Walking in Cain Park, pondering, I thought deeply about my son and his housemates in Ann Arbor. The young adults made a positive impression. I truly enjoyed the encounter. Millennials, a generation for a new age, are cutting edge smart. Intellectually they are acute, exploring every and all ideals, picking and choosing that which is wisest: Eckhart Tolle, spiritual teachers, Buddhist thought, Eastern thought, writers galore, doctors amazing, artist creating, musicians advancing, actors embracing, psychological self-advancement, business acumen enhancers, management gurus, thinkers that penetrate with accuracy, high education, and an overall nonjudgemental approach to conquering life. They believe themselves to be highly intelligent and they are highly intelligent. Practically, financially, academically, physically-fit, adventurous, they want to conquer life. They demand a new way of life. Everything must be fair or they reject it. I hear them speaking, convinced they have had it with liberalism, and politics based upon big government.  They grasp government will never solve the world’s or individual problems. They are an impressive generation searching and finding truth. How can my faith, hope, and charity effectively move them? I relate this to the Bible study. With minds as educated and as sharp as the millennial minds you are never going to hammer scripture into their heads. You are never going to convince them they are wrong. You cannot label them as wayward and evil, possessed by demons, misguided and brainwashed by a leftist agenda, hopeless individuals centered in selfishness and egotism, and expect them to convert to your way of thinking. They will never be defeated by reasoning.  You can only impress them with gracious moral meaningful intelligent living.  Weakness, vulnerability, and open mindedness marks them the greatest. There is an intellectually awesome evangelical website that destroys all other ways of thought, including Catholicism, through scripture calling itself: ‘Holier Than Thou’. The title itself would make millennials vomit. I enjoy browsing the site as the man’s ideas are impeccable and amazing in depth and articulation. Rejecting the premise and projections, I admire his knowledge of scripture and many ideas he touches upon. Such a remarkable mind convinced of possessing ultimate and final truth, stands absolutely no chance with the millennials. The millennials have minds to match and even more than this his very premise that he is right and all other forms of thought are wrong instantly negates his thinking. They demand fairness and an openness to all avenues of thought. In fact, the one avenue of thought they jointly reject is fundamentalist Christians. Bible thumpers are one of the few lines of reasoning they discard, absolutely convinced of its ignorance and short-sighted thinking. They mock and ridicule Christian thinkers. Before these young brilliant minds are dismissed keep in mind their imposing morality. It is impressive. I am speaking about my son and his friends. I am a street smart older man, able to perceive penetratingly into individual ways of thinking.  I know what motivates people. I have been around the block many times, witnessing people from all levels of life.  These young adults are different.  They reject drugs and alcohol over-indulgence. They take care of their bodies, closely monitoring their diets, exercising, and pursuing holistic preventive approaches to good health. Another line of thinking they mock is hippies. Young or old, they deride potheads, crack smokers, and heroin users. Studies definitely establish heroin usage rampant amongst the younger generation, the proliferation of OxyContin and other prescription drugs contributing, however I am convinced there is also a younger generation healthy in a remarkable manner. A generation that has witnessed the burnout of hippies, the devastating effects of alcohol abuse, and the ravages of divorce. Raised upon ways that do not work, they search for ways that do work. In regards to families and sexual morals, their morality is interesting. In the previous week, I was consumed with Catholic ideals regarding marriage and being single. The millennials I witnessed reject marriage, while also rejecting the promiscuity of the free love generation. It is easy to target them with the gay marriage issue, bashing them over the head with strict, uncompromising dogma, however I saw young adults extremely sensitive to a sense of fairness, not hurting others. They viewed communal living, a safe non-confrontational environment respecting the rights and opinions of everyone as the essential building block for proper living. They themselves place strict demands upon one another for not only proper behavior, yet also proper thought and speech. There is a maturity to their singleness. The young ladies are not flirty, and the young men make a point of not viewing women as objects. There is not a ‘single’ mentality playing at male/female interaction that I believe occurs even in Catholic single groups. They are serious young adults living meaningful profound lives.  