Good summary why not to do New Age stuff for a young Catholic please

[SisterIncognita]

Would love suggestions - I’ve done some Googling, and checked out Coming Home Network among other things.

I’m hoping to establish more close relationships with my extended family. My dad’s side is the Catholic side, and most of the cousins have fallen away though they are basically decent people and at least some may retain a rudimentary belief in God. (It’s been awkward since I don’t see them often and I don’t know how to “lead up to” the topic.)

My cousin’s daughter, age 25, single mom of 2, has recently moved to my town, and is staying with her father. Her mother remains in their hometown; the marriage isn’t in the best shape and the husband/father is an intimidating sort.

This young lady I’m guessing hasn’t received a lot of consistency in the Catholic Faith. But 3-4 years ago she did have the older child baptized and that one is attending Catholic school. So she may be getting some influence with the parish, but I don’t know how much. She stated she wants to have the 18-month-old baptized as well.

But I see her putting things on her Facebook about astrology and smudging, and expressing interest in them. I remember her mother was gullible (which probably factors into why she went ahead and married the man she did, even when I and others could see his abusiveness and control freak behavior). The daughter has expressed sorrow over the way her own “baby daddy” doesn’t want to be in his kids’ life.

Anyway, I think she trusts me, but there are other influences at play, and we must build more of a foundation of doing things together - I did say something about the sage smudging being a pagan practice and that the Rosary would do more good, but I didn’t want to alienate her. She seems to want more control over her life’s direction, and I can see how she would be vulnerable to the New Age’s false promises of that.

What I need is a good summary - whether I think she is ready to read it or not, I can internalize it and feed it to her in small bits as the Spirit prompts. And I am thinking that inviting her to Adoration may be a good move - it certainly deepened my faith! So, who knows of some good, short, sweet and to the point resources?

I also have a copy of Fr. Mitch Pacwa’s book on Catholics and the New Age, which I shall dig out and re-read. And the Pontifical Council for Culture’s “Jesus Christ the Bearer of the Water of Life” document.

 

[Vico]

Would love suggestions - I’ve done some Googling, and checked out Coming Home Network among other things.
…
And the Pontifical Council for Culture’s “Jesus Christ the Bearer of the Water of Life” document.

Church avoids any concept that is close to those of the New Age

I add one point, which is briefly treated in chapter 6.2. In the relationship with other religions, the Church avoids all that could give credibility to some concepts that are also present in the thought of “New Age”: the thesis of the unity of religions, the conviction that all ways are equal, the evaluation of the pre-Christian religions as more genuine. Even the idea that man can create a religion, like a skilled workman or a chemist. Dialogue is not fog, it cannot get rid of the differences. Dialogue should take place in conformity with the Christian faith and our conversation-partners must know what it is that we believe.

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/p...erelg_doc_20030203_press-conf-new-age_en.html

 

[SisterIncognita]

I saw the link for that - thought it was just a formal introductory letter, and passed on by. But I see it does summarize the ideas. A good resource for me to absorb; thank you for getting me to take a look.

 

[Dan_Defender]

New Age is false. It proposes that every person should be free to pursue his or her version of spirituality, because every person IS God. it is simply choosing oneself over God.

 

[SisterIncognita]

Precisely; It’s idolatry, though naive people often don’t grasp that, probably because much of it is packaged in vague, even positive-sounding language. Therefore many casual devotees may believe that things like crystals, horoscopes, rituals to “cleanse” a place or themselves of “negative energy,” and so on aren’t incompatible with Christianity. These dabblers would be puzzled and offended at the use of the word idolatry. They think they are sincerely striving to improve their lives.

 

[Vico]

New Age belief is described in Jesus Christ The Bearer of the Water of Life - A Christian reflection on the “New Age” as panentheism:

2.3.4.1
New Age involves a fundamental belief in the perfectibility of the human person by means of a wide variety of techniques and therapies (as opposed to the Christian view of co-operation with divine grace). There is a general accord with Nietzsche’s idea that Christianity has prevented the full manifestation of genuine humanity.

2.3.4.2
… the God of which New Age speaks is neither personal nor transcendent. Nor is it the Creator and sustainer of the universe, but an “impersonal energy” immanent in the world, with which it forms a “cosmic unity”: “All is one”. This unity is monistic, pantheistic or, more precisely, panentheistic. God is the “life-principle”, the “spirit or soul of the world”, the sum total of consciousness existing in the world. In a sense, everything is God. God’s presence is clearest in the spiritual aspects of reality, so every mind/spirit is, in some sense, God.

“Christ” is a title applied to someone who has arrived at a state of consciousness where he or she perceives him - or herself to be divine and can thus claim to be a “universal Master”.

2.3.4.3
There is no alterity between God and the world. The world itself is divine and it undergoes an evolutionary process which leads from inert matter to “higher and perfect consciousness”.

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/p...s/rc_pc_interelg_doc_20030203_new-age_en.html

 

[TheLittleLady]

I would take time to get to know your cousin’s daughter. She is searching for something and Christ distinctly told us that how we live our lives, our actions, our love, is what will reach people for Christ. Throwing articles and books at her without that love relationship is as St Paul said in 1 Corinthians “sounding brass and tinkling cymbals”.

You might want to sponsor her on a retreat, something of a meditative nature like an Ignatian Silent Retreat. Offer to keep the kids so she can experience the retreat.

