I won’t pretend or propose that all of our nation’s youth are similarly so; but, then again, I’m not sure that a significant or majority of our youth ever has been. 

But, let’s take our victories and our truths where we may, and let’s celebrate and thank God for the many youth across the country in similar summer Youth Work Camps who have stepped-up-to- the plate and have pitched-in and contributed to making this earth a better place.  Truly, these kids have been the face, the body, the feet and the hands of Christ Jesus Himself in offering compassion and assistance to those most needy amongst us. 

 For a week, I had the pleasure and the blessing of working shoulder-to-shoulder with a handful of our Diocese’s children, in gloriously back-breaking physical labor, building wheelchair ramps.  Trust me, it was real work.  In the hottest of June sun, we dug holes, pounded nails, sawed wood, tightened bolts, mixed and poured cement, and the like.   It was truly hard work; at night, when head finally found pillow, we were rewarded with blissful sleep in much deserved slumber.  These kids made our Diocese proud! 

 Yet, being the curmudgeonly hack that I am, I do have a bone to pick with many of the youth I met, and, frankly, I sincerely doubt it is their entire fault!  I wonder if it’s their fault at all. 

 You see, I had more than just several conversations with these youth about war.  No, I didn’t seek to pick fights or stir up controversy, for my pleasure or amusement.  In fact, I didn’t initiate these conversations at all.  And, no, I also didn’t speak to them about Abortion or Drugs or Social Justice or anything else provocative of that nature.  You see, the kids brought up themselves the topic of our American wars.  And, believe it or not, I tried to mind my own business and for the most part, I didn’t engage in conversation with them about their dialogues.  I just listened.

 The conversations typically went something like this:  The kids were talking amongst themselves about their future plans, be it college or otherwise.  Inevitably, many mentioned they were actively seeking to pursue military service.  Some insisted that they saw the military as a means or an avenue for achieving social and economic advancement – they couldn’t afford college or trade school otherwise.  One girl in particular was saddened by the fact that she was physically ineligible to join the Air Force due to her physical ailments and pre-conditions.  One young man insisted that his family had fought in virtually every American conflict and war since the French-Indian War and that he saw it as his duty to fight for his country: “If my country calls me, I’ll be proud to fight on her behalf.” 

They were all sincere, and you didn’t get the sense that any one of them at all harbored any malevolent feelings or ideas; these are not mass murderers or psychopaths seeking opportunity to maim, murder or maraud.   These are truly good young men and women who want to serve their country. 

But, being youngsters, they harbored some romantic notions of war.  The boys were full of knowledge about particular weapons and calibers and how certain weapons and bombs were more efficient in killing than others; the girls were a bit more pragmatic and spoke of how they wanted to be officers and plan and execute wars instead of engaging in the actual combat themselves. 

As I’m a bit older than they, and a bit more experienced, I gently asked them if they’d ever considered whether our latest American wars were just or moral.  I asked them if they had ever studied what either Pope John Paul II or Pope Benedict XVI had written or spoken of these particular wars. 

What saddened me to my very core was when, without exception, each of these fine youth responded that my questions were not only irrelevant, but inappropriate.  There was NO doubt amongst any of them that our current American wars are not only legal and moral, but Christian in nature.  They didn’t want to talk about this at all; and when I gave one last attempt to try and discuss the Catholic concept of Just War, they were not impressed and ended the topic of discussion.

Apparently, it is quite one thing to expect our Catholic children to engage in war; and it is an entirely other to ever discuss or reason with them regarding Catholic theology concerning under what circumstances and when such wars may be permissible and moral.  It would seem that our Christian Church fully expects our children to fully participate in each and every war.  No questions asked. 

I find it maddening and disheartening, if not just downright depressing, that this group of our finest children represented at this Youth Work Camp would deflect all thought regarding moral responsibility.  This group of kids who so unselfishly offered their time and strength and youth to represent not only our Parishes but Christ Himself in performing miracles of joy and love in bringing relief to the poor are only too willing and eager to offer themselves up on the altar of war.  Without thought, without deliberation and without counsel. 

