StCYM: The Holy Spirit and Living (20 MAY 18)

This week the Church begins her celebration of The Holy Spirit. Pentecost is a season where we reflect on the mighty power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit fills us with various gifts (wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord) that aid us in living fruitful lives for the glory of God. The same Spirit that entered the disciples on Pentecost fills us today! When we really reflect on that we will be amazed.

At SNS this week we enjoyed the lives God gave us. We welcomed the 8th graders and played basketball and had a couple relays. We glorified God by using the bodies He gave us to have fun, increase our physical fitness,  and most importantly grow closer to each other through sport. It was a great time. My knees actually aren't dead this time around (praise God for knee sleeves!).

Recently, I have been reflecting on how to live life. Some people think that living a holy and pious life means perpetual time in prayer. While time in prayer is indeed vital to a thriving spiritual life, we are not called to ignore life's leisure either. This is something I have to remind myself. God does not want us to be miserable. If you find joy in a certain activity that is moral and beneficial, by all means pursue it with joy. Living life can be a form of perpetual prayer. Being the best versions of ourselves glorifies God. This includes our leisure time!

So, enjoy your leisure time and do not feel guilty for doing so.

Pax,

Johannes

StCYM: Self Care (13 MAY 18)

This week we were supposed to learn about Mary, but I had to cancel SNS last minute, due to illness. I apologize if this wrecked the week. Since I had to cancel last minute, I was inspired to focus this week's reflection on self care. It is something so easily ignored and under appreciated that we don't realize we need it until something bad happens.

What is self care? Self care is simply put taking care of yourself physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Stress is a killer, literally, and can lead to all sorts of problems. One of these problems is a weakened immune system. Going prolonged periods free of rest and relaxation is not healthy. This is why I take self care seriously. I take my off days and vacation days to make sure I am the best I need to be for the people I am called to serve.

However, this weekend the recent few weeks of non-stop work and events caught up to me and on Sunday after the noon Mass I did not feel well at all. An hour-long nap didn't take care of it either. Usually, if I am feeling a little out of it, a good nap takes care of it and I'm back in business. I realized if I attempted to host SNS, it would be miserable for everyone, which is why I decided to cancel it. I hate canceling on anything, especially important events like SNS.

After good rest and the help of some DayQuil, I feel much better today. I apologize for not taking care of myself in the past few weeks. So the moral of the story is to make self care a priority. Get what you need done, but give yourself a break if you need a break. It is important to note that there is a difference between wanting a break and needing one. If you need a break, though, do not fight through it too long. You are not good for anyone, if you're not good. Remember, even the Creator of the universe took a rest.

Pax,
Johannes

StCYM: Moving Forward! III (6 MAY 18)

We concluded our series "Moving Forward!" with a discussion on responsibilities regarding various decisions that need to be made in high school. These discussions addressed key aspects of decision making that are important to include. We also had time to play games (as promised) and write letters to the eighth graders. We concluded with a word storm prayer regarding decision making.

When discussing responsibilities we identified a preparation process before taking the big leap. For example, when applying to a college it is important to do the things necessary to make the application stand out. Simply applying will make it difficult to gain acceptance. A student needs to be involved in high school to make their application mean something. This involvement includes getting good grades and being involved in various clubs.

We also discussed our responsibilities regarding the Faith. We are responsible for following the Church's teachings. Participating in the Sacraments and serving others are major responsibilities that will impact our disposition and can positively influence our decision making process. When making a major decision it is important to go to Mass regularly and pray fervently. Doing this will not only create a stable structure, which creates peace, but it will also get God involved in our lives. God wants us to involve Him verything we do.

Moving forward (see what I did there?), we will learn about Mary the Mother of God, enjoy the weather, invite the 8th graders for another open house, and conclude the spring semester with a cookout. I look forward to what summer has in store and what the Holy Spirit will do in this ministry.

Discerning the Will of God: Discovering Yourself

Much of a person discerning a particular vocation is geared toward finding God. This is certainly good, because to realize God's Will requires a relationship with God. This is common for me as well. However, I often lose myself when looking for God. Sure, gaining God and losing oneself is biblical (Matthew 16:25), but when does looking for God turn into building God? When does discerning God's Will become building God's Will? In recent months I have answered this question.

