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What is the Church to me?
“This is what is needed: a Church for young people, which will know how to speak to their heart and enkindle, comfort and inspire enthusiasm in it with the joy of the Gospel and the strength of the Eucharist; a Church which will know how to invite and welcome the person who seeks a purpose for which to commit his whole existence; a Church which is not afraid to require much, after having given much; which does not fear asking from young people the effort of a noble and authentic adventure, such as that of the following of the Gospel.” Blessed John Paul II |
We are continuously striving for a Church atmosphere that engages young people, nurtures their faith, and provides opportunities for them to continue in their faith after they have left High School and College. JP2 says it well in the quote above. In order for the Church to be more engaging we do not need to water down the faith, change all of the Mass music to Rock or Rap, nor adopt worldly philosophies such as humanism, relativism, individualism, or minimulism. What we need to do is provide opportunities for young people to experience God's wonderful and profound love. Through these experiences the faithful desire to learn more, dive deeper, and experience more of their faith. Faith becomes a way of living. So, we are diving into Jesus in the Eucharist! Eucharistic Adoration has been a part of the faithful's devotion for centuries. It provides us a unique opportunity to be with Jesus in the Eucharist, His True Presence, and to adore Him, speak with Him, and listen to Him speak to us. Each Friday from 7pm-8pm we will have a youth & young adult Holy Hour where there will be some spoken reflections, time for silent prayer, a few praise songs, and either the Divine Mercy Chaplet or the Rosary. Each week will be led by different groups of youth: middle school, high school, College (CCM), and young adult. All are invited to join us for this each Friday beginning on October 21st, 2011. Contact Katie Herzing for more details: kherzing@stacharlotte.com |
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Wisdom of Blessed John Paul II
John Paul II was a tremendous man of God that impacted most of our lives in a very significant way. He found strength in the youth of the world and provided so many opportunities for the youth to be the Church now (not just in the future). Click below for some amazing words of wisdom. The Vatican has developed a website in tribute, www.johnpaulii.va/en/. Explore this site to learn more about this amazing man – hopefully very soon to be numbered among the saints in Heaven and honored at St. John Paul II!  “Even though you are young, the time for action is now! It is time to let your light shine! Remember, Christ is calling you; the Church needs you; and the Pope believes in you, and he expects great things of you!” |
“Let yourselves be charmed by Christ, the Infinite who appeared among you in visible and imitable form. Let yourselves be attracted by his example, which has changed the history of the world and directed it toward an exhilarating goal. Let yourselves be loved by the love of the Holy Spirit, who wishes to turn you away from worldly things to begin in you the life of the new self, crated in God’s way in righteousness and true holiness. Fall in love with Jesus Christ, to live his very life, so that our world may have life in the life of the gospel.” “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, making the world more human and more fraternal.” -World Youth Day, Rome 2000 “Men and women seek God. Young people realize in the depths of their being that this quest is the inner law of their lives.” -World Youth Day, Paris, 1997 “Christ is knocking very hard at many hearts, looking for young people like you to send into the vineyard where an abundant harvest is ready.”
-World Youth Day, Denver, 1993 “Genuine love…is demanding. But its beauty lies precisely in the demands it makes. Only those able to make demands on themselves in the name of love can then demand love from others.” – Message to Young People, Cuba, 1998 “Today we are living in an age of instant communications. But do you realize what a unique form of communication prayer is? Prayer enables us to meet God at the most profound level of our being. It connects us directly to God, the living God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in a constant exchange of love.”
- Celebration with Youth, St. Louis, 1999 “To all of you, dear young people, who hunger and thirst for truth, the Church offers herself as a traveling companion. She offers the eternal Gospel message and entrusts you with an exalting apostolic task: to be the protagonists of the new evangelization.” -World Youth Day, Vatican City, 1993 |
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My Dear Young Friends, Week #4
"Jesus is living next to you, in the brothers and sisters with whom you share your daily existence." ~JPII Think about it: Do you mean to tell me that Jesus is living with those people next door? No way! But how might I think differently of my neighbors if I accepted that they are my brothers and sisters in Jesus? This is a big challenge that the Holy Father puts to you, because we like to find fault with our neighbors rather than praise them. Take action: This week, think of something kind to do for your next-door neighbor. Then do it! Prayer: Lord, thank you for living next door to me in my neighbor's home. Help me to see you there. Help me to be kind and good to my neighbors, because you are living there with them. |
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My Dear Young Friends, Week #3
"Jesus invites us to love the poor, because they should be given special ateention precisely because of their vulnerability." ~JP2 Think About That: The poor are vulnerable because they don't have access to things they need in order to live a full life. Some don't have access to health care, enough food, or a place to live. Some don't have access to a good education or a job. What would your life be life if you didn't have these? Take Action: This week, find at least three article of clothing in a closet or dresser or even on the floor of your bedroom that you could donate to someone in need. Also, you can bring books to youth group the weeks of April 19th and 26th for Thu-Hong's school. http://therescue.invisiblechildren.com/ Prayer: Lord, help me to love the poor and stuggling in my area and even neighborhood. Help me to give of myself so that they may have what they need to live. "Remember the poor" ~Galatians 2:10 Source: My Dear Young Friends. Editor, John Vitek. St. Mary's Press, 2001. |
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My Dear Young Friends...Week 2
"But--I ask you--is it better to be resigned to a life without ideals...or rather,...to seek the truth, goodness, justice, working for a world that reflects the beauty of God, even at the cost of facing the trials it may involve?" ~John Paul II, World Youth Day XII Think about that: To live in a world where we experience Christian ideals like kindness, patience, peace, forgiveness, and joy takes people who first believe in those ideals and then commit to acting out those ideals every day. That's no easy task. The Holy Father is asking us, "Is it worth it?" He says, "Yes!" Source: My Dear Young Friends, John Vitek, Editor |
Take Action: Every day, in many ways, we fail to live out our Christian ideals. Each time we fail, we cause a little or pain and sorrow, in someone and in ourselves. This week, chosse one Christian ideal that you are going to work hard to live out in every situation and with every person you meet. Say a Prayer: Lord, help me to live out the ideals of Jesus. Help me especially when other make ful of me or tease me for standing up for what I believe in. Help me to know that it's worth the work. |
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