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 published: 2005-07-05

The God of My Life

A Pedagogical Challenge: How is it possible that for so many who call themselves believers they have no experience of God?

Dios en mi vida... en las „piedras“ y „rosas“ de la vida diaria

God in my life... in the “stones” and “roses” of each day

Gott meines Lebens… in den “Steinen” und “Rosen” des Tages

Foto: POS Fischer © 2005

 
   

ROME, Fr. Alberto Eronti. I have received two statistical studies which were done in Spain that have really impressed me. Accepting that these have not exhausted the reality of things nor that they tell everything, nevertheless, they do not cease to be a true question for what makes up a pedagogy of faith. Today we use such expressions as "unbelief", "religious indifference", "practical atheism", "desertion" and many others. What do we understand? What do they really mean? How do they become apparent in baptized persons who for practical purposes are atheists?

When Pope John Paul visited Spain for the last time, one of the most desired encounters for the Pope was the one scheduled with the youth on the outskirts of Madrid. I recall a telephone conversation in which a few days before the event a priest told me: "pray, we need to gather at least 250,000". That is, it was doubtful they would reach a number which was at the Pope’s expectations. What happened? The number of youths was almost one million… Were all of those youths really believers? As a whole, did they identify themselves with Jesus Christ and did they try to radiate Him in their lives? I believe, as an Italian journalist commented upon seeing the great number of youths who waited in line to see John Paul II for the last time in St. Peter’s Basilica, that "the Pope won the hearts of the youths but not their way of thinking and living".

From Enthusiasm to Daily Life

To clarify what has been said, the best I can do is to try to interpret the data which I have received. According to a 1989 report, undertaken by the "Santa María Foundation" in Spain, only 16 percent of the youths considered that the Church stated and proposed important things pertaining to their lives. At the same time, for a great number, what the Church says "sounds old, antiquated, from another era". In 1994 the favorable percentage continued to lower to 4 percent and ultimately according to the last survey of the Foundation at the present it is 2.7 percent. It may also be said that the political parties were at par with the Church. On the other hand, the same youths answered that they received more important contributions for their lives in: the family (51%), from friends (35%), from the media (31%), at centers of learning (21%), in literature (20%)…How can one understand these statistics upon seeing the enthusiasm of the youths as they gathered with the Pope in Madrid? Perhaps we should say that we must not confuse the love the youths have for the Pope with love for the Church and their baptismal commitment.

What has been stated could be interpreted as a contradiction with the statistics due to the volume of youths at the World Youth Day Encounters. It is interesting to cite what a reporter wrote about the meeting of youths on the occasion of the 2000 Jubilee Year in Rome: "They were dressed as all the youth dress, with t-shirts and bare shoulders, a little more formal when they attended the meetings, but afterward they invaded the smoldering city, the friendly night and sometimes they slept with their boyfriend or girlfriend in the same sleeping bag". That is, they were and they are sensitive to the beckoning of a man, the Pope, but their decision to attend does not concur—for the majority—in an option for the faith as the Church needs today.

The Reality of today in the Relationship God-Man, Faith and Life.

In 1969, José María Gironella presented a book entitled "One Hundred Spaniards and God". The author had interviewed one hundred famous Spaniards and had asked them if they believed in God. The majority responded positively. What is peculiar is that upon asking them if they had had some type of religious experience, the majority responded negatively. Immediately it can be seen that believing in God does not necessarily mean having experienced God. Twenty five years later, Gironella interviewed another one hundred famous Spaniards: "One Hundred New Spaniards and God". This time, approximately one half believed in God and the other half did not. But likewise to what had occurred on the first survey, almost all of those who called themselves believers stated that they had never had a religious experience worth mentioning. José María Aznar inclusively added : "Neither do I expect it nor do I experience a desire for it".

The statistics on which I am commenting contain a provision for understanding today’s reality the the relationship God-man, faith, and life. Spain is neither Europe nor the World, but the mentioned statistics come from a land which has had and has today a great importance for the life of the Church. Sufficient is to think about the number of Religious Communities and Saints it has produced along with the epic evangelization of America and the Philippines. If the same statistics were from another country, Holland for example, the numbers would be even more severe. Father Kentenich would untiringly repeat that God "speaks in daily life", that "He speaks in deeds, in events". How do I interpret the voice of these statistics? I linger on two aspects:

A Pedagogical Challenge of Enormous Dimensions

In the first place, we are before a pedagogical challenge of enormous dimensions. How is it possible that so many who call themselves believers do not have a God experience nor do they desire one? What is it that is not done well? I believe that the Church has, among other pastoral limitations, a grave language problem. I confirm this almost every time I converse with youths and also with adults. For example, has the homilist or the catechist asked himself what the audience understand when they hear speak of: "real priesthood", "God’s grace", "kingdom of God", "original sin", "salvation"…? For the most part, my experience is negative: they do not understand what, why, or what for. On the contrary, the few who respond positively have had or have an experience, a religious life. God is not a "thing", He is not "someone distant or unnecessary for life", but a person they experience and a person they can communicate with. Our Father and Founder not only indicated the decisive importance for experiencing God, but also developed a true pedagogy of faith. This pedagogy has a key word: covenant. Covenant of Love. Covenant is a pact, interrelation, communion and communication of love between God and man. Only he who dialogs with the living God of his life, only he who experiences Him as a Partner and traveling Companion can acquire a religious "experience".

The Family and Friendships

Secondly are the two entities which the Spanish youths value most: the family and friendships. Behold here two powerful "voices" of God which affirm us because we precisely call ourselves Family. We have the Family Work. We form groups and courses, that is, places of friendship and brotherhood. We develop original spiritual structures like the Home Shrine in the domestic Church. We should bravely and creatively support that which has been entrusted to us!

By all which has been stated, the statistics, far from discouraging us are a confirmation of what we are and have as a Schoenstatt Family. For sure, we must guard that the vocabulary is understandable because you cannot love nor live what cannot be understood as significant. We must always value more covenant spirituality, as the structures we possess, taking care that these are dynamic and life serving. Only he who makes a good diagnosis will be able to determine an adequate medicine. We clearly have a contribution for the Church of today, but only if we become aware of it will the interior energies and the joyful audacity to fulfill it become unleashed.

Translation: Carlos Cantu, LaFeria, TX, USA



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