Young People: The Church of Today

BY DAVID O’BRIEN

It is not uncommon to hear young people referred to as the "Church of Tomorrow." This futuristic designation seems odd, as if they aren’t part of our church right now.

Almost all graduating seniors are fully initiated into our Catholic community. They received Confirmation in 8th grade and we told them: "Now you are adults in the Church." Still, they carry the moniker of the "future church".

Is it because we anticipate that they will stray during these years of self discovery?

Is it because they are in a time of transition where their commitments are short term?

I wonder if the "church of today" designation doesn’t fully kick in until you receive your first envelopes.

During May, young people are "commencing" the rest of their lives. They are receiving diplomas, celebrating their achievements, listening to speeches about making a difference in the world, and preparing themselves for Part Two of their lives.

But let’s not forget that these young people are not simply children of the future or emerging adults. They are dynamic, inspiring, creative, hard-working Catholic Christians who are doing the work of Christ right now. Take for example these instances:

1. ) When September 11 happened and the adults from my town in New Jersey watched the towers fall with their own eyes, it was the teenagers who sprang to action. Two days later, they set up collection stations for donated items, created a memorial board that was featured on all the TV networks, designed t-shirts and headbands that created a sense of solidarity, and took center stage during a regional ecumenical prayer service.

While most adults stood paralyzed in horror and shock, these 16 and 17 year olds were ready and able to be God’s first responders in the shadow of Ground Zero. The army of God reporting for duty, sir.

2.) A young man with a rough upbringing rode his athletic ability from high school into the National Hockey League. Rich and successful on one level, he suffered with tremendous anger and loneliness. His uncontrolled raging landed him in prison convicted of attempted murder.

Once paroled, he hoped to attend college and play hockey again. Finally, one Catholic college in Canada offered him a probationary chance, the coaches and administration doubting he would make it through the first semester. But his teammates and other students on campus, 18-21 year olds, took him under their wings. They welcomed him like a returning Prodigal Son, gave him the family he never had and loved him back to life.

He is not the hockey player he once was. He is, however, considering a PhD program in psychology, having found he had a gift for academic study.

3.) Finally, consider the wisdom of this teenage girl who wrote this poem Slow Dance from a hospital in New York City.

"Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round? Or listened to the rain slapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight? Or gazed at the sun into the fading night? You better slow down. Don’t dance so fast. Time is short. The music won’t last.

Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask: "How are you?" Do you hear the reply? When the day is done do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? You’d better slow down, don’t dance so fast. Time is short. The music won’t last.

Ever told your child: "We’ll do it tomorrow?" And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch, let a good friendship die cause you never had time to call and say,"Hi". You’d better slow down. Don’t dance so fast. Time is short. The music won’t last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere, you miss half the fun of getting there. When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift....thrown away. Life is not a race. Do take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over."

The Church of Tomorrow? I don’t think so.

About David O’Brien David O’Brien is the Associate Director of Religious Education for Lay Ministry for the Archdiocese of Mobile. His column, Everyday Faith, appears regularly in the archdiocesan newspaper, the Catholic Week. Email David at dobrien@mobilearchdiocese.org.

Disaster Fatigue

BY DAVID O’BRIEN

The tornado siren located 50 yards from my front door went off this morning.  I looked out the window to see if a funnel cloud was bearing down on my neighborhood.  Gratefully, a loudspeaker blurted out over the noise of the siren:  “This is a test, this is only a test.”

I took those words to heart.  “A test?  What test?  Are you testing us, Lord?”

I must admit I am a little catastrophe fatigued these days, what with round the clock coverage of every earthquake, tornado, flood, hurricane, tsunami, nuclear meltdown, oil spill, war, and government shutdown.  I feel like I can’t take it anymore.

My email inbox fills up each day with 15 appeals to de-fund somebody or something—the Republicans, the Democrats, Obama, Planned Parenthood, Hollywood, National Public Radio, Wall Street, the banks, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, the EPA, the NRA, factory farms, coal power plants, oil companies, BP, Sarah Palin, the Tea Party, the car companies, the Federal Reserve, and my favorite, Disney, who you know are extremists trying to destroy the family.

