Fourth Sunday of Lent

From a faith perspective, there are many prodigal sons (and daughters) in our world today.  A recent Pew survey cited by Bishop Robert Barron indicates that 50% of baptized and confirmed Catholics under the age of 30 in our country consider themselves “unaffiliated” (they claim no religion).  Often this happens before their 20th birthdays.  The median age when they are opting out of the Catholic Church is at the age of 13!  It is no surprise that Bishop Barron cites this as one of the most pressing challenges that the Catholic Church faces today.

We all know a prodigal son or daughter.  Many were sheltered and spiritually nourished in the Christian faith as they were growing up but no longer associate themselves with the Catholic Church.  These prodigals benefited from the precious inheritance of the treasures of the faith when they were growing up.  We hope the benefits they received continue to inform their decisions and bear fruit in their lives.  We hope that at some point in their lives they will recognize the gifts of faith they have been given and rejoin their Church family.   And may they be lovingly embraced when they do!

In the meantime what may we do to help stem the tide of disaffiliation by our young people?  Bishop Barron recommends one way is getting young people involved in works of justice.  Invite them to join you in serving at a soup kitchen or helping out at a shelter.  Our parish has a tradition of offering various opportunities to do this during our annual Seton Day of Mercy.  

Another way to help young people understand the riches of our Catholic faith tradition is to share with them about Catholics who have made a difference in the world.  People like Saints Teresa of Calcutta, Peter Claver, Kathryn Drexel and Martin de Porres.  And others that Bishop Barron mentions are Jacques Maritain, Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, Reynold Hillenbrand and Rose Hawthorne.

To learn more about this topic, watch Bishop Robert Barron's talk given at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress on March 22, 2019 here: https://youtu.be/lPwabh2wBvg.

Elisabeth Groot is Director of Adult Faith Formation at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church in Carmel.