Now, believe it or not, I will not attempt to defend or condemn our American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in this writing.  Perhaps you are reading this and are already of the mind that I am anti-war or some such.  Yes, I do have my opinion which I have based upon deliberation, prayer, contemplation and review of Catholic theology.  I’ve made up my mind; I’ve made my decision and formed my opinion.  But it’s highly unlikely that the US Government will ask me to ever go to war.  In effect, my opinion, one way or another is somewhat moot.  As I’ll never be asked or forced by a future draft to go to war, my opinion is somewhat a luxury.  As an armchair quarterback of sorts, I can only too easily offer my perspective and opinion without much personal harm to myself. 

And I’ll let you, the reader, form your own opinion, yourself, as to the validity and lawfulness and morality of our latest American wars.  You probably don’t need me to mind your business, do you?  I won’t insult you or judge you. 

These kids, however, owe themselves a bit more.  They are of the age to be asked or potentially forced into combat, and their opinions are not moot.  Theirs is the generation in position to wage war, to kill or be killed, and to perhaps return home permanently physically injured or mentally and spiritually damaged.  These Catholic children deserve the benefit of being adequately instructed regarding the theology of our Catholic heritage concerning war. 

Frankly, it is my opinion that the entire Christian Church has horribly let our nation (and especially our children) down with their inability, unwillingness and steadfast refusal to discuss the concept of our American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in general and Just War in particular.  These kids are emotionally and intellectually immature and they need our experience and wisdom to help them discern their moral and spiritual obligations. 

Instead of moral guidance and the imparting of spiritual wisdom, what do we share with our youth in our Church regarding war?  We gift our children on this topic a loud and deafening silence.  We say nothing.  We pretend that the moral issues are non-existent or previously settled. 

Virtually, the only mention of our wars that I have heard mentioned by our Catholic Church is what we might hear during Mass.

Surely, by now, if you go to Mass at least every Sunday, you have no doubt heard in our Intercessory Prayers something of the following:

§  “Let us pray for the safe return of our troops fighting abroad.”

§  “Let us pray that our soldiers fighting in wars will be kept safe and return home unharmed.”

Amen and Amen!

Indeed, let us all pray for the safety and homecoming of all our troops abroad.  (And allow me just a bit of sarcasm in mentioning that the safest and quickest way to accomplish this goal is to just simply bring them home!)

And, while celebrating Mass at the Youth Work Camp I attended, a new Intercessory Prayer was heard uttered:

§  “Let us pray for our servicemen and servicewomen who struggle to wage peace abroad.”

 Hold on there!  Just one second, please!

Are we as Catholics contending under the guise and approval of our Holy Mass that we wage our current wars as efforts of peace?  With some estimated several million dead Iraqis and Afghani civilians now dead as a result of our American wars, can we say that we are truly waging peace?  Does the volume and frequency of such innocent killing in any way, shape or form follow the dictates of a Just War?

Fine, if that is truly the case.  And if waging peace is our mission, then let us also offer the following Intercessory Prayers, perhaps:

§  “Let us pray that all Christians may find peaceful and non-violent solutions to the world’s woes prior to the use of armed conflict or even after the resort of armed conflict.”

§  “Let us pray to God for the end of our wars, even through negotiated settlements.”

§  “Let us pray that all soldiers, not only United States’ soldiers, be brought home safely to their families.”

§  “Let us pray that no innocent non-combatant civilians be killed, maimed or injured due to the careless efforts of our war efforts.  In those cases of determined and proven deliberate and conscious slaughter of innocents, let us submit such cases to an international court to determine the appropriate punishment.”

§  “Let us pray that the Church may exercise its spiritual domain over all souls and preach and educate all in the concepts and precepts of Just War.”

Has there been ONE parish or Diocese which has offered a Novena, a Holy Hour, a Mass, a Rosary or any other holy and sacred practice as a prayer or sacrifice offered to God for the cessation of our wars?  Have you heard any of our Catholic leaders publicly plead for a proper Christian discussion of our wars?

Really, can we say with clean hearts that as a Church we’ve conducted ourselves commendably, especially concerning our youth, in communicating Christian morality and theology such that these youth can adequately know how to make up their minds concerning war?

Similar to abortion, is the waging of war in our time a reflection of our overall Culture of Death?

