free me up more and more to carry out whatever work it is that the Lord desires of me.

For the past several weeks I've been preaching, "The question to ask in life is not what I want of my life, but what God wants of my life." It's often been said that a preacher preaches first to himself, then to others. True enough. What does God want of me, at this moment?

For whatever reason God does not want me to reside in Hawaii, but he will permit me a few visits here, and for these I am deeply grateful, more than words can say. But even as I am happily here again it seems somehow strange.

To be truthful, I've known this for a while, but for whatever reason it hadn't sunk into my soul. Perhaps I was too attached to the notion of life without arthritis.

In his post on looking out windows, Fr. Longenecker said this about detachment:

Detachment is not hating physical things and things of this world. It is loving them the right way. Love all things according to their worth. Aha. There's the trick. We have to be able to discern the true worth of all things before we can love them according to their true worth.

The only way to learn the true worth of anything is to hold it up to the light of God and squint at it the way a jeweler squints at a diamond, and maybe you have to wear one of those eye piece magnifying glass things which is also called prayer. Then in the light of Christ the true value of everything is exposed for what it is, and then you can love it accordingly.

My little walk this morning helped me to hold up to the light my present assignment and my present residence, and I think I was able to see it more clearly for what it is, and to recognize more deeply the Lord's will in it.

As I walked into the baggage claim area at the airport yesterday afternoon countless memories came to mind of the World Youth Day pilgrimage and our time in Hawaii. The young pilgrims want to return to Hawaii with me and I'd love to bring them again, perhaps after Father Damien is canonized. The more I wandered around this morning the more memories came to mind.

Already I miss the daily interaction with the students at the high school. I've become rather fond of them and some are seeking my advice and counsel on matters about which I didn't quite think I'd be consulted. It's very humbling, really, to know that for reasons that escape me, the young people have taken to me and I to them. The Lord has shown his willingness and desire to use me to lead them closer to himself. Although I don't quite understand the methods the Lord uses, the fruits are obvious.

I am confident that at this moment in my life the Lord wants me to be in Effingham and to minister to the youth. And I am content with this and - though I am naturally elated to be in Hawaii - I will be happy to return to Effingham (though not to the cold!).

Upon returning from the World Youth Day I had resolved to minister more to the youth and also to begin podcasting. Both of these I have done, to greater and lesser degrees, and with greater and lesser successes. Podcasting was my own initiative (and I know I'm one homily behind yet), but the increased ministry with the youth was much more an initiative of the young people thesmeves, or of the Lord through them. The Lord has confirmed for me this first resolution, and there is still much work to be done and I pray that he gives me the strength and the grace to do it, and to do it well.

On the flight from Portland to Honolulu, I was reading a book on the dreams of Saint John Bosco, whose patronage and intercession I have increasingly been seeking (the most frequent intercessors I seek are Saints Francis of Assisi, Clare of Assisi, Anthony of Padua, Damien of Molokai and, now, John Bosco; our Blessed Mother goes without saying).

At any rate, as I read I came across this quotation from the Apostle to Youth that particularly struck me:

Courage. Let us work wholeheartedly for youth. Let us do all we can for God's glory and the welfare of souls. Up there a great reward awaits us, the same as promised to Abraham: "I am ... your reward exceeding great" (Genesis 15:1). At times we may feel tired, exhausted or overwhelmed by ailments, but we must take heart, because up there we shall rest forever.

Amen.

Oh, what would John Bosco do?

I don't like conflict and confrontation, but I'm also not one to shy away from it when the circumstances necessitate it.

This afternoon an incident occurred involving me and one of our students, the details of which need not be entered into here. Suffice it to say that the circumstances are such that disciplinary action must be imposed.

The difficulty here is finding the proper balance between justice and mercy, punishment and forgiveness, a lesson learned and a lesson lost. I hate being in this situation.

Fortunately, such circumstances are rare. Whenever I find myself in one, I always turn to the words of Saint John Bosco, words which were of great help in Australia:

First of all, if we wish to appear concerned about the true happiness of our foster children and if we would move them to fulfill their duties, you must never forget that you are taking the place of the parents of these beloved young people. I have always labored lovingly for them, and carried out my priestly duties with zeal...

