INTRODUCING
As many of you know, I experienced the bulk of my conversion as a middle school and high school student, so when I caught wind that author and blogger TJ Burdick was building a new website to act as a faith clearinghouse for youth, I offered to help in whatever way I could. TJ generously allowed me to join his team of catechists and bloggers, and I am incredibly pumped up about sharing this site with you. Check out the description:
YOUCATholic.com is a community of like-minded, traditional Catholics
that have been called to teach and learn the Gospel together using New
Media. It consists of an open forum, a leveled series’ of nine-week
courses that certified catechists have designed to feed you the meat of
your Catholic faith and various other resources that can enhance your
spiritual life. It is a formation program that allows you to get to know
your faith independently using the YOUCAT, YouTube/Vimeo and
blogging/vlogging to help guide you toward the profound truths that are
found in the Catholic Church.
Is there a young person in your life who wants to understand their Faith better? Have you been looking for a resource that you and your kids can explore together? Or maybe you are a religion teacher looking for a way to spice up your lessons? Visit YOUCATholic.com
I bet you are saying to yourself "YOUCAT, YOUCAT ... where have I heard that before?" That's the title of the Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church. Written in a lively, more-youth-engaging style, YOUCAT uses creative, youth-oriented
photos, graphics, and text to presents the Faith. Plus,YOUCAT is keyed to the Catechism, so it is easy for youth to go even deeper in
their study of the faith. Released last year, it could not have received a more stellar endorsement than the one given by Pope Benedict in its Foreword:
"I beg you: Study this Catechism with passion and perseverance. Make a sacrifice of your time for it! Study it in the quiet of your room; read it with a friend; form study groups and networks; share with each other on the Internet."
(Maybe you have heard concern voiced regarding the YOUCAT; let me refer you to this post to try and put your mind at ease.) The Church clearly has a lot of faith in this resource - she passed them out at World Youth Day in Madrid and plans to pass out over one million more at this year's event in Rio!
At YOUCATholic.com you can find exactly the kind of online community for growing in the Faith envisioned by Pope Benedict. Here's the list of topics in Course 101:
- Why did God create you?
- Does God Exist?
- Was Jesus really God?
- Why are Mary and the Saints so important?
- Are non-Catholics saved?
- Why do Christians get baptized?
- Why Confirmation?
- Why is the Eucharist so important?
- Final reflections
Click on any of those and you will find a story from real life, reflection questions, video, references to paragraphs in the YOUCAT with comprehension checks, and a final question for journaling. (And I am honored to say that your's truly wrote Course 202.) But don't be content with my measly explanation of the site - check it out for yourself! YOUCATholic.com
I have been reflecting upon the great people the
Lord brought across my path early in life. One of the most influential, to
whom I return again and again in my mind, was Paul Masek. He was an extraordinary mentor; if you read The God Who is Love
, then
you already know how he offered me encouragement and direction at critical
junctures.
I was reminded of Paul again at Mass this past
Sunday, when the music leader performed a version of Psalm 23, "The Lord
is my Shepherd." When I was starting high school things were pretty
rough. I had
seriously committed my life to Jesus about a year before and was heading
into high school with a reputation of being seriously over-religious.
(Translation: I read the Bible and was very excited to share what
God
was doing in my life.) In 1987, even in a Catholic school, that put you on the outside of a lot of social groups.
I
had been introduced to Paul, a young, Catholic youth minister, about a
month before freshman year; and we became fast friends. When I shared my struggles at
school with him he reminded me of the final line in Psalm 23, "Surely
goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will
dwell in the house of the LORD forever" (23:6), and then he broke it
open for me: "The psalm says that goodness 'follows'
us all the days of our lives - but have to turn around to see it.
Often times, in the moment, we cannot recognize the good that God is
bringing about. It's only after time passes and we look back, that
we're able to see it."
And he was right. God was deepening my
commitment to
Him by letting me experience resistance. He helped me to
understand, from the start, that committing yourself to following Jesus -
what so many people imagine as "playing it safe" - is the most radical,
revolutionary thing a human being can do. Looking back I
wouldn't trade those early days for anything. God walked with me and
held me incredibly close throughout. And in the end,
high school turned out to be a good experience - both spiritually and
socially; but those are stories for another time. "We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose" (Rom.8:28). That is true for every one of us, even those who leave this world as martyrs.
Paul Masek is a guy worth getting to know. I highly recommend checking out his blog, book, and the amazing retreat team he heads up, R.E.A.P. (of which yours truly was blessed to be an original member a couple of decades back!).
