My View from the Back Pew

I made a Lenten resolution to attend daily Mass for every one of the 40 days. Besides giving something up, I wanted to give something back to God – not that God needs anything from us, but that our worship to Him truly benefits us.As a typical Catholic, I always try to sit in the back of the church. I've always been drawn to the view from the back pew.

As I embraced my new resolution, I immediately noticed an over-abundance of gray-haired folks devoutly participating in the sacred mysteries of our faith. I asked myself: “Where are the rest of the young people?” Then I realized that at 45, I am more a part of the graying armada sitting in front of me than I’d thought.

I decided to turn back the clock, and remembered what went through my head when I was in my early 20s. As soon as I graduated from high school, I forgot about Catholicism. The Catholic faith was not “relevant” to everyday life, I thought. Going to church on Sundays, much less during the week, was out of the question. Then I reflected on what brought me back to the faith at age 31: the encouragement of my 40-something sibling, Fred. My brother had just had a near-death experience, complete with a proverbial “I-saw-my-whole-life-flash-before-my-eyes” moment. He became a changed man, and was determined for me to change as well.I'm convinced that middle-aged church-goers like myself – old enough to be parents, aunts or uncles to this new generation of Catholics – offer youths a more immediate and direct influence than anyone else.

I propose that just as Fred told me 15 years ago, there are three habits that could help entice our young Catholics to get back in the pews.First, encourage them to spend just 15 minutes daily alone with God at church in front of the tabernacle. There is something about sitting quietly in the presence of God that makes us keep coming back for more. It's a great time to ask Jesus what He wants us to do for Him, instead what we want Him to do for us. Mother Teresa used to say, “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.”

The second habit builds on the first. As we strive to forge a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, He normally reveals to us areas in our life where we need forgiveness and healing. Invite young people to go to confession and avail themselves of God’s mercy.The third way to inject life into Catholic youths’ spirituality is devotion to Mary. There is no better way to show devotion to Mary than to pray the Rosary. The best explanation I've ever heard about it was that the Gospel mysteries are the movie, and the “Our Father” and the “Hail Mary” are its soundtrack. The fastest and quickest way to get to the heart of Jesus is through the heart of Mary.

Ultimately, the best way to make Catholicism appealing to young adults is to lead by example. And, it is precisely the example of the folks who are faithful to God and the sacramental life of the Church that we must imitate to influence the lives of our peers. I'm sure the “old-timers” who crowd our parishes for daily Mass are responsible for praying a lot of people like me and my brother Fred back to the faith. Let's not forget that one can never be too old or too young to pursue holiness