We teach our children about the responsibilities of sex, but we shy away from any similar discussion concerning war.  Yes, I’ve heard Bishops and Cardinals frankly and candidly discuss with youth such topics such as pornography, abortion, pre-marital sex and homosexuality.  But not war.

Typically, in my life at least, the issuance of silence on a moral issue typically reflects guilt.  If you don’t want to talk about something, it usually means that it makes you feel quite uncomfortable.   Why is our Catholic Church so timidly mute on the issue of war?

Are Catholics afraid of being considered unpatriotic, or un-American? 

Can we, as Franciscans, truly and honestly say that we have channeled Christ’s peace and love to our youth who face the prospects of war?  Have we educated them on the proper Christian responsibilities of war?

Again, I’ll let you make up your own minds. 

But, I beg of you one thing:  Follow the words of St. Augustine. 

“Love first, then do as you please.” 

Perhaps if we love more in a Christ-like nature, we will consider waging wars more infrequently.

 A man came to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to have eternal life?"

 Jesus said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good?  Only God is good.  If you want to have eternal life, you must obey his commandments."

"Which ones?" the man asked.

Jesus answered, "Do not murder.  Be faithful in marriage.  Do not steal.  Do not tell lies about others.  Respect your father and mother.  And love others as much as you love yourself."  The young man said, "I have obeyed all of these.  What else must I do?"

 Jesus replied, "If you want to be perfect, go sell everything you own!  Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven.  Then come and be my follower."  When the young man heard this, he was sad, because he was very rich.

 Jesus said to his disciple, "It's terribly hard for rich people to get into the kingdom of heaven!  In fact, it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into God's kingdom."

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly surprised and asked, "How can anyone ever be saved?"

Jesus looked straight at them and said, "There are some things that people cannot do, but God can do anything."

Peter replied, "Remember, we have left everything to be your followers!  What will we get?"

Jesus answered:  Yes, all of you have become my followers.  And so in the future world, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, I promise that you will sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.  All who have given up home or brothers and sisters or father and mother or children or land for me will be given a hundred times as much.  They will also have eternal life.  But many who are now first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

Matthew 19:16-30

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“If only I had been alive when Jesus was walking the face of the earth, and I was able to breathe the rarified air emitted from His exultations and pronouncements, I would surely have given ALL away and followed Him.  Even unto His and my death.”

“Surely, I would have INSISTED that I be crucified right alongside Him.”

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Okay.  Now that we're finished with that sort of fantastic, simplistic and wishful thinking, let’s deal with the reality of that young and rich man, and let’s turn the parable around, just a wee bit. 

Let’s not speak to the challenge that Jesus offered the rich, young man (that very same challenge which we’re offered in our own lives).  Let’s not even address the issues of social justice and social equity or whether or not Americans are more blessed than others and, hence, should be more willing to give more away.  I don’t even want to dive into the deep and murky waters of economic models and why one may be good or one evil; one more inherently Christian than the other. 

 Because, essentially, Jesus was asking the rich young man to be “perfect”, to follow Jesus in Voluntary Poverty – both of Spirit and of Treasure. 

Really, most of us don’t have that much to give away.  We could certainly toss over the fence to those less fortunate than we items such as extra TV’s, blankets, towels, dish sets, clothing and some cash. Yes, both as individuals and as a Christian community, we could give away more – nay, all – to the poor and follow Jesus.  If possible, some of us would do so, in varying degrees of grace, graciousness and love.  But, in this very day, all of us struggle to meet our financial obligations in a very uncertain world, growing more calamitous by the moment. 

Instead, I want to address the aspect of INVOLUNTARY Poverty.  What happens and how does an individual’s soul react to the aspects of Involuntary Poverty? 

While I won’t pretend to be a proper theologian and while I won’t contend that one’s involuntarily relinquishing of goods is more holy than doing the exact same voluntarily, I will submit for one’s consideration that one’s reaction to involuntarily losing all of one’s worldly goods is just as fine a barometer of one’s spiritual condition as the reaction which the rich, young man felt as he walked away from Jesus. 