My sons, in my long experience very often I had to be convinced of this great truth. It is easier to become angry than to restrain oneself, and to threaten a boy than to persuade him. Yes, indeed, it is more fitting to be persistent in punishing our own impatience and pride than to correct the boys. We must be firm but kind, and be patient with them...

See that no one finds you motivated by impetuosity or willfulness. It is difficult to keep calm when administering punishment, but this must be done if we are to keep ourselves from showing off our authority or spilling out anger.

Let us regard those boys over whom we have some authority as our own sons. Let us place ourselves in their service. Let us be ashamed to assume an attitude of superiority. Let us not rule over them except for the purpose of serving them better.

This was the method that Jesus used with the apostles. He put up with their ignorance and roughness and even their infidelity. He treated sinners with a kindness and affection that caused some to be shocked, others to be scandalized, and still others to hope for God's mercy. And so he bade them to be humble of heart.

They are our sons, and so in correcting their mistakes we must lay aside all anger and restrain it so firmly that it is extinguished entirely.

There must be no hostility in our minds, no contempt in our eyes, no insult on our lips. We must use mercy for the present and have hope for the future, as is fitting for true fathers who are eager for real correction and improvement.

In serious matters it is better to beg God humbly than to send forth a flood of words that will only offend the listeners and have no effect on those who are guilty.

With these words, Don Bosco highlights the difference between a punishment and a discipline. A punishment is given simply out of anger, whereas a discipline is given with the aim of teaching.

Both discipline and disciple come from the same root, meaning to learn. A discipline is, it is true, a form of a punishment, but it's ultimate and primary aim is to teach and correct, to change a certain behavior.

By the grace of God I can honestly say that I bear no anger toward this student and that after having met with him and his mother his remorse is genuine and, I believe, a lesson has already been learned well. And no discipline has officially yet been given.

Just after the incident I told him already what the discipline would be, but now after seeing his sorrow my heart tells me to lessen the discipline because the lesson has been shown. What is needed now is mercy, mercy that highlights the Lord's own mercy toward each of us.

At the same time, my head tells me not to lesson the discipline, lest I appear weak to others, because the incident occured in public; but I must alter the discipline. In this case, my heart will win. After all, in the words of Saint James, "mercy triumphs over justice" (James 2:13).

My heart breaks for the boy and for his mother. He meant no offense - of this I am sure - but his action must be corrected. Both know this. At the same time, knowing the speed with which gossip travels here in Effingham, the entire school will likely know of the incident by morning and classes resume in the morning. This will not help the boy feel better; I pray the students will be respectful.

I have told him that I will hold nothing against him nor think any less of him in the days to come. I hope he believes me and knows it to be true. In fact, I think more of him for actually coming in to see me; not many would have done so.

Please, keep this situation in your prayers.

Let us pray:

Lord,
you called John Bosco
to be a teacher and father to the young.
Fill us with love like his:
may we give ourselves completely to your service
and to the salvation of mankind.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Saint John Bosco, pray for us!

In my last post on fielding questions from sophomore and junior boys while attempting to watch a volleygame, I wondered why the boys so freely barraged me with questions of all sorts, and why they do so so often.

Peter, of Ubi Petrus, formerly of Utter Muttering, astutely provided the answer. He said:

As for the boys, it's simple. They ask. You answer. No hiding, no punches pulled. The one thing kids want the most these days is veritas. They see everyone dancing around answers all day and can see right through it. Kids these days have rediscovered the transcendentals so casually discarded over the past couple of generations - the true, the good and the beautiful. It's only when we're unwilling to give them these that they go looking elsewhere.

Peter once called me "positively Ratzingerian," a compliment by which I am deeply humbled. Now it's my turn to return the compliment. Just a few days ago Pope Benedict XVI said to the Bishops of Paraguay:

[T]each the faith of the Church in its integrity, with courage and the conviction of those who live by it and for it, never ceasing to proclaim the moral values of the Catholic Doctrine explicity, which refer to the family, sexuality and life, that are sometimes the subject of debate in the political and cultural context and in the means of social communication.

Well said, Peter, well said.

Later this morning I'm going to speak with some of them in their study hall - at their request - about why sex should be saved until marriage. They could be sleeping. They could be doing homework. They could be goofing around. But they want to ask questions. I'm very much impressed. (No doubt a bit of goofing around will take place as they ask the questions, too, which is fine by me.)

