Franciscan at Home

In Jesus' public ministry, He not did not just want to share the Good News. He wanted to empower His followers, especially His Apostles, to do the same. And though He desired all of humanity to hear His voice, He spent most of His time with twelve men, and even more of His time with three.

This goes against every piece of advice that contemporary experts on marketing and media would propose. Were Jesus alive today, they would position Him at peak times of social networking and made videos that were sure to go ‘viral’. They'd get Him a billion followers on Twitter and even more on Facebook. He would do a world tour that would visit every continent and country, but only for a short time.

Though Jesus didn't have those media opportunities two thousand years go, I have the feeling that even if He had He probably wouldn't have changed His strategy very much. Instead of spreading Himself thin to reach the masses He would still invest most of His time in a few people who would know Him well and could replicate what He did.

The Catechism asks a question that is so simple and yet is one that many of us have never thought to ask: ‘Why did the Word become flesh?’

The amazing answer is the heart of the Gospel message and the missionary discourse that we invite teenagers to hear and accept in their lives.

There is nothing more dramatic than the story of our salvation, but in order to understand it we must tell it like any other story: in order.

What if we just jumped right to last chapters of Lord of the Rings? Frodo throws the ring into the fire. Without knowing what the ring was about, the journey they had taken to get there, or what would have happened if they didn’t, it’s just an interesting moment that seems to be important but you wouldn’t know why. And I think that is exactly how teenagers view the cross. They know it is important (because they see it everywhere), they are sorry that Jesus died and think it’s cool that he did, but so what? What does it mean to them?

Monica Massarella introduces some key themes from Blessed John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter to the Youth of the World, Dilecti Amici.

From the beginning of his pontificate, Pope John Paul II made young people his particular concern, addressing groups of young men and women both in Rome and on his pilgrim travels around the world. In 1985 Pope John Paul II announced the institution of World Youth Day (WYD), to be held in Rome in 1986. The second WYD, and the first international celebration was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1987.

In this way the World Youth Day was established which, for the last 28 years, has been celebrated every year at the diocesan level and at international gatherings every two year.

In 1996 Pope John Paul II reflected, “The principal objective of the Days is to make the person of Jesus the centre of the faith and life of every young person so that he may be their constant point of reference and also the inspiration of every initiative and commitment for the education of the new generations.” [i]

As catechists and teachers we can draw on an abundance of papal teaching addressed so particularly to young people in the messages, homilies, and speeches given by both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. The remainder of this article will consider how the first half of the apostolic letter Dilecti Amici,[ii]—a foundational document of WYD, written by Pope John Paul II in 1985—to young people, may be used to catechise young people on the dignity of the human person, and the on meaning of life and vocation.

Like any relationship, communication is the most essential thing. And there is no more important relationship in youth ministry than that of the youth minister and his or her pastor. But good communication is based on understanding each other. And before we can make a relationship better, we have to understand what kind of relationship it is. Just as marriage is my vocation, doing ministry in the pastor’s vocation. So I help him, and I keep in my heart that I’m am serving his ministry, not leading my own.

This attitude is essential to have if you are going to effectively work with your pastor in youth ministry. It’s important to remember that, though you and your pastor might have a friendship, when it comes to ministry you are never peers. Yes, you should share with him what that is going on in the ministry. But he won’t reciprocate by sharing everything that is going in the parish. He can’t; much of it is confidential. You report to him, not the other way around.

As a youth minister, it is your job to be obsessed about teens. But pastors have to deal with a much larger world than you do. From the serious to the mundane, people bring problems to your pastor with the anxiety that the world will end tomorrow if the issue wasn’t resolved yesterday.

Being pastor is a tough, tough job. You are only part of the puzzle of bringing salvation to his flock. An important part, but a part nonetheless. Consider it your job to make your pastor’s life easier. He hired you to reach out to youth, to build the relationships that he can’t, to understand the culture that he is confused by. Your job is to help him minister effectively to youth, to live out the commitment he made when he was ordained a priest.

In the last issue, we took a look at how to present the basic Gospel message to young people, and I suggested using the four reasons for the Incarnation as a model for that message. The first two reasons were to save us by reconciling us with God and so that thus we might know God’s love. These two reasons are closely related to each other and are foundational in understanding the Good News of Jesus Christ. How much does God love us? He died so that we might be reconciled to Him. Why would He do such a thing? Because He loves us so much.

But to leave it with just those reasons makes the Gospel nothing more than an inspirational story. He didn’t die so that we would be the same.

Truly experiencing the freedom of God’s love calls us to live a new life. And so, ‘The Word Became flesh to be our model of holiness.’ God’s actions demand a response; we cannot go back to the status quo. The answer must not only be a yes from our lips but a yes from our hearts and lives. We need to be like Jesus.

What does this mean? The answer is again found in the Gospels, ‘our principal source for the life and teaching of the Incarnate Word, our Savior.’ In both word and deed, Jesus showed us the way to live: ‘I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you.’

This is why it is so important to know who Jesus is. Without understanding the Gospels, a teenager’s perspective of Jesus is more conceptual than personal. The question, ‘What would Jesus do?’ is often answered in lukewarm sentiments like, ‘Be nice,’ or ‘Be kind.’

Certainly all of us who work with young people know that we are called to proclaim the “Good News.” But what about the bad news?

Three years ago, a survey of American Christians showed that only 32% of Christians believe in hell. Though these surveys were directed towards Christian adults of all denominations, it is fair to assume that Catholic teenagers would respond in a similar way.