I sign every petition to keep from being labeled.

My email inbox today included this subject heading:  “Excellent pics of tornado”.  I opened it and I recognized the first question in my “test” from the Lord.  Are you going to allow these pictures to penetrate you or will you just move onto the next thing like the news on TV?

I didn’t like that question.

“What was I supposed to do?  I don’t live near Tuscaloosa or Birmingham.  I have responsibilities of my own.  People much closer to me are still hurting from the oil spill and I don’t know how to help them either.  Maybe I could write a check.  I did that for the Japanese last month.  Yes, that is what I will do.  Isn’t that enough, Lord?”

My co-worker told me she heard about some teens in Semmes who collected donated items until they filled a tractor trailer for the victims of the tornado.

The word is that Catholic Social Services is doing the same.  (Check this issue of The Catholic Week for details in your area.)

Even Walmart has a sign on a bin outside their doors asking for donations.  My co-worker filled an extra shopping cart with household goods because she thought “it could’ve been any one of us”.

“Lord, am I my brother’s keeper?  And if I am, how am I supposed to keep up with all my brother’s needs?”

The next set of test questions from God:  Who matters?  Who moves you to action?  Family members?  Children?  Your friends?  People who look like they are really suffering?

“I don’t think I like this test, Lord.  Could you ease up a little?  I’m doing my best.”

A girl in Tuscaloosa was looking through the wreckage for her prom gown.  She cried because her search was hopeless.  Someone called the TV station and connected with this stricken teenager on the phone.  He offered to pay for a new prom dress for her and for any other girls who needed one.

Bonus Test Question:  If you cannot fix everything, does it justify doing nothing?

“Ok, God.  I think I’m starting to understand.  Because of my relationship with You, these people are my family and I cannot just delete the emails or change the channel to ESPN.  I have to allow You to break my heart so that I can escape my little world of self focused concerns.  The lawn will still be there next week.  The work on my desk isn’t going anywhere.  But these people need me now.  Today.”

Just because the funnel cloud didn’t come down in my backyard doesn’t mean it’s not my problem.  I might not be able to do everything but I can do something.

A young woman who lost her husband and children in a tragic car accident once told me that she used to say:  “There but for the grace of God, go I.”  But now, after years of prayer and healing she says:  “There, with the grace of God, I will go.”

“Maybe that is what you are trying to tell me, Jesus.  You are stretching my heart to include the people you care about.  And you care about everyone.  Everyone matters.  Everyone deserves my attention and my compassion.   Is that why You set off that siren this morning and woke me up for this test?”

I guess I’ll only find out by doing something to help those in need today, and the next people you send my way, and the next….

About David O’Brien David O’Brien is the Associate Director of Religious Education for Lay Ministry for the Archdiocese of Mobile. His column, Everyday Faith, appears regularly in the archdiocesan newspaper, the Catholic Week. Email David at dobrien@mobilearchdiocese.org.

What About Those "Extra" Books in the Bible?

BY JOHN MARTIGNONI

Question:  I was chatting with a friend today about the seven books that Protestants exclude from the bible - and was asked a question I could not answer. I took your advice and did not "wing it". He asked where those books were quoted by writers of the New Testament. How should I respond?

Answer: The correct response to that question is: "What does it matter if those books are quoted by writers of the New Testament or not? Is being quoted in the New Testament the criteria for determining whether or not an Old Testament book should be considered part of the inspired canon?"

If he answers, "Yes," then all you have to do is say, "Well, let me ask you this: Do you consider Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Obadiah, Zephaniah, Judges, 1st Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Lamentations, and Nahum to be part of the Old Testament?" He will, of course, answer that he does. Then you simply say, "Well, none of them are quoted in the New Testament, so, by your criteria they cannot be considered part of the O.T. canon."

Then, ask him by what authority Martin Luther threw out those 7 books of the Old Testament that all Christians, everywhere, had considered as part of the Bible since the Bible was put together in the early centuries of Christianity? He had no authority to do such a thing, other than that which he rendered unto himself.

