Jesus' public ministry began at the age of 30. Today, Rozann Carter comments on the significance of that milestone age, as well as the importance of spiritual preparation in the years leading up to it.
My brother turns 30 today.
As I thought about how to commemorate this great milestone in his life, I was reminded of the fact that Jesus began his public ministry around the time that he turned 30 (Luke 3:23). At age 30, he “officially” entered into the public sphere, preaching, teaching, healing, working miracles, and inadvertently making himself a target for opposition from the resistant culture to whom he ministered. It was the beginning of his road to Calvary and the fulfillment of his “mission” here on earth, the coming to fruition of the Incarnation. At 30, he took leave from his mother and father and did what needed to be done…to achieve the salvation of the world. But, as I thought about this in terms of my brother (and that quickly approaching birthday for myself and a good portion of my friends) I wondered about the significance of that year. Why 30? Perhaps more importantly, though, I wondered what Jesus was doing from age 1-29 and what that means for each of us...
Today, Father Steve takes a look at a recent CNN article about the religious phenomenon among young adults that author Kenda Creasy Dean calls "fake" Christianity. He offers his commentary on this therapeutic "gospel of niceness," describing how we got to this point and where we go from here.
A
story recently appeared on CNN which reported on the phenomena of “morally therapeutic deism” masquerading as Christian faith among teens and young adults. This “fake” form of Christianity is having a deleterious effect on the nation’s churches according to Kenda Creasy Dean, who has authored a study of this trend in a new book entitled
Almost Christian. Dean laments that in terms of three out of four American teens who call themselves Christian, fewer than half practice their faith, deem it important to their lives, and cannot talk coherently about their beliefs. The survey included Catholics and Protestants from both conservative and liberal congregations. Responding to critics who noted that teens and young adults cannot talk coherently about any deep subject, Dean retorted that this is simply not true. “They can talk about money, sex, their family relationships with nuance.” I would add to this from my own experience that teens and young adults can demonstrate at times rather sophisticated takes on everything from politics to entertainment to sports, but ask them about the content of the Christian Faith and its meaning, and there are usually two responses: blustery opinions about “religion” that parrot the mainstream media’s emphasis on whatever is trending at the moment and wide eyed silence...
Father Barron's
Faith Clips series will be featured on the EWTN Television Network this week. In this program, Father answers a series of questions related to five theological topics: God, The Trinity, Jesus, The Spiritual Life, and Prayer.
Throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe, the
Faith Clips series will air from Monday, August 30, to Friday, September 3. In the US, the program will be featured at 3:00 am and 6:30 pm (Eastern Time). Check your local affiliate for details or click
here to go to
EWTN's website.
Faith Clips are a great resource for learning more about the foundational truths of the Catholic faith. Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity!
Today is the Feast of St. Augustine, a very prominent figure in the history of the Church. Father Steve reflects on St. Augustine's own history, his conversion, and the lesson that his witness continues to teach us, the restless seekers of the present day.
“And what is this God? I asked the earth and it answered: 'I am not God; and all the things in the earth made the same confession.' I asked the sea and the deeps and creeping things, and they answered: 'We are not your God, seek higher.' I asked the winds that blow, and the whole air with all that is in it and the wind answered: 'I am not God.' I asked the heavens, the sun, the moon, the stars and they answered: 'Neither are we God whom you seek.' So I asked all those things that entice the senses: 'Tell me then of this Mysterious One that I search for.' And all cried out to me in one great voice: 'God made us and God made you…'”