In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI spoke to a suburban parish outside of Rome and said, “Jesus came to tell us every one is wanted in paradise, and that hell, about which little gets said today, exists and is eternal for those who shut their hearts to his love.”

Talking about hell can pose a challenge for those who work with young people today. Inevitable questions are raised:

“Who does the Church think is in hell?”
“Does the Church think that all of those who are not Catholic are burning in eternal flames?”
“If God loves everybody, then how can anybody be in hell?”

The difficult answers to these questions often discourage catechists from speaking to youth about this topic. But if young people don't understand the horrors of hell, they can never appreciate in the same way what Christ went through to bring them to heaven.

Or to put it another way, the Good News isn't really good unless the bad news is really bad.

A Hollywood le encanta desdibujar la línea. Una de las cosas que más me disgustaban acerca de la Guerra de las Galaxias es tomaron lo que había sido una tajante división entre lo bueno y lo malo (los Rebeldes / los Jedis eran los buenos, el Imperio / los Soldados Imperiales eran los malos) para convertirla en un atolladero moral. Esto es un tema constante en Hollywood: convertir en malos a los buenos y en buenos a los malos.

Sin embargo, en años recientes, ha emergido un nuevo género de películas que habla al corazón de lo que significa ser bueno, de la virtud del sacrificio y de la responsabilidad que viene con el poder. Son conocidas con el nombre de “películas de superhéroes”.

Las películas de superhéroes han dominado las taquillas en los últimos veranos, y este año vio más de ellas que nunca. Podías entrar en cualquier Cineflex y ver a Thor lanzando su martillo o a Capitán América aventando su escudo – incluso en 3D. La mayoría de nuestros jóvenes han visto estas películas.

¿Pero, han comprendido el mensaje?

De repente me transporté unos 40 años atrás al área de juego de mi escuela primaria y mi primera introducción a una “libreta animada” al echarle una ojeada a las páginas del nuevo YOUCAT [Catecismo Joven de la Iglesia Católica]. Un solitario muñeco de palitos al calce de cada una de las hojas, al darles la vuelta rápidamente como conjunto desde delante hasta atrás, cobra vida como un converso entusiasta que ha encontrado al Señor. Este atributo, junto con acertadas caricaturas e imágenes, ha sido diseñado con las aportaciones de jóvenes para animar a los lectores a que se conecten nuevamente con las enseñanzas del catolicismo.

Aparte de su atractivo visual, el YOUCAT destaca de manera singular las palabras de la Beata Madre Teresa de Calcuta, más que cualquier otra inspiración de entre los santos. Desde hace muchos años ha tenido un status mundial icónico entre personas de todas las edades, y de manera especial entre los jóvenes, por su devoción implacable a los más pobres de los pobres.

Sus palabras empapadas de oración marinan cada sección del catecismo. Es necesario regresar a ellas frecuentemente para saborearlas. Al integrar la enseñanza de la Madre teresa en este artículo, mi intención es permitir al lector ver el paisaje pleno de su pensamiento, agregando tan solo breves comentarios como auxilio para la navegación.

En el 2003, tuve el privilegio de asistir a una conferencia del Cardenal Schönborn, Arzobispo de Viena, quien tuvo un papel importante en la redacción y la edición del Catecismo de la Iglesia Católica. Lo recuerdo comentando que los que habían participado en la creación del CEC se sorprendieron por lo bien que se vendía, especialmente entre los fieles laicos católicos, ya que su redacción se destinaba principalmente a los obispos, los sacerdotes y los catequistas que trabajan con ellos.

En mis tiempos de encargado de grupos juveniles, trabajé incansablemente para poner el Catecismo de la Iglesia Católica en las manos de todos los jóvenes que yo pudiera. Lo convertí en un regalo de Confirmación, un regalo de graduación, o lo regalaba durante los retiros. No pretendía que un joven lo leyera del principio al fin, pero por lo menos que tuviera algo donde encontrar las respuestas acerca de su fe, especialmente, cuando se iban de casa a la Universidad.

Si estuviera hoy en la pastoral juvenil, yo le daría a cada joven su ejemplar del YOUCAT en lugar del CEC.

Kelly Colangelo nos recuerda que las actividades de servicio son las primeras y más importantes oportunidades para servir a Cristo en los otros.

San Vicente de Paúl dijo: “Vayan con los pobres y encontrarán a Dios”. Algunas veces, vamos a los pobres, pero se nos olvida que estamos buscando y sirviendo a Cristo. Sin embargo, el servicio comunitario es la donación de nosotros mismos para ayudar a otros, más que tan sólo un “proyecto completado” u “horas contabilizadas”. Como Jesús dijo: “Sepan que el Hijo del Hombre no ha venido para ser servido, sino para servir” (Mc 10, 45).

En años recientes, el servicio comunitario y el voluntariado han jugado un papel integral en la vida de los jóvenes. Esto puede ser resultado de un requerimiento escolar y/o eclesiástico; sea como sea, la participación activa en el servicio comunitario está en auge entre los jóvenes. Con una participación incrementada en el servicio comunitario uno podría esperar que esto significara que más jóvenes estuvieran creciendo en su relación con el Señor y estuvieran poniendo su fe en acción. Desgraciadamente, esto no siempre es el caso. Uno podría sospechar, de hecho, que hay más y más divulgación, pero la presencia de Dios está menguando.