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Featured Song – November 2018

By Catechist's Aide on November 13, 2018 0

^“I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

The song “Unfinished” from Mandisa draws from this verse, reminding us that God has started something good in each of us, and His work continues throughout our lives. Even when things seem to go horribly wrong, and doubt begins to set in, we can draw on the truth that God’s plan for us may not be evident, but it is good.

God already knows the whole picture of our lives, but for us, it’s difficult to see. It’s like standing too close to a painting. We can see small details, even individual brush strokes, but the full image isn’t clear unless we are able to take a step back. Only then can the whole picture come into view.

This is a message that young people need to hear. When we’re young we tend to paint a picture of how things will be as we get older. But things don’t always go as planned and disappointment can set in. We can begin to feel disillusioned, hopeless. Worse yet – we can begin to believe that we are a failure – and that things will never change. If we could only take a step back, remember God’s great love for us, and trust in His plan for our lives, we can find the strength to persevere through these difficult times.

Discussion Worksheet on Identity for Middle School Students

By Catechist's Aide on October 23, 2018 0

Middle school students, just entering adolescence, are undergoing a tremendous amount of growth on every level – physically, emotionally, and cognitively. Amidst this rapid growth and development, they are also on a course to discover and define their own identities distinct from their parents. In fact, this might be considered the central task of adolescence, to begin to answer the question, “Who am I?” Students may not be able to articulate the process, but as they are exposed to new environments, social situations and influences, they begin to develop a sense of self that is foundational to who they will be as adults.

The Worksheet

The Group Discussion Worksheet, “Who Am I?” is intended to have students think about and identify what influences how they view themselves as individuals. The conversation begins by identifying cultural and societal influences. It then moves to what it means to be made in the “image and likeness” of God. What are the implications of this fundamental truth for humanity and myself?

Scripture verses provide the answer to the question, “Who or what does God say that I am?” Does it change the way I feel about myself to know that God loves me, has chosen me, and I am His heir?

Lastly, we look to Psalm 139, which tells us that God, who “knit me in my mother’s womb,” knew us before we were born. How does this affect how I look at myself, knowing that God has willed and loved me into being? Does knowing that God already knows my failures and loves me anyway, change the way I see myself?

Takeaway for Students

People will come and go in our lives, and our situation will change. There is one constant in our lives, however, and that is God’s eternal love for us. Many things factor into who we are as individuals. Our identities are shaped by our experiences, our friends, etc. But, if that’s all they’re based on, then we continuously have to perform, achieve and please others to maintain that identity.

If we can begin to see ourselves as God sees us, then we can trust that His love for us isn’t based on what we do, who we are friends with or how fashionably we dress. Knowing this gives us confidence that we don’t have to achieve to be loved. And our mistakes and failures will not define who we are. The loving and merciful God who made us loves us as we are. All He asks of us is that we respond in love.

Click the link below to download the Group Discussion Worksheet with Leader’s Guide to try out with your class. Be sure to make a copy of the Worksheet for each of your students. The Leader’s Guide is for you and any other discussion leaders.

Group Discussion Worksheet on Identity

Featured Song – October 2018

By Catechist's Aide on October 16, 2018 0

We feature another upbeat song this month, “Bulletproof” by Citizen Way. The band’s website explains that the members consider themselves “musicianaries or musicians with a missionary-like calling.” To their credit, their vocation comes shining through in their music. In “Bulletproof” they enthusiastically proclaim how relying on God’s strength makes us bulletproof to the devil’s weapons of fear and doubt. The song is a perfect complement to a study on Ephesians 6 – battling against evil with the armor of God.

Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all [the] flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:10-17)

Reflection for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 10:17-30

By Catechist's Aide on October 11, 2018 1

Sunday, October 14, 2018

28^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle B)

Today’s Gospel reading is Mark 10:17-30, The Rich Man.

Desiring God

The rich young man in today’s gospel is eager to inherit eternal life. We read that he ran to Jesus and knelt before him. He greets Jesus as “good teacher” so we can assume that he has been listening to Jesus preach. It appears that the man wants to move beyond just hearing the word of Jesus. He has tapped into something that resides within each of us. Created in God’s image, we were made to know and to love our Creator. We were made to be in relationship with God. This is the “God-shaped hole in the heart of every man” that Blaise Pascal referred to. Pascal said that within each of our hearts is a longing – a desire for something which is not of this world – and which can only be satisfied by God himself. The rich man in Mark’s Gospel has found in Jesus, the one thing that fills his heart to overflowing, and now he wants to have it for all eternity. So, he asks the question, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Minimum Requirements

Jesus responds first with his own question. He asks the man if he has kept the commandments given to Moses.