I've tried a few approaches already to help them understanding the teachings of the Church on this, but none have yet fully "sunk in." I think, though, that a foundation has been laid. Your prayers in this regard would be most welcome.

Careful what you read

I should know by now to be careful with what I read.

At the end of class yesterday one of the boys asked if I wanted to go frolfing (Frisbee golfing) with his group after school. I hadn't been in years, though I do like the game. I told him I'd think about it. His group must have left the school quickly because I didn't see them leave the building.
Not quite knowing where they would be on the frolf course I decided to return to the rectory and lie down for a bit before the soccer game. As I did so, part of me said that I should just to go to the course and find them. How hard could it have been?

This evening I was reading one of the letters of Saint John Bosco. It was a letter written to educators in which Don Bosco relates a conversation he had in a dream with two of his former boys.

Don Bosco is shown two groups of his boys, first the former group and second the current group. The first group of boys he sees playing and laughing, both with each other and with priests and clergy. The second group of boys he sees bored and lifeless. The difference, he is told, is "a lack of interest in the recreation," not on the part of the boys, but of the priests.

Saint John is told that this lack of recreation is the reason why the boys

approach the sacraments so coldly, why they neglect their practices of piety in
the church and elsewhere, why they stay so unwillingly in a place where Divine
Providence endues them with every blessing for body, soul and mind; this is why
many do not correspond with their vocation, why superiors meet with ingratitude,
why you get secret groups forming, with grumbling and all the other deplorable
consequences.

The patron saint of boys then asks his former pupils with whom he speaks how he might remedy the dismal situation. With charity, he is told. What is needed is that the boys know that they are loved and this is conveyed through recreation, that the boys

be loved in the things which they themselves like by a sharing in their youthful
interests; in this way they will learn to see your love in matters which naturally speaking are not very pleasing to them, as is the case with study, discipline, and self-denial: in this way they will learn to do these things also with love.

Still not quite understanding, Don Bosco asks for greater clarification. One of the two boys answers, "Just look at your boys in recreation." Looking around Bosco asks, "Well, what's special about it?" The answer came: "Don’t you understand after all these years in the education of the young? Have a better look. Where are the Salesians?”

And then it hit me like a ton of bricks. Ouch. Where was I yesterday afternoon?

Bosco continues the letter, saying,

As I looked I saw that there were very few priests and clerics mixing with the
boys and fewer still taking part in their games: the superiors were no longer
the heart and soul of the recreation; most of them were walking up and down by
themselves conversing together and paying little attention to what the boys were
doing; others were looking on at the recreation but with no real concern for the
boys; others watched from a distance with never a word to those at fault; some
did warn the boys but rarely and when they did so it was in a threatening
manner.

Again, ouch. Clearly, I failed yesterday and missed a tremendous opportunity.

The rest of the letter, which continues relating the dream, is truly powerful. One of his former boys continues:

"Let them like what the boys like, and the boys will come to like what the superiors like. This will make the work easy. The reason for the present change in the Oratory is the lack of confidence in their superiors on the part of many boys. In the past hearts were wide open to the superiors, for the boys loved them and obeyed them promptly. Today however, the superiors are seen precisely as superiors and not at all as fathers, brothers and friends. That’s why the boys are afraid of them and don’t love them. If you want to see everyone of one heart and one mind again, then, for the love of God, you must break down the fatal barrier of distrust and put a happy spirit of confidence in its place. Then, just as a mother guides her child, so obedience will guide the boys, and there will be peace and joy at the Oratory once again, as in the days gone by.”

“How are we to go about breaking down this barrier?”

“By a friendly relationship with the boys, especially in recreation. Affection can’t be shown without this friendly relationship, and unless affection is seen there can be no confidence. He who wants to be loved must first show his own love. Our Lord made himself little with the little ones and bore our infirmities. He is our Master in this matter of the friendly approach. A master who is only seen in the master’s chair is just a master and nothing more, but if he goes into recreation with the boys he becomes their brother.