After all of that, you can tell him that there are a number of places in the New Testament that refer directly or indirectly to passages from these seven O.T. books (Judith, Tobit, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and 1 & 2 Maccabees).  For example:

Heb 11:35 – speaks of women receiving their dead by resurrection and that some refused to give in to their torturers that they might rise to a better life.  Just so happens, that is referring to an incident in 2 Maccabees 7:24-29.  

One of the main themes of the Our Father - forgive others so that you may be forgiven - as found in Matthew 6:14, is clearly derived from Sirach 28:2.  

The words of Matthew 27:39-43, relating an incident that occurred when Jesus was hanging on the Cross, make the words of Wisdom 2:16-20 seem to be very prophetic indeed.

In Romans 1:20, Paul clearly has the words from Wisdom 13:1 in mind, regarding men being able to know of the existence of God by the observance of nature.  In fact, the whole passage of Romans 1:20-32 seems to be pulled from chapters 13 and 14 of Wisdom.  Also, we see that James 1:19, about being quick to hear and slow to speak, comes straight from Sirach 5:11-13.

So, right there we have examples of three of the books that Protestants refer to as being “apocryphal,” being quoted directly or indirectly, in the New Testament.  There are other examples that I could have used as well, but those suffice to make the case.  

Which means that if someone wants to justify eliminating the seven books that Catholic Bibles have that Protestant Bibles do not have, by claiming they are not quoted in the New Testament, then they have a bit of a problem.  Because, as I’ve shown, there are Old Testament books accepted as canonical by the Protestants that are not quoted in the New Testament, and there are Old Testament books not accepted as canonical by the Protestants, that are quoted in the New Testament.   

About John Martignoni John Martignoni is the Director of the Office of Evangelization for the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama and also the President of the Bible Christian Society. John's column, Apologetics 101, appears regularly in the diocesan newspaper, the One Voice.  If you have a question about the Catholic Faith, please send an email to: jmartignoni@bhmdiocese.org.  And check out John's free audio and written apologetics materials at: www.biblechristiansociety.com.

Mary: Mediatrix and Co-Redemptrix.

BY JOHN MARTIGNONI

Question: My brother, who has left the faith, is particularly hung up on Catholic teaching about Mary. He gets really irritated by all of the various titles we give Mary: Queen of Heaven, Mother of God, Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix, Ark of the New Covenant, and so on. Do you have any suggestions as to what I can say to him about all of this?

Answer: This week I’ll speak about Mary as Mediatrix and Co-Redemptrix. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), it states the following: “This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect. Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation…Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix,” (CCC #969).

Mary is called Mediatrix because she continually aids us, her children, through her prayers and intercession. Lest anyone should think, however, that by calling Mary “Mediatrix” we are putting her on an equal par with Jesus, the Mediator, the Catechism specifically addresses that complaint: “Mary’s function as mother of men in no way obscures or diminishes this unique mediation of Christ, but rather shows its power…No creature could ever be counted along with the Incarnate Word and Redeemer, but just as the priesthood of Christ is shared in various ways both by his ministers and the faithful…so also the unique mediation of the Redeemer does not exclude but rather gives rise to a manifold cooperation which is but a sharing in this one source,” (CCC #970).

In other words, Mary cooperates with the unique mediation of Christ between God and man, as do many others. Mary is given the special title of “Mediatrix,” though, because of her unique role in that cooperation with her Son. It was, after all, her, “Yes,” to God that allowed Jesus to become the one Mediator between God and man.

And that is the reason she is also referred to by many as Co-Redemptrix. This is the title that I have found most often offends the sensibilities of other Christians, and is most often misunderstood by many Catholics. I had a Catholic caller to my radio program last week (2:00-4:00 PM, Mondays, on 1480 AM in Birmingham), who objected to calling Mary “Co-Redemptrix” because “that puts her on an equal footing with Jesus.” I asked her one simple question: “Does the co-pilot of an airplane have the same standing and authority as the pilot of the plane?”

