Temptations of some good Jesus Youth (BJRE038)
Temptations of some good Jesus Youth
(By Edward Edezhath - Published in Kairos Magazine in 2021)
“Pope John Paul II, while speaking on the mission of the laity, talks about two strong temptations that most modern lay Catholics could not overcome. What do you think these temptations would be?” In many discussion groups, I have raised this question.
They would respond by mentioning a variety of modern problems: running after pleasure or money; some speak of grabbing power; others raise issues of sexual misconduct, and so on. Then, I would take “Christifideles Laici” by the Pope and read from #2. Firstly, “the temptation of being so strongly interested in Church services and tasks that some fail to become actively engaged in their responsibilities in the professional, social, cultural and political world” and “the temptation of legitimizing the unwarranted separation of faith from life.”
I often see that many of my listeners do not easily understand the big implications of what this Pope and the following Popes have been telling us strongly. “There cannot be two parallel lives . . . the so-called “spiritual” life . . . and “secular” life. . . . This split between the faith which they profess and their daily lives deserves to be counted among the most serious errors of our age” (# 59).
Such a wholesome path
In connection with Jesus Youth Coral Jubilee, we had that very innovative and interesting ‘Cluster Gathering'. Hundreds of 15 to 20 Jesus Youth clusters gathered to celebrate and share. In my cluster, we were from several countries and all age groups. Almost everyone enthusiastically shared how coming into Jesus Youth had transformed their whole life - a new family, a new purpose, and a transformed way of living. Perhaps there is an indication of what it means to integrate all aspects of your life, including spiritual, worldly, professional, familial, and talents and hobbies. In other words, helping me to live my unique life wholly and completely is what Jesus Youth is all about.
But there can be maimed imitations of something quite beautiful. Many years ago, I went to a central Indian city for seminarian sessions. Jesus Youth was not so widespread as today. Seminarians told me that at the nearby university, a group claims to have a connection with Jesus Youth. “How is your group? And what do you do?” I asked the group when I met them the next day. ‘We come together and organize games and competitions.’ A few years earlier, someone had accidentally met a Jesus Youth group, found it quite fascinating, and went back and started this group. They had no clear idea about the movement nor had any connections with it, but found the fun and game sessions of Jesus Youth quite fascinating and started a group just for that. Anyway, I don’t think that group lasted long.
The Jesus Youth Statutes discuss the movement's true nature: “The name ‘Jesus Youth’ represents the association’s emphasis on living the joy, vitality, and fullness of life discovered in Christ and sharing the Gospel in contemporary life situations.” The movement wants everyone to experience the beauty and joy of living in Jesus and offer help, sharing it with others without losing its rich flavor.
Some wrong turns
Temptations are like pits or holes while you travel on a nice road or even make wrong turns on your pilgrim journey. You get diverted or stuck, and you don’t go forward smoothly. In the personal and community pilgrimage of Jesus Youth, temporary attractions can take a person or a group away from the unique goodness and beauty of the movement. Here is my list of the ‘distracting seven.’
1. Making Jesus Youth a shallow, pious association. When I see some people mistaking Jesus Youth as the best platform to collect prayers and complete ‘numbers’ to get intentions fulfilled, I think they miss the point. The movement strongly emphasizes growing in relationship with Jesus through prayer and listening, but a mechanical ‘spirituality’ often drains the joy of life in the Trinity.
2. Crowding life with activity and its planning. Too much ‘doing’ without thought of ‘being’ can stunt one. Jesus Youth considers having a space for a personal inner journey and joyful building of relationships important settings for growth. Programs and other activities are only handmaids of that joy-filled pilgrimage.
3. Disconnecting from 'today' and youth. New initiatives have a special place in the movement, and they sprout when the Holy Spirit stirs the hearts of individuals and groups that keep their eyes, ears, and hearts open. Reading and responding to ‘signs of the times’ and being close to youth life are attitudes that keep Jesus Youth alive and relevant.
4. Forgetting its personal, relational emphasis. When the excitement of meeting others and building friendships becomes less important, Jesus Youth will turn it into a sterile institution.
5. Giving up on community building. The hardest spiritual exercise can be nurturing in me a spirituality of communion and building enduring communities. Most of us forget that a small step with this end in mind is building the body of Christ.
6. Forgetting the poor. The Bible repeats, ‘Don’t forget the poor,’ and turning to the needy has a special place in this movement.
7. Missing the mission focus: Jesus Youth specializes in helping each person find their unique path to building God’s Kingdom. And finding ever newer ways of nurturing missions is at the heart of JY’s spirituality and lifestyle.
In the familiar story of Martha and Mary, Jesus’s response to Martha’s complaint hints at something quite revealing. All good needn’t be good at a given time. So, depending on the context, some holy and excellent approaches can be big distractions. Jesus congratulated Mary, saying she discerned and chose what was best without getting distracted.
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