Steven was in for Christmas Break and Dad commandeered him to speak at our local Holy Name Society.
Steven based his discussion on a talk that he heard about the different ages of The Church. This talk was based on the following book; From Christendom to Apostolic Mission: Pastoral Strategies for an Apostolic Age by Monsignor James P. Shea
Christendom is the age when the institution and structures that you come in contact with are Catholic and Christian. This brings with it pros and cons. The great intellects of the day study and reflect on matters of the Church. The arts and culture are directed towards the Church.
Some of the cons of an age of Christendom are that people may look a the Church as a path to political power. It is also more difficult to evangelize.
It is clear that we are moving out of an age of Christendom to an Apostolic Age in which society is hostile to Christendom. To be a Christian is to be countercultural.
There are some pros to an Apostolic Age; Christians must be stronger in their faith. Also, you don’t have to go far to evangelize.
The challenge for modern vocations is recognizing that we are in an Apostolic Age. We can not rely on the old ways of an age of Christendom to provide vocations.
