"Modern teenagers ... want depth"

Amen, Amen, Amen to this article, profiling the ministries of Bob Lesnefsky and Mark Hart.

A couple of gems:

One of Dirty Vagabond Ministries' core principles is that "the greatest intimacy
with Christ is found in the sacramental life of the Church." Lesnefsky admits
that many inner-city youth don't have a foundation of faith, so exposure to
Church and the sacraments can be "a little jarring" for them. But by sharing
family-style meals and attending Mass together, these young people undergo "a
beautiful awakening."

And:

Hart has discovered that "Modern teenagers . . . want depth. They want deep
relationships; they just don't know how to have them. They're really drawn to
the mystical. When you start walking them into the mystical elements of the
sacraments and the depth and breadth of the mysteries of the church, their
hearts become enlivened." Hart sees part of the problem in reaching youth to be
adults who talk at them, not to them. He points out, "We should take a lesson
from Christ on the road to Emmaus. He walked and listened before He taught."

Despite the challenges of reaching teens, Hart concludes, "People talk
about all the negatives of teenagers (but) . . . I am consistently amazed and
blown away by the quality of our young people."

Read it all.