Set Apart

I don't know if you've noticed, but there's something fishy about young Catholics these days. We have been called the JPII generation, Generation Benedict, and Catholic hipsters. We listen to music like this, because we appreciate real art, and we believe that beauty really will save the world. We love orthodoxy, liturgy, the Word of God (in both Scripture and Tradition, of course) and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. We read theology for fun, quote popes like it's our job, and are seriously re-thinking how to evangelize. In fact, we like to think, and to probe more deeply into these thoughts with others. And we tend to get really pumped about authentic Catholic devotions and traditions and our favorite saints ("OHMYGOSH, St. Therese has been stalking you too?!?! I thought I was the only one!")

When it all comes down to it, we simply love being Catholic!

"Here is a lesson applicable for all Christians, in every vocation in the Church. Be rigorous, be loyal, be proud of who you are. The radiance of the Bride is the most convincing proof of the love of the Bridegroom." (Ryan N.S. Topping, Rebuilding Catholic Culture)

I have been fascinated by a single question for quite some time now: how do we form a Catholic culture, like the one I just described? Although I still feel like I've barely scratched the surface, I've been spending lots of time trying to gain insights from others. I've witnessed this kind of culture, and I've lived in it... but how do we get there in the first place? How does it happen?

Start trying to answer the question and you might immediately feel daunted (or at least, I did/do). I've learned a lot, but I still can't say that I have it - whatever "it" may be - or that I've discovered a nifty top 10 list for you. But I am 100%, unequivocally convinced of one thing: we need a distinctively Catholic culture. We need to rediscover our identity, our calling, our mission! As Christians, we can no longer remain the same, amorphously blending into the world like everyone else. We are anointed for a purpose; the world needs us to stand out:

"Here we discover the original and fundamental meaning of 'consecrated' and 'holy,' which in Hebrew is the word qadosh. Because of their consecration, Christians are qadosh, that is, different, separate, set apart. We need to reacquire a sense of being qadosh." (Raniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M. Cap., Sober Intoxication of the Spirit, emphasis mine)

And that, my friends, is the short version of where the new blog name came from. I guarantee that there is more to come on this topic!