StCYM: Hayride/Campfire

The youth group went on a hayride and had a campfire at Hickory Ridge Farms Saturday. When I planned the event I did not expect it to be quite as cold as it was. However, when realizing that it is indeed the end of October it should have been expected. We have definitely been spoiled lately.

The first portion of the event was the hayride, where we got on a flatbed trailer and were towed by a tractor through the woods of the property. It was dark and bumpy, but we had a good time talking and sharing stories. We also learned that one of us (who will remain anonymous) absolutely hates s'mores. This person (not me) is a good father because he sacrificed a lot for his children. I am grateful for his involvement in the group.

While riding through the woods I also learned about some of the adventures our youth have already taken in their young lives. Studies in Europe, experience with hostels, going on cruises. What an event filled life these teens have! It was certainly fun to share in these stories and to discuss the great German food of course.

Eventually we saw our campfire prepared for us in the distance. While traveling to it I had forgotten about the cold since I was so engaged in conversation. Once I saw the fire, I remembered how cold it was and how good this fire was about to be. Once we got to it we all rushed to the fire! We all got really close so we could experience its warmth.

There is a lesson in this. We didn't think twice about going to the fire. Once we finished our journey through the woods we immediately approached it. There was no fear, no hesitation, no doubt that this fire was going to keep us warm (and cook our hot dogs and s'mores). Fire is often symbolized as God engaging with us. We look to Acts and the tongues of flame or back to Exodus and the encounter between Moses and the burning bush. Do we run to God like we ran to the campfire?

God is the God of life! St. John Paul II told the youth in Denver that God wants us to have life! And have it abundantly! The fire of the Holy Spirit is for us to stay warm when the world is cold. And it is indeed cold! Do we forget how cold the world is because we are so engaged with the noise in our lives? Let us continue to return to the fire of the Gospel for warmth. Let us return constantly to God in prayer and in the Sacraments!

God is good!

Deus providebit! Credo Domine!

Called to Self Awareness: Reflection on Romans 1:16-25 and Luke 11:37-41

Have you ever examined yourself? Have you ever taken some serious time in prayer and gone over how you are deep down inside? If we are to follow the CALL, then we need to know about our spiritual well being. When we call ourselves Catholic, do we truly attempt to BE Catholic? In today's readings we are reminded of the importance of remaining pure.

In Romans 1:16 St. Paul proclaims that he is not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the "power of God" for all who believe in salvation. We often hear of our brothers and sisters being persecuted in the early Church, but they are also dying for Christ today. The self awareness check, here, is to determine our level of commitment. Are we ashamed of the Gospel? Do we hide it from others to avoid awkward moments? Do we down play our commitment around others to avoid being uncool? These are hard questions. It is hard to swim against the current of our society. Keep swimming!

There is another thing we have to be self aware of. Instead of being ashamed of the Gospel, we could be faking our commitment to it! Our Lord admonishes the Pharisees saying, "Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil," (Luke 11:39). When doing the dishes do we just wash the outside of the cup or the back of the plate? Of course not! We make sure to clean them completely. What is your spiritual life like? Are you clean on the outside by simply going to Mass just to go? Or simply doing the Sign of the Cross swiftly to look right? Brothers and sisters seek cleanliness from Our Lord!

It is important to examine ourselves, because what is on the inside will eventually have an effect on what is on the outside. The saying, "you are what you eat", applies to our spiritual lives as well. Let's challenge ourselves to spend a few minutes each day becoming more self aware. We are CALLED to produce good fruit and to do so we must be a good tree. To be a good tree we need to feed ourselves properly.


Pax

--------------------------------------------------------

Readings for 17 OCT 2017


Deus invictus! Credo Domine!

StCYM: Cathedral Visit

Sunday we visited the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. It was great to be able to take the teens and some parents to see the Bishop's church. Some have been in the Diocese of Cleveland all their lives and have never visited so they were excited to make the trip to E. 9th and Superior.

Our visit started with Mass celebrated by Fr. Sean Ralph the cathedral's administrator. The readings were Isaiah 25:6-10; various verses from Psalm 23; and Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20. The Gospel reading was Matthew 22:1-14.

In Fr. Sean's homily he encouraged us to respond positively to God's invitation to His heavenly feast. He laid out who was excluded from heaven and who was included in heaven. Responding positively to God's invitation means being one with His Church and living a holy life, which we are all CALLED to do. This sometimes includes things that are not easy to understand or follow.

Following Mass we received a tour of the cathedral from Fr. Sean. We began in the sacristy where we were shown the different vestments and the significance of the different colors. We are also shown where the bishop's staff is kept along with a relic of the Cross.

After the sacristy, we entered the sanctuary where we learned about the bishop's cathedra (chair, Latin) and his coat of arms. We also learned about the statues behind the altar and who they were. We were taught about the various symbols and their origins and meanings.

Once we exited the Sanctuary we learned about the two wings on the sides of the church. We were told about the significance of the imagery around the Mary. The statues around Our Lady are of her family (Sts. Joseph (husband) and Anne (mother), and the Christ Child). The painting on the wall above and around her depict her life ending with her coronation at the top.

Opposite Mary is the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Pieta next to Christ, where we learned about the significance of that scene. Above and around Christ is the depiction of the Apocalypse as described in the Book of Revelation.

One of my personal favorite parts of the cathedral is the crypt. In the crypt lye the predecessors of Bishop Perez. The reason I consider it one of my favorite parts of the cathedral is because I am able to see the Apostolic Succession of the Diocese of Cleveland. The bones of St. Christine of Bolsena are below the altar in the Resurrection Chapel. She was a very young martyr who was martyred when she was only about 13 or 14 years old.

Once out of the chapel we learned some Latin. We learned the words Laudamus te, Benedicimus te, Adoramus te (We praise you, we bless you, we adore you). The words are from the Gloria in the Mass. We are CALLED to praise, bless, adore, and glorify God at Mass and in the world.

The last stop of the tour was in the choir loft upstairs. We were able to look at the entire church and truly take in its beauty. Overall the visit to the cathedral was one of prayer, worship, fellowship, and learning. We celebrated Mass with different people and we saw the center of the diocese. All the authority of the priests comes from that place (the Bishop sitting on his cathedra).

God is good.