If you buy books, look at things like St Hildegard of Bingen and the other great mystics of the Church.

Invite her and the kids over for supper, become her friend.

 

[Vico]

Precisely; It’s idolatry, though naive people often don’t grasp that, probably because much of it is packaged in vague, even positive-sounding language. Therefore many casual devotees may believe that things like crystals, horoscopes, rituals to “cleanse” a place or themselves of “negative energy,” and so on aren’t incompatible with Christianity. These dabblers would be puzzled and offended at the use of the word idolatry. They think they are sincerely striving to improve their lives.

Idolatry is “giving divine honors to a creature” and “Modern secularism is a form of practical idolatry, which claims to give man “freedom to be an end unto himself, the sole artisan and creator of his own history.”” (Modern Catholic Dictionary)

 

[SisterIncognita]

CCC 2111 2115-2117

Idolatry is “giving divine honors to a creature” and “Modern secularism is a form of practical idolatry, which claims to give man “freedom to be an end unto himself, the sole artisan and creator of his own history.”” (Modern Catholic Dictionary)

Yes, that is part of the definition, but in the Catechism in the section on the 1st Commandment, it is much more comprehensive than that, In paragraphs CCC 2111 and 2115-2117 you will find the exact issues I referenced in my original post and am attempting to find a way to explain to this cousin of mine in easy-to-understand terms. First, of course, I must show her love and win her trust, and help her own her own intelligence and see her worth as a daughter of God. And to feel it in her heart, if possible. To see that He has given her a mind that can do better than to unquestioningly drink the New Age Koolaid.

I possess a copy of the YouCat; I think I’ll pull that out and see if it has a decent summary - again, to internalize the explanation in its wording so I can weave the concepts into conversation if the opportunity presents itself, in a positive and encouraging way. And if I don’t find quite what I’m looking for in the YouCat, perhaps in some similar youth catechism based off the main CCC.

 

[Vico]

CCC 2111 2115-2117

Vico:

Idolatry is “giving divine honors to a creature” and “Modern secularism is a form of practical idolatry, which claims to give man “freedom to be an end unto himself, the sole artisan and creator of his own history.”” (Modern Catholic Dictionary)

Yes, that is part of the definition, but in the Catechism in the section on the 1st Commandment, it is much more comprehensive than that, In paragraphs CCC 2111 and 2115-2117 you will find the exact issues I referenced in my original post and am attempting to find a way to explain to this cousin of mine in easy-to-understand terms. First, of course, I must show her love and win her trust, and help her own her own intelligence and see her worth as a daughter of God. And to feel it in her heart, if possible. To see that He has given her a mind that can do better than to unquestioningly drink the New Age Koolaid.

I possess a copy of the YouCat; I think I’ll pull that out and see if it has a decent summary - again, to internalize the explanation in its wording so I can weave the concepts into conversation if the opportunity presents itself, in a positive and encouraging way. And if I don’t find quite what I’m looking for in the YouCat, perhaps in some similar youth catechism based off the main CCC.

The Compendium has this:

445. What does God prohibit by his command, “You shall not have other gods before me” ( Exodus 20:2)?
2110-2128
2138-2140
This commandment forbids:

Polytheism and idolatry , which divinizes creatures, power, money, or even demons.

Superstition which is a departure from the worship due to the true God and which also expresses itself in various forms of divination, magic, sorcery and spiritism.

Irreligion which is evidenced: in tempting God by word or deed; in sacrilege, which profanes sacred persons or sacred things, above all the Eucharist; and in simony, which involves the buying or selling of spiritual things.

Atheism which rejects the existence of God, founded often on a false conception of human autonomy.

Agnosticism which affirms that nothing can be known about God, and involves indifferentism and practical atheism.

 

[SisterIncognita]

That is concise all right! Perhaps a bit dry for the intended audience. I have continued to Google, and found one book-length document on Scribd by Susan Brinkmann, “Christian or New Age?” which is broken into nice topical sections. That may prove helpful, and in reading it I found references to Johnnette Benkovic (now Williams) of EWTN; her Women of Grace site might be helpful not only in countering New Age stuff but perhaps there would be positive inspiration for the young woman. So this will probably be what I need to get started.

 

[tommy37]

The New Age is filled with advice about contacting “spirit guides” and “higher spirits” and such. They go by various names depending upon the teacher. Many claim this is just a “higher part of the person”. But others actually admit that it is a separate, spiritual being–a “being of light and love”, they always say–a gentle being who just wants to help you and guide you, blah, blah, blah…You might try to remind her of the ever present involvement in the New Age of these “other beings”. That might just jar her enough to get her away from it.

I don’t know if she’s heading towards that type of thing, but if so, I would simply say something like, “Instead of trying to contact some being who you don’t even know and who might actually not be a good angel but an evil spirit; who might be trying to trick you, by pretending to be an angel of light, why don’t you try contacting the Light of the World, Jesus the Good Shepherd, a Being who millions of others have contacted and have been transformed by.” Or something like that.

 

[SisterIncognita]

She’s pretty much just dabbling on the surface. I hope she loses interest, which she might. I think some of her girlfriends are into the hokum and share it with her. I don’t want to say I may have “overreacted,” but I do wonder if it’s just a passing fad.

She likes college basketball, and that will be ramping up; might be just the needed antidote for her.