She thought for a second and then said, “No.” The same logic applies to the title of Co-Redemptrix.” The prefix “co,” means “with.” It does not mean “is equal to.” In a few of Paul’s letters he mentions his “co-workers.” These people do not, however, have equal authority and standing with Paul, rather they are simply working with him. Neither does Mary have the same standing or authority as Jesus. Rather she worked with Him, she cooperated with Him, in a unique way, in His role as Redeemer. Thus the title, Co-Redemptrix – “with” the Redeemer.

Mary played a unique role in our redemption. God gave us His Son, through Mary. Salvation…Redemption…came into the world through Mary. That can be said of no one else in the history of mankind. That fact of salvation history is what the title, Co-Redemptrix, reflects. That title in no way declares, or even implies, that Mary is equal to Jesus.

About John Martignoni
John Martignoni is the Director of the Office of Evangelization for the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama and also the President of the Bible Christian Society. John's column, Apologetics 101, appears regularly in the diocesan newspaper, the One Voice.  If you have a question about the Catholic Faith, please send an email to: jmartignoni@bhmdiocese.org.  And check out John's free audio and written apologetics materials at: www.biblechristiansociety.com.

Caught Red Handed

I got caught drinking in 8th grade.

A group of six students gathered in the back of the classroom in the enclosed "reading corner". Taking advantage of a substitute teacher, one boy produced a fl ask of "kamikaze" and proceeded to pass it around. I watched as each of my peers indulged in the forbidden spirits. I had little interest in drinking "kamikaze" but at 13 years old, I didn’t have the intestinal fortitude to be the first to turn it down.

Tentatively, I put the fl ask to my lips and let the liquor seep into my mouth. All I remember is that my esophagus burned and it didn’t taste like Hi-C grape juice-my beverage of choice in junior high.

The next morning, Mr. Petrella, the regular teacher, was back and somehow he knew.

One by one he called us up to the judgment seat next to his oversized desk. When my turn arrived, he said: "Of all the people, I’m most disappointed in you, David." Ouch. "And we are going to have to call your parents."

Great. Not only had I shattered my relationship with my teacher, but now I was going to have to explain the "kamikaze" to my Mom and Dad.

When I came home, I told my older sister: "Carol, I got caught drinking in school."

"You did what?" she replied.

"Yeah, I know and now they are going to call Mommy and Daddy. I’m dead," I explained in hysterics.

Carol responded: "Don’t worry, let me tell them."

"NO, no way. Don’t say anything. I’ll tell them." Just then my Father returned home from work.

Carol let loose, "Daddy, David has something to tell you."

My Father walked over to me and stood 10 feet tall as I tried to shrink into the fi bers of our shaggy carpet. "What happened, David?" he asked.

I hemmed and hawed, looking everywhere but into his eyes.

"What happened?" he insisted. Once again I beat around the bush, describing the back reading room and the other students who were sitting there with me.

"What happened?" he insisted. I finally looked up and cringed. "I got caught drinking in school today."

At that moment I expected my Father to separate my head from my body. Or maybe he would say something that would hurt worse such as "you’re such a disappointment. Why can’t you be like your sisters?"

Shockingly though, my Father instead asked me if I had learned my lesson. I assured him that I had. He probed me to see if I would ever do such a stupid thing again. I swore I never would. Just then the phone rang. He picked it up.

"Yes, yes, this is Mr. O’Brien," he answered with parental authority. I knew immediately it was the school making good on their threat to call. "Yes, we have spoken about it and he will be sternly reprimanded. Punished severely." He hung up the phone.

"Punished severely," I said sheepishly. "Dad, I thought we were good?"

He answered with tenderness in his voice: "I just told them that because that is what they wanted to hear. But listen...don’t tell your Mother."

Many bad decisions later, after years away from God and the church, I found myself on a retreat where a speaker described a father who forgave a prodigal son. I thought to myself, I believe God is like that. After all, my own Dad forgave me. He showed me mercy and kindness when I rightfully deserved to be thrashed. If my Dad can forgive me, maybe God will take me back.