Over the past few months a great amount of healing took place. I finally reached the freedom to choose or the equilibrium required to make the best decision regarding the clarity from God through discernment. I finally opened the door to my heart after leaving it sealed off for years. This was all thanks to God's goodness, a great group of friends, a persistent youth minister, and an amazing vocation director. In discussion with our vocation director, I was referred to an amazing book titled "Living Celibacy" by Gerdenio Sonny Manuel, SJ. It discussed celibacy from a psychological perspective, which was very helpful. It turned out to be my next "Apostolicam moment".

My last Apostolicam moment came in 2012 when I was at a Latin Mass with my Lutheran seminary class, which moved me to return to the Church. This time I was moved to open the door to my heart. When I opened this door I addressed what was within it through prayer, therapy, and great conversations with friends and priests. When I reached equilibrium I could no longer deny what I was doing for the past several years; I was not receiving my vocation, I was building one. I was constructing my tower of Babel and it was time for it to come crashing down.

For a few weeks following this I discerned where my mind AND heart were being led. I can say with confidence they are being led, not forced, away from the priesthood and toward marriage. This may come as a shock to many of you because of my stubborn stance regarding where I wanted to go despite what it would do to me. Going back to Matthew 16:25, I was seeking to make my life and ignore Christ's call. I was losing myself to my tower of Babel. I was attempting to construct the Will of God. When I opened the door to my heart, the Holy Spirit was so clear and this clarity requires action.

Since rediscovering all of myself, my life has improved. My prayer is more fruitful and my relationship with God is stronger. I am filled with true joy once again and my friends and colleagues have noticed. Even people that didn't know my much of my discernment recognized a refreshment since making this decision to discern marriage. This joy is from God and it is beautiful beyond words. I have a hard time putting this refreshment into words.

Thank you all for your many years of prayers and support. Thank you for your patience and love it means a lot to me. I apologize for any pain I caused due to my blindness. God is good! God will provide! I am overjoyed by God's goodness. To Him belongs all praise and glory. Now that I have allowed my heart to have a say, I can move forward glorifying God better than before! I am excited for what the future holds! Thank you again and God bless you all!

Pax,

Johannes


Deus invictus! Deus providebit!

StCYM: Moving Forward! II (29 APR 18)

This week we met, once again, to continue our series called "Moving Forward!". And, once again, we had no time for games because of the good discussions we were having. Next week, I promise, we will have time for games. I love how the discussions are going! I can see the underclassmen really opening up to the upperclassmen and a bond is growing and discipleship is beginning to exist. This is a beautiful direction that I envisioned the group going in. God is certainly good!

Before we entered into the discussions we played a decision making game called "bomb shelter". In this game the group is in a post-nuclear scenario where they are in a bunker with two years of supplies until the radiation goes away. However, the shelter can only sustain a certain number of individuals. The group had to decide who had to go. The purpose of this exercise is to analyze how decisions are made. The goal was to identify those methods and question their moral rigidity. We learned that most decisions were made due to stereotypes. 

Last week we discussed our disposition before making big decisions. This week we looked at how to go about making decisions. We asked ourselves three questions when facing a big decision; "what does my heart say?", "what does my mind say?", and "what does God say through His Church?". In the small groups we then discussed how fears and peer pressure can impact our decision making abilities. Among the major decisions were dating, post high school endeavors, and friendships. We also discussed how Church teaching should influence our decisions and how it can challenge us when society teaches differently.

Next week we will discuss taking action, since clarity requires that we do. We will go into how to move forward after big decisions are made and what the consequences are. We will also prepare for the 8th graders that are returning on 20 May for their second open house visit to StCYM. It will be a great time. And, yes, we will have time for games!

Pax,

Johannes

StCYM: Moving Forward! I (22 APR 18)

This week we started our next series I've titled "Moving Forward!". During this series we will discover how we move forward following the soul training we received during Lent. We will focus on discerning major life decisions that currently apply to our lives (what to do after college, what extracurriculars to be a part of, which relationships to maintain or end, etc.). Discernment is not just for a particular vocation, it is something we ought to do for every major life decision.

