Better to Follow Jesus from Youth + Gen Z Revival!
Lent Day 7 (2/28)- 40 Days w/ 'The Art of Dying Well' by St. Robert Bellarmine
CHAPTER I. HE WHO DESIRES TO DIE WELL, MUST LIVE WELL (Part 3)
“We must acknowledge that it is a most dangerous thing to delay our conversion till death…
Far more happy are they who begin to carry the yoke of the Lord ‘from their youth,’
as Jeremiah said; and exceedingly blessed are those, "who were not defiled with women, and in whose mouth there was found no lie: for they are without spot before the throne of God. These were purchased from among men, the first-fruits to God and to the Lamb." (Apoc. xiv.4, 5.) Such were Jeremias, and St. John, "more than a prophet;" and above all, the Mother of our Lord, as well as many more whom God alone knows. This first great truth now remains established, that a good death depends upon a good life.”
Congratulations! You have just completed the first chapter of “The Art of Dying Well.” If you missed any days, feel free to catch up here.
As Bellarmine concludes the chapter, he makes the point that people who actively follow Jesus from their youth are simply more joyful. This fact not only gives them a happier life, but also a happier death. The martyrs of the ancient church reveal this truth well. They lived well by joyfully feeding the poor, launching hospitals for the sick, rescuing babies from the city dump, and above all, by worshiping and following Jesus who brought fulfillment to their deepest identity. (By the way, we believe God completes human nature. In the same way that fish need to swim in water and birds need to fly in spacious skies, we need God in us and around us to thrive and flourish!). The ancient martyrs also died well by forgiving their executioners, by sharing the Gospel with their dying words, and by having a peaceful countenance as they were surrounded by flames or the sword or wild beasts.
St. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna (located in modern Turkey), is a terrific example. He was a disciple of the Apostle John in his early life (in the 80s/90s AD) and was martyred around the year 160 AD. While standing in the Roman gladiator stadium, the Proconsul said to Polycarp, “Reproach Christ, and I will set you free.” The elderly bishop replied, “86 years have I served him, and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?” The account goes on to say that they attempted to nail Polycarp to a pole to burn him alive, but he convinced them that he would not run, but simply offer up his body as a loving sacrifice to the Lord. (He sounds a lot like his bishop friend, St. Ignatius of Antioch, when he was martyred in 107AD; St. Polycarp would have been about 33 years old at the time). When the flames surrounded him, the Lord protected him from harm like the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego long ago. Eventually, the Romans decided to take a sword and stab him. Though this did kill him, his blood poured out in such a way to extinguish the flames. The ancient Christians gathered his remains and honored his relics as something more precious than gold. You can read the full account of The Martyrdom of St. Polycarp here.
I share this story with you, because Polycarp is a great example of following Christ his entire life. He never personally knew Jesus like the apostles did, but he did personally know the Apostle John from an early age and remained faithful as a pastor and bishop until his martyrdom. It is also possible that St. Polycarp was baptized as an infant or young child (some accounts even say he was baptized by Apostle John!) since he states that he followed Jesus for 86 years. We obviously cannot say for sure. Nevertheless, because of his lifelong devotion and love to Jesus Christ, his death was not only happy, but it was also a witness to the power and glory of Christ! (The word ‘martyr’ means ‘to witness or testify’ by the way in Greek). I am sure that there were some pagan Roman soldiers and those in the audience who became a Christian that day. St. Polycarp shows us today how a life taken captive by Jesus Christ from youth can deeply change the world.
Generation Z Revival (?): Speaking of following Christ from our youth, Christianity Today recently reported that spiritual revivals (beginning at Asbury College) among Generation Z (born between 1997 to 2013) have all the signs of beginning. College students are repenting of sins, praying for one another, and showing a great longing and hunger for the Lord. From a Catholic perspective, repentance and confession along with prayer and fasting is always a good thing. The Catholic bishops have also seen this with young Catholic Christians particularly with FOCUS, an organization that equips college students to be missionary disciples on their campuses. The most recent SEEK Conference (Jan 3-6, 2023 & put on by FOCUS) revealed this great excitement and desperation for the Lord from young people.
Some might ask, “Why is this happening now?” As I discuss in my recent video on revival (see below),
pandemics often come before outbreaks of renewal in the Church. Generation Z has been hit hard in multiple areas—a global pandemic, a greater collapse of the family, internet related addictions (porn/shopping/obsession with self-image, eternal distractions), and very high rates of suicide, depression and anxiety. Christianity Today reported, “For people ages 10 to 24, suicide rates increased almost 60 percent between 2007 and 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control, and Gen Z is about twice as likely as Americans over 25 to battle depression and feelings of hopelessness, according to the Walton Family Foundation and Murmuration.” Because of this stark reality, there is a desperation among Gen Z to find something real in the land of illusion. Like Neo, they are trying to escape the Matrix in order to find Morpheus & Zion (i.e. What is the REAL).
But Gen Z will need to be reminded that at every revival a cross is given to be carried. When Neo finally escaped the Matrix, he did not find comforts on a cruise ship, but a cold war ship with cream of wheat every morning. He found the ‘Desert of the Real’ as Morpheus tells him. After the Resurrection and Pentecost, the disciples found themselves beaten, imprisoned, and eventually martyred for Christ. Yet despite the external prisons and persecutions, inwardly, they found a Paradise and the priceless joy of the Holy Spirit working within them.
As Bellarmine reminds us “Far more happy are they who begin to carry the yoke of the Lord ‘from their youth.”
May this generation of youth find this to be true today, tomorrow, and into eternity.
Be entirely and forever His,
Kyle
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