My daughter is a personal trainer, and when she gets a new client, the first thing she does is a sort of inventory to determine where they are now so she can develop the proper plan to get them where they want to go. If this young man had gone to a personal trainer and asked for advice on how he can create more muscle mass, the trainer would probably start by asking about his general health. The trainer would want to know if he is eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, getting the proper rest, etc. She might suggest that he get rid of junk food and sodas and concentrate on getting his required daily nutrients. But that’s just the starting point. The trainer would also point out that, if you’re really interested in changing your body composition, you’ll also need to commit to a rigid workout and training schedule. Likewise, keeping the commandments, while essential to fostering a good relationship with God, is a kind of minimum daily requirement for us. When Jesus asks if he keeps the commandments, he is asking, are you doing the bare minimum?

Total Commitment

Moving beyond the minimum, we must tear down any obstacles that stand between God and us. To be in right relationship with God, we must rely entirely on him, not ourselves. In the reflection for last week’s gospel, we said that eternal life is a gift that God offers to us. It isn’t forced on anyone, and we are free to say, “No, thank you.” To accept God’s gift of eternal life, we must be like little children – utterly dependent on Him. We can’t be the one in control. And this is essentially what Jesus is telling the rich man today. Jesus says that if he wants to have a deeper relationship with God – if he wants to go “all in” – then he must let go of his wealth. When Jesus tells the rich man to give everything he has to the poor and follow him, he is asking him to trust God completely. By giving away his earthly treasure, the rich man will find an even greater treasure. Jesus wasn’t making a bargain with the man. The “letting go” was the only way he would experience true charity and giving of self. This is the love that God wants us to experience with one another. This is the love for which we were created.

Who Can Be Saved?

We read that the rich man “went away sad, for he had many possessions.” Jesus lamented, “how hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God.” He said this, not because wealth is a sin, but because it’s so easy for those with wealth to rely on themselves rather than trust in God. We don’t know what happened to the young man in Mark’s Gospel after his encounter with Jesus. Change is never easy, but Jesus tells us that with God anything is possible. I like to think that the rich man went home and thought about what Jesus asked him to do. Even though he couldn’t fully commit that day, perhaps he was able to take a first step by letting go of one possession, and then another and another. What is the first step that we can make today that will move us toward giving our whole selves and trusting God completely? What can we do today so that we don’t walk away sad?

The Marks of the Church: The Church is Apostolic

By Catechist's Aide on October 9, 2018 0

This is the final installment in a blog post series on the marks of the Church. Previous posts explored how the Church is one (found here), holy (here) and catholic (here). Today I will discuss why and how the Church is apostolic.

Founded on the Apostles

When we say that the Church is apostolic, we mean that it continues the teachings and mission of the apostles, upon whom Jesus founded the Church. The Youth Catechism explains,

Jesus called the apostles to be his closest collaborators. They were his eyewitnesses. After his Resurrection, he appeared to them repeatedly. He bestowed on them the Holy Spirit and sent them as his authoritative messengers to all the world. They assured unity in the early Church. They conferred their mission and authority upon their successors, the bishops, through the laying on of hands. This process is called apostolic succession. (YouCat 137)

Our Church is apostolic because it holds and teaches the faith, as taught to the twelve apostles by Christ himself. We refer to the apostles as “hand-picked successors” since Jesus chose them to continue his mission after his death and Resurrection. He entrusted the leadership of his Church to the apostle Peter saying, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Thus Peter became the first bishop and pope. Through these actions, Jesus wasn’t setting up his friends in positions of power, influence, and honor. Instead, he was calling them to a life of service as missionaries for his Church. All the bishops and popes who have followed, up to the present day, share this mission.

Priests, Prophets, and Kings

We say that the pope and bishops share in Christ’s ministry as priests, prophets and kings. As priests, the pope and bishops celebrate the Eucharist and all the sacraments to lead their people to holiness. As prophets, they are the official teachers of the Church. And as kings, they speak with authority just as Jesus did. This is an important aspect of the apostolic nature of our Church. Jesus commissioned the apostles to preach in his name. He gave them the authority to baptize, to heal and to forgive sins. He also gave them the authority to generate additional disciples of the Church, so that their mission would continue in perpetuity. This apostolic succession through the sacramental anointing of bishops and popes ensures the continuity of the teachings of Christ.

