I’ve been reading Kenda Creasy Dean’s OMG: A Youth Ministry Handbook.  It is a brilliant and worthwhile read.  In it she offers a retelling of the story of a young man named Eutychus from Acts 20: 5-12.

On the first day of the week when we gathered to break bread, Paul spoke to them because he was going to leave on the next day, and he kept on speaking until midnight. There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were gathered, and a young man named Eutychus who was sitting on the window sill was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. Once overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and when he was picked up, he was dead. Paul went down, threw himself upon him, and said as he embraced him, "Don’t be alarmed; there is life in him."

Then he returned upstairs, broke the bread, and ate; after a long conversation that lasted until daybreak, he departed. And they took the boy away alive and were immeasurably comforted.

Dean points out that while Paul might very well have caused Eutychus’ fall, we, as Church, should also take note of his response…  Paul did not roll his eyes and mutter “stupid kid.” Paul not not try to ignore the situation or divert attention away from it. Paul did not delegate the issue away – - “Hey, would you, you, and you look into developing a committee to form a policy to keep the young people of the Church out of the windows and come back with a report in a few weeks (after I’ve left of the next city), please?

No, Paul stopped everything. And he sought life,  And he changed his pattern from speaking to communion and conversation.  Dean offers her own lessons learned from this, and I have previously blogged regarding the young un-dead in the church… But, I rather leave you with either of these options: 1) Buy the Book and/or 2) Comment below with your own homilette regarding the implications of this story for today’s Catholic Youth Ministry.