Hours later I went to confession for the first time in years, unloading a myriad of sins that were far more destructive than a sip of booze in a back room. And just as I had hoped, the Lord welcomed me back, accepting me in all my stupidity, confusion and moral cowardice. Just like my Dad. He loved me when I didn’t deserve it. He showed me that I was more important to Him than my sin. He proved to me that He would always take me back if I trusted in His mercy.

Since then, I’ve never stopped trusting in God’s Divine Mercy. Nor did I ever drink in school again. And no, I didn’t tell my Mother.

About David O’Brien
David O’Brien is the Associate Director of Religious Education for Lay Ministry for the Archdiocese of Mobile. His column, Everyday Faith, appears regularly in the archdiocesan newspaper, the Catholic Week. Email David at dobrien@mobilearchdiocese.org.

What About Mary?

BY JOHN MARTIGNONI

Question:  My brother, who has left the faith, is particularly hung up on Catholic teaching about Mary.  He gets really irritated by all of the various titles we give Mary: Queen of Heaven, Mother of God, Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix, Ark of the New Covenant, and so on.  Do you have any suggestions as to what I can say to him about all of this?

Answer:  I’ve touched on two of those titles in this column in the past – Queen of Heaven and Mother of God – so I’ll talk about Mary as the Ark of the New Covenant in this column and look at Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix maybe next week.

To demonstrate to your brother that Mary is indeed the Ark of the New Covenant, you need to make him aware of a fascinating parallel in Scripture that is found in 2 Samuel, chapter 6, and Luke, chapter 1.  When you compare these two passages, it is readily apparent that Luke indeed intended to make the connection between the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament, and the Ark of the New Covenant, Mary.

Let’s look at those parallel passages.  First, 2 Sam 6:2, “And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God.”  The parallel verse in Luke is: Luke 1:39, “Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah.”

Now, at first glance, the parallel in those two verses is not readily apparent, but when you realize that Baale-judah is a city in the hill country of Judah, the parallel is obvious.  David arose.  Mary arose.  The ark of God was being kept in the hill country, in a city of Judah.  Mary went into the hill country, to a city of Judah.

2 Sam 6:9, “And [David] said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?”  The parallel verse is: Luke 1:43, “[Elizabeth said] And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”  

2 Sam 6:10, “David took [the ark] aside to the house of Obededom the Gittite.  Parallel verse: Luke 1:40, “And [Mary] entered the house of Zechariah.”

2 Sam 6:11, “And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months.”  Parallel verse: Luke 1:56, “And Mary remained with her about three months.”

2 Sam 6:12, “So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom to the city of David with rejoicing.”  Parallel verse: Luke 1:47, “And my spirit rejoices.”

2 Sam 6:15, “So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting.”  Parallel verse: Luke 1:42, “And [Elizabeth] exclaimed with a loud cry.”

2 Sam 6:16, “And saw King David leaping and dancing.”  Parallel verse: Luke 1:41, “And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb.”  David leaps before the Ark of the Lord.  Elizabeth’s baby, John the Baptist, leaps before the New Ark of the Lord.

To read those two passages, side-by-side, and deny that Luke is making a connection between the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament and Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant, one would have to pretty much suspend logic and common sense.  But, there is still another passage that makes the connection, and that is Revelation 11:19 and 12:1-5.  The Ark of the Covenant is seen in God’s temple in Heaven in Rev 11:19, and in the very next verse, Rev 12:1, a woman is seen in Heaven.  What woman?  The woman who brought forth the male child Who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron – Mary.  Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant.

About John Martignoni
John Martignoni is the Director of the Office of Evangelization for the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama and also the President of the Bible Christian Society. John's column, Apologetics 101, appears regularly in the diocesan newspaper, the One Voice.  If you have a question about the Catholic Faith, please send an email to: jmartignoni@bhmdiocese.org.  And check out John's free audio and written apologetics materials at: www.biblechristiansociety.com.