Parents –– Fight the Good Fight!
By David Tschumper
“For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.” –– Ephesians 6:12
It’s a battle out there –– a battle that we are losing. It is a battle for the very souls of our young people. One we must not lose.
Eleven-o-clock on Monday night: I just finished leading another night of Breakaway. And I feel discouraged and tired. I have been fighting the good fight in youth ministry for 11 years now, and I can’t believe how difficult my job still is. My job is reaching kids for Christ; exposing them to a life of faith, hope, and love; exposing them to the joy of the faith; exposing them to the possibility of falling in love with Christ and His bride, the Church. The fact is, my job involves fighting for the very souls of our youth. Consider for a moment the number of Catholics you know who have fallen away. I talked with an older woman today who expressed what an important task I have in trying to instill in youth a passion for the gospel. As we continued to talk, she shared how none of her kids practice their faith anymore. It is always tough to hear these stories, yet they are all too common. Unfortunately, the Church has not done a great job of evangelizing her own people, much less the rest of the world. Jesus wants us to fall in love with Him. But I ask you: do you know many Catholics that are really passionate about their faith, striving to develop a daily walk with Christ? But that is what is asked of us –– passion for the faith.
This has been my personal goal day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year: to instill a passion for the Good News of Christ in the youth of St. Thomas More. I have experienced many successes, but also many failures. For me, there is nothing better than watching a young person experience a personal conversion to Christ, just as there is nothing sadder than watching a young person reject the faith.
Why do so many turn away from Christ? The answer to this question is found merely by looking around. We compete with a multimedia world. We compete with a materialistic and humanist world view. We live in a culture that is very selfish and anti-life. Sin has become glamourous, and it beckons temptingly to our youth, while our faith tells them that they must avoid such glamour. Youth ministry-wise, we must also compete with time; for many families and their kids, church involvement just doesn’t fit into the schedule. Young people have school commitments; they belong to clubs; they work; they’re into sports, etc. Getting all the sacraments over with is as far as it goes, for many.
We have to change our thinking. We cannot gain the world but lose our souls in the process. Parents, I ask you to fight the good fight! It is your responsibility! You are the number one teacher of the faith for your family. You set the example, just as I do for my own family. This can be a tough thing, but you must persevere. We can help! We can help you, and you, in turn, can help us. Youth Ministry should truly be a partnership. I am asking you, as a parent, to encourage your kids in their faith. Don’t let them reject it without a fight, whether they are in middle school or high school. And then encourage your youth to get involved at STM. We are not the total solution, but we are definitely an asset. We have much to offer. We all need to start thinking with an eternal perspective. Where do you want your kids to spend eternity? This is an issue of salvation. There is no greater fight to fight. “Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” –– Eph 6:13-17
