New Renaissance

[Written July 21, 2021]

This is a place of cultural renewal, of refreshment, of digging deep into the things we have learned before, in order to bring about a New Renaissance.

In the midst of the turbulent 20th century, Pope John Paul II stepped out before the world and called for a New Evangelization.

He put forth the idea that the old evangelization, spreading the faith to distant lands only, was untenable. For the faith was dying here at home, and if we did not look to ourselves, it would soon be gone forever. We needed a new springtime of awakening - a renewal of our knowledge of the faith, our commitment to serving Christ, and families on fire for the Gospel.

Out of this call came forth amazing missions, more than I can name, but I will give tribute to a few. Do any of these ring a bell? FOCUS, Theology of the Body Institute, Ascension Press, Lighthouse Catholic Media, Ave Maria University, the charismatic movement, home-grown prayer groups, Catholic Sports, and even the proliferation of Newman Centers throughout our state universities.

These institutions all owe much to John Paul II and his teachings. They have spread love of God, an ordered understanding of sexuality, a resurgence of young families seeking devout masses, religious vocations, and holy marriages. Some of these marriages, like that of my own parents’, has led to an entire generation raised counter-culturally. And with large families raised thus, the world is our playground to spread forth the love we received at home.

JPII said that the nucleus of society is the home, and we have seen the truth of this. As the older siblings and cousins set an example for the young, even as the world is growing more and more confused, the children are flourishing. JPII’s experiment works. Thanks to men and women like Christopher West, Jason and Chrystalina Evert, Matt and Cameron Fradd, Drs. Gregory and Lisa Popcak, Jeff Cavins, Fr. Mike Schmitz, and so many others, the New Evangelization has been effective.

Their time is not past by any means, but praise God, we are beginning to see the fruit of their labors.

Now, just like without the planter, there would be no harvest, so too, without harvesters, the harvest will be lost.

The New Evangelization plowed the ground and planted seeds. With careful attention, it cultivated the young roots until they were ripe and ready to be planted. But now, these plants, these souls, are ready to do some sowing of their own, and have found they have outgrown the movement that grew them.

Aside from continuing to find inspiration in the New Evangelization, these plants have deep roots which the words the planters are sowing are no longer reaching. Not to beat this metaphor to death, but we need some heavy duty transplantation to help this harvest continue to grow, or it will overcrowd itself, wither, and die, and all the labor of the New Evangelization will be lost.

We need harvesters! And as we free each new plant to do it’s work, so the harvesters will grow too, until the fruit is exponential, and with a gentle hand, we will look up and say, “I do not recognize this peaceful, cultivated world.”

What is the role of the harvesters? To take what they learned, and everything that formed them in the New Evangelization, and put it to use in the world. Because the world wants to tear down and destroy, and we are called to be in the world but not of it: we are called to build.

Let us build for Christ.

Continued in Part 2…