If someone is only seen preaching from the pulpit, it will be said that he does his duty, neither more nor less, whereas if he whispers a little word in recreation, this is seen as the word of a friend. How many conversions were brought about by those few words which you whispered suddenly in a boy’s ear, in the thick of the game!
When a person knows he is loved, he will love in return, and when a person is loved he can get anything, especially from boys. This confidence sets up an electric current between boys and superiors. Hearts are opened, needs and weaknesses made known. This love enables superiors to bear with weariness, annoyance, ingratitude, or the troubles, failings and neglect of the boys. Our Lord did not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax. He is your model. In this way, no one will be seen working out of vainglory or dealing out punishment out of wounded self-love, no one will be seen withdrawing from the work of assisting through jealous fear of another’s popularity, nor criticising the others in the hope of winning the boys love and esteem for himself to the exclusion of the others, gaining nothing in fact but contempt and hypocritical flattery. No one will lose his heart to some creature and, through paying court to him, forget about the rest of the boys. No one will neglect his bounden duty
of assisting through a love of ease and comfort; no one will ever be seen refraining from correction, where correction is due, through human respect. With this true love only the glory of God and the good of souls will be sought. It is when there is a cooling off in such love that things go badly. Why let charity yield to cold legislation? Why are superiors moving away from the educational directives given them by Don Bosco? Why the steady replacement of loving and watchful prevention by a system which consists in framing laws? This is certainly less trying and a lot more convenient for the superior, but laws which are enforced by punishments stir up hatred and give rise to bitterness, whilst laws which are not enforced at all arouse only contempt for the superiors and cause serious disorders.

This is sure to happen where there is no friendly relationship. If then you want the Oratory to return to the happiness of former days, then let the system of those days flourish again. Let the superior be all things to everyone, ready to listen to the troubles or complaints of the boys, watching over their conduct with a father’s care,
whole-hearted in his efforts for the spiritual and temporal welfare of those whom Providence has entrusted to him.

I pray I not fail the Lord again in this way. May Saint John Bosco show me how to follow in his ways.

Parental help needed

This query is directed primarily to parents, but anyone who has an answer may of course offer one.

One of my parishioners has asked me to recommend a good book on Saint John Bosco for her son, who has taken a liking to him recently. He is in, I believe, the seventh grade.

I can field many questions, but this one is out of my range of knowlege. I'm not sure at what level a seventh grader reads. I'm not even sure at what level the average American adult reads (though I'm sure it's not where it should be)!

Might any of you have any suggestions for me?

Spending your life

Most every Sunday evening a group of young people meet in the parish called the Dead Theologians Society. It is a group of high school students and a couple of college freshmen, headed up by yours truly, that meet for two hours for fun, food, and the saints.

It’s a delightful group of anywhere between six and twelve people and, though I am most always rather tired by the time Sunday evening rolls around, it is always a joy to be with them.

We usually meet in the “attic” of the parish center, which is not air conditioned. I went upstairs before the group arrived and made the executive decision not to hold our usual time for prayer and study of the life of a saint simply because it was hotter in the room than it was outside. Had we gone upstairs, we might not have come down. Sometimes prudence has to step in.

Instead, we spent a good hour and a half playing Uno, a game that I always enjoy, a game that true Uno aficionados will admit is among the most violent games known to man (if played properly). Sadly, we didn’t play that game quite right; nobody was injured and nobody was insulted, though there was a fair amount of friendly argumentation and contradiction.

Once we had our fill of Uno we went outside for a good game of Ultimate Frisbee. I’d forgotten what poor shape I’m in! Even so, it was remarked, “Father’s got skills!” To which I replied, “Skills, yes; a strong heart and lungs, no.” One of these days I’ll get in shape. Maybe.

After about half an hour of this we sat down and most of the group left, but a fair number stayed around for up to two hours simply chatting away, talking about nearly everything under the sun.

Toward the end of the conversation the topic shifted toward priests and vocations and parents’ responses to vocations and to the different personalities of priests, etc., etc., etc. It was a good conversation all in all and it makes me all the more aware of what we priests need to be doing if we hope to “recruit” vocations.

From a sociological standpoint, priests continually seem to be the happiest of people, even if the busiest. How is it then that so many people have the wrong impression that we are not happy, that we are lonely, bored and maybe even depressed?