They take their effects and interactions with others on a deep level consumed with not hurting others. They are truly trying to do something never done before. Through time we have witnessed such revolutionary periods. I am convinced St Francis ignited a new way of life, as well as others St Dominic to name another. St Francis reenergized the Church after a dramatic turning of a thousand years after the death of Christ. Simplifying: feudalism and an authoritative practically corrupt Church was broken by the emergence of individuals, dispersed wealth, merchants, freedom of trade, trade fairs, travel (crusades), exchanging of goods, authentic religious authorities, it was a time of great cultural change. There were others: the renaissance, enlightenment (time of revolution), the industrial revolution and the times of world wars. Culturally the world changes, a collective unconscious established within mankind. I think the millennials are a generation of great change. Better minds, than my own I am sure are thinking the same thing–important to note good and evil minds. How does the Catholic faith fit into everything? Truly the Catholic faith is the body of Christ, under the protection of the Queen of Heaven. If we possess such power are we to read scripture and anticipate a severe abandoning of the Church? I do not know. I do know I really enjoyed the millennials I encountered. They are sincerely a generation like I have never seen before, much smarter and aware of spiritual and worldly things than my generation. Cultured, refined in taste, technically savvy, responsible, caring, nonmaterialistic, beyond a rock-n-roll hippie shallowness, rejecting the selfishness of goodtime seeking singles and sexually promiscuous lifestyles, they have a tremendous moral value they yearn to offer to the world, a maturity of spirit and intellect, and most important behavior. I am convinced within their life’s is the seed for Catholicism. Pope Francis is a man they are listening to. They like Pope Francis. I am convinced the depth of Catholicism can sweep them away. Thinkers like St Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, St John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, Alphonso Liguori, the Little Flower, many others–those able to communicate truth rather than dogma they will open up to. Catholicism has a rich array of worthy intellectuals consumed with truth rather than being right. The lives of saints like St Francis, Little Flower, Damien the Leper, Joan of Arc, Philip Neri, John Bosco, Maximillian Kolbe, Edith Stein, Joseph of Cupertino, Mother Teresa—saints who lived lives of sacrifice and servitude, rather than the promoting of dogma and self-righteousness the millennials will embrace. We have the beauty, majesty and power of the Queen of Heaven. I know they would perceive her tremendous love and compassion. Their hearts are proper for reception. I had a nice moment in the true crime, detective, mystery Ann Arbor bookstore. Aunt Agatha something was the name of the store. Prejudice in thinking, assuming the store was liberal in agenda, therefore focused upon embracing all avenues of thoughts rather than the profound daily practicing of a single way of thought, I was amused when checking out to look up and see a beautiful Immaculate Conception statue perched atop the owner’s personal bookshelf. A smile blossomed upon my lips. Detecting my elation, the owner followed my eyes to identify my focus upon her Mary. She turned, sharing a smile. Here was Our Lady the whole time reigning over the store. I am proud the Michael Dibdin book, I purchased from the store, my son’s roommates fought over in regards to who was going to read it first. That is the way powerful authentic Catholics can reach the millennials. They must sincerely like us as people, be attracted to the hidden glory of God we worship and shape within our souls.  They have penetrating vision amidst a mature mindset.  It is not only an obstinate arrogant self-righteousness that will negate Catholicism.  If they perceive immaturity, shallowness, and selfishness, we stand no chance of earning their respect.  Even if not comprehending details, they must perceive the mature formation the Eucharist has conducted upon our hearts, minds, and being. We must be people of depth they naturally and easily respect, admire, and like.  We must be people of depth for they are people of depth. Rather than tell them who they are or should be, we would be wiser to allow them truly to experience a person in imitation of Christ. It is not about being right, rather more importantly being Christ-like. They must see our weaknesses more than our need to dominate them in thought. We cannot dominate them in thought. These are young clever adults who have seen everything. They know divorce. They know alcoholism. They know drug abuse. They know the excess of sexual irresponsibility. They know the things that do not work. Intellectually, they are mature, having explored and ventured into many ways of thoughts, and keep in mind the Catechism teaches that other forms of thought possess seeds of truth. Truth exist outside of Catholic teaching. Catholicism contains the fullness of truth, yet parts of truth exist within other ways of thought. These young gifted minds know truth when they witness it. God blessed them with dazzling, vibrant minds. They have hearts that long for what works. Catholicism does work. Let us pray we can all do our part to inspire young minds to know the love of Mary, the wisdom of the saints, and the saving grace of Jesus.

Millennials jumping into a new world