Ditch Your Jesus Mask

Is it time to stop wearing the mask?

I loved Halloween growing up. My parents didn’t know or care anything about its pagan or Celtic ancestry or any possible evil influences; it was about getting the kids out the house for the night and not having to buy them candy for a month…well, at least a week.

First they’d slap on a cheap, flammable, safety hazard of a costume, with no bright colors or reflectors. Next, they’d tell us to stay on the dimly lit sidewalks and off the street. They’d tell us to break open candy bars and search for razor blades (apparently my Dad was sick of buying them). Lastly, if our neighbors had put a sign out on a basket of sugary goodness that read “Please Take One” we were told to only take two.

It was at this point that they sent me – an unobservant, half blind (from the mask digging into my retinas) 6 year-old – with his pre-teen brothers who had no desire to be strapped to a kindergartener. My “chaperones” took advantage of the first opportunity to ditch me. Envision those facts with a pillowcase full of Snickers and Reese’s and you have my first few Halloweens.

I love those memories. It was the last time you were able to wear a mask and still be innocent underneath – blameless, authentic and completely vulnerable. Somewhere along the line, however, that innocence seems to fade. The exterior self begins to matter more the older we get. We begin to care about how we look compared to others, what others think and how we are perceived. We begin to wear other masks, not made of plastic or rubber, but cultural masks designed to hide our insecurities and our fears.

Modern Masks

Daily I see teenagers don a variety of different “masks,” hiding their true selves. Some teens hide behind their looks, accentuating the bodily features they like to take attention off those they hate. Necklines get lower while shorts get higher. Clothes get tighter. Hair gets longer. Hats and sunglasses are always within reach to conceal the eyes (the windows to the soul). Whether the outfits are designed to draw attention or avoid it, they always send a message.

Wearing Masks on Facebook

I see teens’ Facebook profiles, one of the most prevalent “masks” within pop culture. Everything from the profile pic to the photos shared to the bios given offer the world an exterior depiction of oneself. How often, though, is that outward expression just a mask hiding the true wounds lying beneath the exterior? Many teens agree that their friends’ profiles are not an accurate representation of what is really going on in their hearts… yet they want others to believe that their profile is authentic.

Some teens I know hide the quality of the relationship they have with their parents, their favorite movies and music – even their intelligence – all for fear of how others might react. They play small in front of their peers, veiling their true lives and offering counterfeit versions to a majority of the world.

Suburban Sainthood

Notice I said many teens and some teens. I did not say all teens. Many of you reading this might not don these masks at all. Others of you reading this might subconsciously (not intentionally) do it, but being aware of how modern culture and peers can influence your decisions and your authenticity is vital to living the Catholic life.

This is part of the reason that being in the world and not “of the world” is so difficult. This is what Jesus was warning us about (Jn 15:19).

But here’s the thing… You can’t live two lives. You can’t serve God and the world (Mt 6:24; Lk 16:13).

This is where things go from “Church-ianity” to authentic “Christianity.” This is where, as a young adult, you need to make a choice. You’re not a kid anymore (1 Cor. 13:11). The world needs strong Christians. Authentic Christians. Joyful Christians. This is not the time for our next generation of Catholics to be wearing masks – this ain’t Halloween. Today and every day should be an “All Saints Day.”

If you’re that teen in the youth group who puts on that mask before you hit the Church parking lot each Sunday – keep going to Church, but know that you can leave the mask at home. Life Teen doesn’t exist for the teens who are “perfect” but for the teens willing to admit that they’re not.

And if you don’t wear any masks at all, that’s great. Protect that childlike innocence and be sure your authenticity is coming across in a way that isn’t “holier than thou” to the other teens. We all struggle with something. Be honest enough to share your walk with others and let them share theirs with you.

There’s no point in putting on your “Jesus mask.” He died for the imperfect. He knows your deepest wounds and personal struggles. He wants to heal them but He can’t until you admit them. Go to Jesus. Remove the mask and look into the eyes of Mercy.

“It is Jesus that you seek when you dream of happiness; he is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you; he is the beauty to which you are so attracted; it is he who provokes you with that thirst for fullness that will not let you settle for compromise; it is he who urges you to shed the masks of a false life; it is he who reads in your hearts your most genuine choices, the choices that others try to stifle.

It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be grounded down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society.” - Pope John Paul II