I don’t have an easy answer for this question. Part of the answer certainly has to do with the fact that priests are not as involved in the lives of their parishioners as once they were, something that I regret. Part of the answer has to do with the fact that we priests do more than our fair share of complaining, which I also regret and of which I am becoming increasingly aware. Part of the answer has to do with a misperception of priesthood and the duties it entails, which probably comes from the fact that we priests don’t do a very good job describing our life to people (in no small part because one day can be so very different from the next). Part of the answer has to do with the risky association of happiness with a full, beaming smile all of the time; some people just don’t have a natural smile even though they are quite happy and content. Part of the answer has to do with the false assumption that spirituality and religion, this “Church stuff” isn’t satisfying and rewarding.

Am I happy? Yes. Am I content? For the most part. Am I tired? Yes, quite often. Am I satisfied? Yes. Am I happy that I am tired? Yes, because it reminds me of one of my favorite phrases used in the lives of the saints: he “spent himself for God.”

I’m not by any means trying to say that I am a saint, but I do think that if I find myself exhausted at the end of the day because I have been busy about the Lord’s work, then I must be on the right path and I am probably doing the work he asks of me. There is, of course, always the danger that I am not, but it’s not every day that you can simply sit down in a parking lot and have these sorts of conversations with high school students, much less adults; in fact, it’s probably less likely to ever happen with adults.

Am I happy to be a priest? Yes. Am I happy to be a tired and many times exhausted priest? Yes. At the end of my life do I want someone to say of me, “He spent his life for God”? Absolutely.

Now I have to find a way to convey this to the people and to let them know that this is part of what it means to say at the end of the day: “We are unprofitable servants. We have done only what we were obliged to do” (Luke 17:10). And this is always a cause for joy because the Master will say to his faithful servants: “Come, share your Master’s joy.”

Good advice

The Dominican friar, Father Philip N. Powell, of Domini, me hanc aquam, offers his advice for handing on the faith to young people. I’ve been saying much of the same for some time and look forward to the day when more people catch on and listen to the young people themselves.

Hat tip to the Curt Jester.

Alive and young

Our local chapter of the Dead Theologians Society met again this evening after a summer hiatus. It was a small gathering this evening, but not much notice was given.

Whenever I gather with the youth I am very encouraged. In a day when so many adults seem so apathetic towards the faith, the youth are ready to dive in (not all of them, of course, but many). It reminds me of what Pope Benedict has said: The Church is alive and the Church is young!

Listening to the members of the Society I am greatly encouraged by their many ideas for activities for the future and for topics to discuss at our future meetings. Topics thrown about this evening ranged everywhere from apologetics helps to meditation to the Apostles to the martyrs to Protestantism and everywhere in between. They want to discuss not only all of these, but they want sessions for questions and answers. They want a retreat to mark the first anniversary of the Society, a pizza making day, movie nights, etc., etc. etc.

I sometimes wonder if I haven’t given the group enough ownership of our activities and if that isn’t part of the reason we aren’t along quite as well as I should like (I can’t do everything, after all), and so this evening I began moving in that direction, giving them various positions to hold to help plan and organize our doings.

I am very excited about where this group will go and for the vision that they have collectively, even if they aren’t quite yet aware of it. The Spirit is certainly moving within them. May I accept the grace to shepherd them and meet them where they are.

Well said, Father

Adam's Ale has an excellent post on youth ministry.

You know what the youth wants don’t you?

You know they are board at mass. Right? You know what they want. They want to jazz the whole thing up. They want modern music. Rock and Roll. Maybe visual aids like projected graphics and lighting effects. This is what kids want and if we don’t give it to them, they will vote with their feet.

This is what I remember being told I wanted when I was a kid. [more]

Message for WYD 2008

The Message of the Holy Father Benedict XVI to the Youth of the World on the Ocassion of the 22nd World Youth Day, 2007, has been published.

In it, His Holiness asks the question, "Is it possible to love?" a question that he first addressed in Deus caritas est. He answers the question affirmatively and challenges the youth of the world to "dare to love." Be sure to give it a read!

Every Diocese throughout Christendom is supposed to hold its own "mini" version of WYD in the "off years" when the Holy Father will not be traveling. It seems that very few Dioceses actually do this, and that even fewer are they should be doing it.

WYD 2008 will, of course, be held in Sydney, Australia.