Young People Feel Lied to About Catholicism
There has been a recent resurgence of young people converting to the Catholic faith. Just a few days ago, the Houston Chronicle released this article. Over 2,000 Young Catholics came together for the faith. There has been such a growth of interest in the Catholic faith worldwide. The search for the Truth remains. This new generation is tired of self-help slop and watered-down Christianity. They are drawn into a faith rooted in what is good, true, and beautiful. So what went wrong? Why is Catholicism so attractive to young people? How can we live out the faith?
To first understand anything, there are levels to attaining correct belief in God. For young people, it seems that we are either not interested in religion or do not care. One has personal reservations about the existence of God and does not know. Lastly, one does not think about it. It is not a matter of consequence for them. The audience we are considering today is those who do care, do think, and most importantly desire to know the Truth. If truth exists, would we not want to encounter it? If God is real, this changes everything!
Not that we need to know everything; certainly that is impossible, but there is so much to be known that is in plain sight, yet we do not observe.
The recent trend was non-denominational Christianity. What they do very well is show a passion for God, a true zeal, motivate people, and do in-person outreach amazingly. I say this with genuineness because their love of God provided a great community in my youth.
Unfortunately, what fails is not their commitment to God, but their foundation. Consider this: you move to a new city and need to find a new church. Well, just go to a Bible-believing church that has a good pastor and a good community. Now, what is Good? How can I be assured that the teachings are sound? By what measure? Where did this church come from? How can I trust my salvation to someone who reflects a keynote speaker, makes me feel good, but lacks authority? By saying yes to this church, I am saying no to everything else. There is no unity. It’s about a relationship, not a religion is not a satisfactory answer to matters of salvation. It’s mere alliteration and a nothing burger.
We don’t make up God or religion; rather, we conform ourselves to Divine Revelation. Encountering God as he has shown us. God became man. The Incarnation is central to the Christian faith. Not a mere means to self-help. It’s about denying yourself, picking up your cross daily, and living the life of Christian virtue according to your state of life.
He left us a Church; it is not always perfect, but it has been safeguarded through the ages. He also did not abandon us, but left us a memorial of His passion to nourish us. When we go to church on Sundays, it is not merely a formality for community and receiving a word, but rather receiving the Word sacramentally. To nourish your soul and bring you closer to Him. In the Mass, we receive a foretaste of Heaven. It is not just about believing, but living the faith.
Young people are asking questions, seeking a deeper connection to God, desiring to know the Truth. More and more, it becomes clear that what many were taught was Christianity is just a watered-down version of something deeper. A faith that has been alive for over 2,000 years has been in plain sight. It has been the misunderstanding of faith, loss of trust in authority, and love of individualism that has now burst. The younger generation yearns for Christ. Christ as Lord. Not a weekly motivational talk, but Truth. The fullness of Truth!