In these very days, we are witnessing great turmoil, loss, confusion, shame and human degradation due to the current economic crisis.  Like it or not, there have been millions and millions of foreclosures and bankruptcies as of late, and the trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down in any way.  More and more of us are losing jobs and losing unemployment benefits.  Literally, God only knows the human cost to our collective dignity and spirituality from individuals and families under the constant and daily stress of trying to figure out how they’ll survive, how they’ll work their way out of the heavy waters of debt and obligations which they’ll likely never be able to repay.  Retirement – forget about it!

The wise man or woman might reasonably plead: “Death, where is thy sting?”  Yet there is no greater sting, in a materialistic society dependent upon credit markets and ratings, than not being qualified to participate in the hope of consumerism.  When the door to this world’s goods, services and jobs are closed resolutely because you have been deemed unworthy, then you will experience some real humility. 

And with no particular surprise, the faithful servants of God once again discover that institutions are not the vehicles or repositories of faith, hope and help.  Without drowning in the bitter sea of irony, we luckless and poor who have paid taxes and were good and loyal citizens know all too well that no Government is able to help us.  However, with a bit more pain and sting, we find that our Churches are not likely to be sources of either tangible assistance or spiritual comfort.  I have not heard ONE homily addressing our current economic crisis and how as Catholics we may use these times to our spiritual benefit. 

Perhaps I’m wrong, but what I perceive is that there is a huge element of shame and embarrassment among those of us afflicted these past several years.  Those of us who have lost homes, cars, jobs and possessions are “losers” in the world’s eyes.  We are the lot who made “bad choices”; we are the ones who made our own beds and now we should lie quietly in them and ponder our own fates. 

Never mind the ample and certain evidence of absolute and total corruption of our economic systems which caused these problems.   And why ever ponder that many of these crises were created and manipulated by nefarious sorts of folk such as George Soros?  Why, that’s just crazy talk.  Keep your delusions and your excuses to yourself.

Well, what does ANY of all this chit-chat has to do with the rich, young man? 

It has to do with poverty, be it voluntary or involuntary.  Either way, like the rich, young man, the poor is left with a spiritual condition: whether it’s with joy or despair, when your world as you know it is pulled out from under you like a magic carpet without the accompanying magic carpet journey, your soul’s void is filled. 

Sometimes, God gives us a choice; at other times, he chooses us. 

In my life, I’ve found over the past year or several that while I have not asked for nor did I volunteer for poverty, I have found myself utterly and miserably poor.  I have lost home, hope and fortune in this world’s game of luck-of-the-draw. 

So, I have walked in the proverbial shoes of the rich, young man.  I have felt his emotions.  I have known his despair.  I neither mock the rich, young man anymore nor do I look down upon him.  I think I understand him very well now.  He and I have become good friends, so to speak. 

What I have discovered in my particular poverty that, like the process of death itself, there is a good deal of pain in becoming utterly and completely poor.

Why?

I think that in our materialistic culture, a great deal of our identity is associated with our status, and that status is specifically a reflection of our physical image in this world.  Where we live, what we drive, how we dress – these are all measures of our worldly identity.  And, let’s be quite honest and frank: whether one is overly attached to one’s possessions or not, there’s no small degree of security and comfort in the stability of one’s status.  Emotionally and psychologically, knowing from one day to the next where one’s family will live, how they will eat and if they will live free from fear is a human condition. 

Then, where does all this leave our present-day rich, young men and women?  Are any of us willing or able to lose all in this world for Jesus?  Can many of us even bear to lose even a little for Jesus?  Do we see any glory in any degree of poverty in this present day world?  Do we see involuntary poverty as a curse or a source of retribution from God to sinners?   

Or, finally, do we choose to see involuntary poverty as an invitation, from God, such that we can accept poverty as a source of purification, renewal and attraction to God? 

Again, perhaps my theology is askew, but I propose: if voluntary poverty is more blessed than involuntary poverty, doesn’t involuntary poverty reflect the love of God in the form of an invitation to join to Him more closely in the image of His Son, Jesus Christ? 

Ultimately, the words of Jesus, as always, ring true.  They sound just about right.  When you’ve lost everything you’ve got (including your pride, your social dignity and position, your earthly goods), then you are free to follow Jesus.  You are unburdened, unshackled and unbound.  “All who have given up home or brothers and sisters or father and mother or children or land for me will be given a hundred times as much.  They will also have eternal life.  But many who are now first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”