10/18/14

I went to my first Saturday service at St. Philip today, which I thought I'd check out since I won't be able to make it tomorrow. Fr. Bill was officiating this time. Fr. Bill is the youngest of the three priests at St. Philip, and his role is to help reach out to young adults and get them interested in the Catholic Church. He seems like a nice guy, but to be honest, I prefer the approach of the older priests, especially Fr. Michael.

I suppose part of it is because I'm already an old man at heart (my nickname isn't Jiji, Japanese for 'old man,' for nothing), but I feel like I connect more with Fr. Michael. We're on a similar wavelength, and I get the sense that his spiritual life is both practical and contemplative. His secret, which isn't much of a secret since he mentioned it during the last B- meeting, is a combination of his experience with AA and his willingness to incorporate other spiritual practices with Christian contemplativism.

I guess what attracts me to the Church, and to the people in it, probably isn't the same as what attracts most younger adults. It's not that younger people aren't altogether interested in the more contemplative side of Christian spirituality, but my level of interest in that and Christian monasticism seems rather unique among people my age. What's drawn me to the Church is its mysticism and the spirit of contemplation and renunciation underlying it, the willingness to give up rather than acquire.

But it got me thinking about what kept me away for so long, and the first thing that came to mind is the Catholic Church's stance on women ordination, birth control, same-sex relationships, etc. Most young adults in my generation are decidedly against any kind of discrimination. Things like the refusal of the Catholic Church (among others) to even consider women priests (gender discrimination) and its opposition to same-sex relationships (discrimination based on sexual orientation) immediately put off many young adults, and rightly so in my opinion.

Bridging that gap is difficult. Because of the way it's structured, the institution of the Catholic Church takes a long time to change, even when prompted by the pope. Old habits die hard, and old prejudices and traditions remain long after they should, becoming obstacles to growth and relevancy. Reaching out to young adults and getting them interested is a good start, but I think it's going to take a lot more to keep them involved.