What Does the Catholic Church Have To Offer Young Life?

Last week I spoke about the “ecumenical gift exchange,” the idea that God calls every member of the body of Christ to share their gifts at the common table of the world’s needs.  We need each other if we are going to provide a compelling witness to the world today.  Another way to put it is that we are “mutually impoverished” when we fail to recognize and actively partner with other members of the body.  I made the suggestion that there is a “YL-sized hole in the Catholic Church,” that the Church would be strengthened by the gifts that Young Life has to offer.  The dynamism of Young Life’s initial proclamation of the gospel to kids (the kerygma), the call to true conversion and the commitment to ongoing discipleship is precisely what the Catholic Church struggles with, according to recent research.[1] 

So it may be clear what Young Life might offer the Catholic Church in this exchange, but what do you think the Catholic Church has to offer Young Life?  This was the question posed by one of my readers who directs the office of youth ministry at a prominent metropolitan diocese in the U.S.  What do Catholics, and the long-standing religious tradition that has formed them, have to give Young Life leaders?  I could not be more excited to answer this question.  Clearly, both Young Life and the Catholic Church have something to give and receive.  By no means does Young Life see itself as the solitary antidote for the Church’s ills.  Matter of fact, I would argue that Young Life has much more to gain in the ecumenical gift exchange.

The Catholic tradition represents a veritable treasure trove of theological reflection and spiritual wisdom. Its sacramental worldview, its reconciliation of faith and reason and its commitment to justice are but a few of the gifts which our Protestant brothers and sisters would be blessed to receive and explore. Many of my Protestant friends are elated to discover the lives and teachings of Catholics who they’ve never heard of but nonetheless inspire their faith – Francis de Sales, Therese of Lisieux, Charles de Foucauld, Yves Congar, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and countless others.

Beyond its rich intellectual tradition, the Catholic Church also has an immense deposit of pastoral gifts to offer Young Life’s leaders as they pursue “every kid, everywhere.”  With over one billion Catholics worldwide, there is no bigger body of believers to welcome and support Young Life staff wherever they may find themselves. The depth of its liturgy and the intimacy of the Eucharist offers real nourishment for those who draw near. Lectio divina, the liturgy of the hours and Eucharistic adoration are incredible ways to strengthen our relationship with God and others. The Catholic Church has much to give to the mission of Young Life.

“The moment has come,” Pope John Paul II said, "for the entire body of Christ to commit to evangelization.”[2] A dynamic partnership between Young Life and the Catholic Church not only represents a significant step toward fulfilling the Great Commission, but it also has the potential to showcase the depth, beauty and sophistication of the Catholic tradition to those outside her communion. While Young Life has the potential to help reanimate the core of the Christian faith for millions of Catholics around the world, non-Catholics within Young Life might also uncover the incredible depth of spiritual wisdom and blessing as they build relationships with their Catholic friends.

Are we, as Catholics, ready to offer our gifts at the table of kids' needs?  Are we ready to enter the great ecumenical gift exchange?

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[1]             See Pew Research Center, “’Nones’ on the Rise: One in Five Adults Have No Religious Affiliation,” The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, Oct 9, 2012; Pew Research Center, “U.S. Religious Landscape Survey,” The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, Feb 2008; and Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), “Sacraments Today: Belief and Practice among U.S. Catholics,” CARA, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., cara.georgetown.edu/sacraments.html (accessed October 25, 2012).

[2]             Pope John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio (Mission of the Redeemer), 3.

A YL-Sized Hole in the Church?

Young Life leaders are fond of saying to kids, “There is a God-sized hole in your heart,” meaning that human beings were made to have God at the center of our lives.  St. Augustine said this in another way late in the fourth century, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”[1]  However and whomever says it, we all understand the basic wisdom here.  There is an inherent reciprocity between us and God.  We were made for relationship and things are going to be not quite right until we come together as we were designed. 

The same could be said for the Church.  Paul talks about the Church as one body with many parts, each made perfectly to operate in relationship with the other parts.  Even those parts we think are less important are actually, in truth, “indispensable” and worthy of special attention.[2]  The point is that no part is disposable, each plays a crucial part in the body of Christ.

Could it be that Young Life and the Catholic Church were made for one another?  Is it possible that at this point in history, the Catholic Church needs something that Young Life is uniquely (but certainly not solely) equipped to offer?  Recent research suggests this is so.  According to the Pew U.S. Religious Landscape Survey of 2008, only 30% of Americans who were raised Catholic still practice their faith today.[3]  Less than 20% of U.S. Catholics attend Mass each week.[4]  Nearly four times as many adults have left the Catholic Church as have entered it, most by the age of eighteen.

What is interesting about this data is the reason why Catholics are leaving the Church.  It is not because of controversial issues like abortion, birth control and same-sex marriage.  It is not because Catholics, by in large, take issue with Church teaching.  The CARA report reveals that our Catholic brothers and sisters are “simply drifting away from the Church.”[5]  Their spiritual needs are not being met.  Sherry Weddell of the Catherine of Sienna Institute notes that “the majority of Catholics in the United States are sacramentalized but not evangelized,” meaning they have not been called into an explicit personal, growing relationship with Christ.[6]

Young Life’s unique mission is to call adolescents into a personal relationship with Christ and help them grow in their faith.  In other words, it is uniquely equipped to evangelize and disciple.  Young Life’s bread and butter is reading the signs of the times, building real relationships, earning the right to be heard and calling kids to a life-changing, ever-growing relationship with God.  It excels at the very things the Church is struggling with.

Could it be that God is calling us into relationship?  Has the Lord set the stage for an ecumenical gift exchange where each part of the body of Christ contributes toward the common good?  I pray that we might have eyes to see and ears to hear.

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[1]             St. Augustine, Confessions, I, 1.

[2]             1 Cor 12:22-23.

[3]             Pew Research Center, “U.S. Religious Landscape Survey,” The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, Feb 2008.

[4]             Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), “Sacraments Today: Belief and Practice among U.S. Catholics,” CARA, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., cara.georgetown.edu/sacraments.html (accessed October 25, 2012).

[5]             Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, Disciples Called to Witness: The New Evangelization, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C., 2012.

[6]             Sherry A. Weddell, Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus, Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, 2012, 46.