The Church and Young People Section 5: The Church and Young People
Section 5, Part 1 You Have Been Called
Introduction Practical implications of first 4 sections for your life Simplest but most important & difficult Relationship to Church is similar to Apostles towards Jesus Need some gifts & understanding of those gifts to respond Communion is an essential gift & fruit of your choice 3 Articles (A. 52) -- Called by God to Belong to the Church (A. 53) -- Christ Enriches Us through Participation in the Life of the Church (A. 54) -- Called to Community
Article 52: Called by God to Belong to the Church Your Call from God Gifts make us feel special; grateful, undeserving God’s gift of the Church is that extraordinary Church is his most extraordinary gift God also gave us creation – out of love God gave man free will What is a “call” from God How do we “hear” the call? How did St. Paul hear it? Most Catholics are “called” at Baptism; through their parents & Godparents Parents make promises “for you” (as a gift) How did your family celebrate the event of your Baptism? Do we take God’s call for granted (Pope Benedict XVI, Christmas Greetings)
Article 52: Called by God to Belong to the Church cont. Your Life in the Sacraments Baptism immerses you in water & into the Church Died & rose with Christ—water & white garment Anointed with Sacred Chrism priest, prophet, & king Age of reason is a time for mercy in Penance (Reconciliation) Performed an examination of conscience & Reconciliation Eucharist is central because nourishes your spiritual life Sacraments of Initiation Baptism Holy Communion Confirmation—completes baptism & initiation with the Holy Spirit
Article 52: Called by God to Belong to the Church cont. Learning More About God & His Church Gift of Catholic education Identify how / what …. Answering God’s call in real life situations…. Like… School… Sports… Home… Internet… Friends… Dating… Work… Church… How can we say “yes” more powerfully to make faith exciting & communal?
You Tube Videos: Called to the Church Fr. Barron: Why Catholics Leave the Church Busted Halo: Why We Baptize Pope Francis: Eucharist is More Than A Symbol Busted Halo: Why We're Confirmed
Homework Read A. 53 5.1 review questions #’s 1-2 (Optional) Looking Ahead 5.1 review questions #’s 1-8 due Wednesday (Optional) Information will be tested on the Final Exam
Article 53: Christ Enriches Us through Participation in the Life of the Church The Sacred Scriptures Think about how important “words” are? (talk, text, tweet…) Consider Jesus as the Word of God When we read & pray the scriptures: We learn about Jesus We encounter Jesus What could we practice to learn to pray the scriptures better? Use imagination… enter into the story Repeat small phrases. And meditate on words, phrases, images… Ponder similar experiences that you can learn from; have an insight from… St. Jerome “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.”
Article 53: Christ Enriches Us through Participation in the Life of the Church cont. The Sacraments The sacraments bring us face to face with God We encounter grace & participate in the Holy Trinity through the sacraments Sacraments are an efficacious sign (producing a desired result) Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist (Sacrament of Initiation) Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick (Sacrament of Healing) Matrimony, Holy Orders (Sacrament at the Service of Communion) We are to witness to our faith in communion with the Body of Christ One Monk’s Favorite Prayer St. John Cassian (360-435 AD) Arrow Prayer – short, direct & focused Aspiration (to aspire or breathe) Jesus, Mary & Joseph O come to my assistance, God make haste to help me. My Lord & my God
Article 53: Christ Enriches Us through Participation in the Life of the Church cont. Prayer We are called to be people of prayer Understand the picture on p. 206 (“Knock & it will be opened…”) Learning to pray Different styles Prayer is vital to be a Christian; we are united to Christ in prayer When we are united to Christ, we pray. St. Ignatius’ Prayer for Generosity (shadowbox) Read the prayer to grow in holiness p. 209
Article 53: Christ Enriches Us through Participation in the Life of the Church cont. Prayer Process - Taken from The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic Gratitude: Begin by thanking God in a personal dialogue for whatever you are most grateful for today. Awareness: Revisit the times in the past twenty-four hours when you were and were not the-best- version-of-your-self. Talk to God about these situations & what you learned from them. Significant Moments: Identify something you experienced in the last twenty-four hours & explore what God might be trying to say to you through that event (or person). Peace: Ask God to forgive you for any wrong you have committed (against yourself, another person, or Him) & to fill you with a deep & abiding peace. Freedom: Speak with God about how He is inviting you to change your life, so that you can experience the freedom to be the-best-version-of-yourself. Others: Lift up to God anyone you feel called to pray for today, asking God to bless & guide them. Pray the Our Father.
You Tube Videos: Participation in the Church Fr. Jim Martin: Lectio Divina Jonathan Fanning: The Prayer Process
Homework Read A. 54 5.1 review questions #’s 3-6 (Optional) Looking Ahead 5.1 review questions #’s 1-8 due Wednesday (Optional) Information will be tested on the Final Exam
Article 54: Called to Community Genesis teaches us that God created us to live in harmony with Him, creation & each other We are created to be in community; we experience “loneliness” when without True Friends Help Us to Grow in Faith “Some friends bring ruin on us, but a true fiend is more loyal than a brother.” Friends can help us grow closer to (or away from) God They build up our gifts & talents * Tell us the truth * Support our faith growth Support us when we are down * Share our values * Enjoying wasting time together
Article 54: Called to Community cont. Friends in Mission: Ignatius of Loyola & Francis Xavier Ignatius & Francis became great friends while studying to be priests Ignatius started the Jesuits Francis was one of the first to take vows in the new Jesuit order Francis served as a Missionary in a journey to India Ignatius said goodbye to his friend, knowing that they were serving the “glory of God” by splitting up. Canonized at the same time in 1622 Of Sock Hops and Bobby Socks Where do we go to meet new friends? Where do we go to meet girls? What is the goal of meeting girls? Being a Christian man when a girls “asks” for more… (…elevated dignity) How does having a girl friend incorporate one’s Christian values? Does pornography have anything to do with friends? Peer pressure? Attitude about women?
Article 54: Called to Community cont. Christian Service (hours) What kind of man do you want to become? How do you serve ? Where do you serve? Why do you serve? What are opportunities to go beyond what Mr. Walters requires? How can you raise the dignity of another human being? Making the world a better place Kairos, March for Life, Monogram Club CC, your parish (youth group, liturgy), City, Diocese, volunteer websites
Article 54: Called to Community cont. We are Members of the Body of Christ The People of God & the Body of Christ All the baptized make the diverse reality of the Body of Christ Live It! shadowbox As humans we want to belong (identity) We often define ourselves by our differences Differences can be complimentary (most important to be happy) Opposites attract; this is fun & complimentary, but can become harsh & destructive
You Tube Videos: Called to Community Jefferson Bethke: Community in the Church Friendship: Ignatius and Francis
Homework 5.1 review questions #’s 7-8 (Optional) 5.1 review questions #’s 1-8 due Wednesday (Optional) Information will be tested on the Final Exam