Pope Francis said, “without Jesus there is no church.” The guarantee that the church is teaching and sharing the authentic Jesus, he said, comes through its fidelity to the teaching and preaching of the apostles. “Through the centuries, the church preserves this precious treasure, which is the sacred Scriptures, the sacraments and the ministry of its pastors so that we can be faithful to Christ and participate in his life,” Pope Francis said. The church, he said, “is like a river that flows, it develops and irrigates, but the water that flows is always that which comes from the spring, Jesus himself.” (Wooden, 2013)

Infallibility

In his capacity as the official teacher of the Church, Catholics believe that the Pope has the gift of infallibility. The dictionary defines infallibility as the “the quality of being infallible; the inability to be wrong” that is to be free from error. In the Roman Catholic Church, our belief in Papal Infallibility qualifies that to mean:

When the Pope (1) intends to teach (2) by virtue of his supreme authority (3) on a matter of faith and morals (4) to the whole Church, he is preserved by the Holy Spirit from error. His teaching act is therefore called “infallible” and the teaching which he articulates is termed “irreformable”. (Mirus, n.d.)

Therefore, when the pope proclaims a teaching on faith or morals, we trust that it is true and right – not because the pope is perfect and can’t make a mistake, but because the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Truth, guides him in such matters.

Takeaway for Teens

The apostolic nature of our Church gives us confidence that its teachings are rooted in Christ. We can trust that by participating in the sacraments, we can grow closer to Christ through grace. Pope Francis reminds us that we are all called to “go out” just as the apostles were called by Jesus. “Belonging to the apostolic Church means being aware that our faith is anchored in the proclamation and the witness of the very Apostles of Jesus — it is anchored there, it is a long chain which comes from there —; and for this we always feel sent, we feel delegated, in communion with the Apostles’ successors, to proclaim, with the heart filled with joy, Christ and his love, to all mankind.” (General Audience of 17 September 2014 | Francis)

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 10:2-16

By Catechist's Aide on October 3, 2018 0

Sunday, October 7, 2018

27^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle B)

Marriage and divorce

In the first part of the Gospel reading (Mark 10:2-16), the Pharisees approach Jesus and test him by asking whether it is permissible under God’s law for a married couple to divorce. Jesus quickly draws a distinction between divorce as allowed by Moses and the permanency that God wills for marriage. Jesus clarifies that Moses permitted them to divorce because of their “hard hearts.” In other words, they had closed their hearts to God’s will. The people placed their own desires before what God had commanded. Jesus recalled that from the beginning, God intended that marriage be a permanent, lifelong union between a man and a woman.

Things are not all that different today. There continues to be a growing list of challenges to marriage. We all know someone, or we have ourselves experienced the pain of divorce in our families and among our friends. We are not called to judge, but to bring compassion and offer prayers of support for all those affected by the breakup of a family.

Bringing their children

The reading continues with what seems to be a disconnected event. People begin bringing their children to Jesus in the hopes that he might bless them. As this is happening, we read that the disciples “rebuked them.” We can picture in our minds, the disciples turning away people as they approach Jesus with their children. Perhaps they thought that the children might interrupt or annoy Jesus. Our young teens can relate to this scene all too easily. In fact, all of us can surely recall an experience where, as younger children, we were admonished to be seen and not heard.

But it’s not these young innocents who are bothering Jesus. The only thing annoying him at the moment is his disciples turning them away. The Gospel tells us that Jesus became indignant. He instructs the disciples to let the children come to him, and he goes on to say that “the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

Accepting the kingdom

Then Jesus gets to the heart of the matter. He says, “Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” So, first of all, we know this is really important because Jesus begins by saying “Amen, I say to you.” This is Biblical code for “listen up because I’m about to drop a truth bomb!” What I find most interesting here is that Jesus says that we need to accept the kingdom of God. He does not say that we must work hard to earn it, only that we accept it; and we can only accept that which is offered to us.

The second part of the statement tells us how we are to accept the kingdom of God – like a child. There are many child-like qualities that would make us good candidates for citizens of God’s kingdom, but the one that is possibly the most important is dependence. If we read back in verse 13 it says, “And people were bringing their children to him.” These were not young school-aged children who could have easily run up to Jesus on their own. The children that people were bringing to Jesus were babies – infants. These little ones were totally dependent on their parents for everything. Jesus is telling us in this Gospel reading that if we are to enter the kingdom of God, we must be completely dependent on Him, His love and His Word.

Being Child-like

How do we become like children? I think it starts with recognizing that everything we have, and more importantly everything we need, comes from God. As we get older we like to think that we can handle things on our own. We don’t like to think of ourselves as being needy, but that is exactly what we must do. Accompanying that understanding is trust. Little children trust that their parents will provide for them. We must place our trust in God that He will provide for our needs. And like little children, who know to turn to their parents for help, we must continually bring our worries, our concerns, and our problems, to our heavenly Father. Finally, we must be obedient, like little children, to God our Father, and His will for our lives.