Generation JPII

Mr. Watkins over at Roman Catholic Vocations posted a new video from PBS to his site. It discusses in general the growing numbers of young women entering traditional religious communities and the Nashville Dominicans specifically.

A sample of text from the video:

Young adults really saw in Pope John Paul II someone who was calling them to something the world never dared called them to, and that is sacrifice, self-denial, laying down their lives at the feet of Christ and asking him, "What do you want me to do with my life?"


This statement I think is incredibly acurate for all of us in the JPII generation. The world offers us "freedom" to do whatever we want, telling us that physical relationships, partying, money and successful careers will fulfill us. As a college student and now someone who has worked on a college campus for the past 4 years I see this as true. There is almost a carelessness in the attitude and belief that such base things will fulfill us. So to have a man challenge us to something greater instead of leaving us to find pleasure wherever and however we may - this is radical. Counter-cultural. And, yes, even daring.

As I grow in my faith and vocation I see that the success of a raise or promotion is not as wonderful or lasting a feeling as my husband telling me he's glad I'm his wife and the mother of his children. And while money is nice to have, we are sacrificing many comforts so I can be the one raising our children. Yet, with this lack of income also comes a simplicity of life that we desire - gardening, composting, cloth diapering, breastfeeding, recycling - along with the time to do more Corporal Works of Mercy.

What I really want to say through all this is that young seminarians and men and women religious are not the only ones answering this call by John Paul the Great. I know many young Catholic couples who embrace the Sacraments and their call to sanctification through their spouse. We embrace the Church's teachings on NFP, fatherhood, motherhood, the blessings of children, the domestic church and Her call to holiness.

So watch the video but be aware - convents and seminaries are not the only places where God is working on the young.