We began this week by looking at our disposition. Throughout this series we will use Ignatian rules for discernment. To begin a proper discernment, the key is to have the proper disposition. To have the proper disposition we need to recognize what our current state in life is. We discussed questions such as "How is my spiritual, emotional, mental health?", "What are things that hold me back?", "How is my prayer life?", "Does God seem close or distant?", "Am I in any toxic relationships/friendships?", "How is my relationship with the Church?" and others. The discussions were good and lasted the entire evening. We didn't even have time for games!

The teens mentioned how relevant these discussions are in their lives at the moment. They have big decisions to make that require good discernment. This is why providing the tools to discern properly is very important to teens at this stage in their lives. What teens do now can have an impact on what they do 10 years from now or maybe more. Including God and others in our decision making process in a healthy way will produce the good fruit we are all called to produce. Next week we will continue this discussion by discussing how to move forward once we have the proper disposition. Please pray for the teens as they are making their major decisions.

Pax,

Johannes

StCYM: 8th Grader Open House (15 APR 18)

I am very grateful to God for the direction StCYM is moving. I am seeing teens step up and take ownership of their faith and encouraging their peers to do the same. This continued during our eighth grader open house last night. Two of the freshman gave a brief talk on their transition from eighth grade to ninth grade. The group also discussed what StCYM does and what its purpose is. It was amazing to see the teens take charge.

Last night we had a full house. We began the night in prayer and transitioned into our group sessions. I divided the group in two. One would stay downstairs while the other went upstairs. One group talked about the transition from middle school to high school, while the other group discussed what happens at StCYM and what people would want to see happen. After 15 minutes or so we switched. Following the group sessions we transitioned into game time! We had teens playing on the Wii and, the classic, Scattergories. The game room was also filled with teens playing Foosball, table tennis, and air hockey. It was a night of great energy. The food was great too.

I am excited to see where this goes. It was great to see the eighth graders and the first timers that were invited. Our next eighth grader open house is scheduled for 20 May. If it is anything like last night, it will be an amazing one too. We have great things planned here at StCYM and the Holy Spirit is very much at work in all of it. Thank you for all of your prayers and support. It means a lot to us as we continue to journey on the narrow path.

Pax

StCYM: Mega-SNS/Lock-in/Escape Room (1, 6, 8 APR 18)

This week was a particularly busy week. We continue to celebrate the triumph of our Lord over death, we had a Mega-SNS, a lock-in, and a trip to the escape room. This week was all about living it up because God gave us such a great life to live. We celebrate this gift by being the most of ourselves and seeking to glorify God in everything we do. Although my knees are not happy with me for the pain I put them through this week, it was definitely worth it.

We begin with the Mega-SNS where we enjoy our time together for two extra hours. We played a new game called consequence trivia where we had to do challenges to steal lost points. It was outrageously fun to play. A little gross, but mostly fun. I even wore an old suit to play the part of game show host. It was a great time playing basketball, hide and seek, and watching movies. We of course also enjoy our fair share of snacks.

Five days later we did it all over again, except this time we spent the night, thus having even more fun. I hope by now we all caught up on sleep because we certainly did not sleep from Friday into Saturday. We began the lock-in discussing how to move forward from the soul training we endured during Lent. We discussed our concerns and desires. In April we are focusing on moving forward and so we started out by laying the foundation with the help of Sacred Scripture and small group discussion. We enjoyed movies like The Greatest Showman and hit the basketball court again. After a few rounds of hide and seek we returned to the house to play video games and cards. We also ate more amazing food and had good conversations. The air hockey table was a spot for great competition. After watching the sunrise and realizing that sleep was necessary, the lock-in concluded.

This past Sunday we visited the escape room in North Olmsted to practice our team work and problem solving skills. The group in the Mad Scientist room made it out with slightly under ten minutes to spare, while the Sherlock room group ran out of time. They were very close to getting out. Afterward the teens enjoyed a stop at Malley's for some chocolate and milk shakes. It was a great Sunday. We are energized and excited to host the eighth graders at our first open house of the year. We look forward to sharing the greatness of StCYM with them.

As I continue to walk with this group, I am reminded of how awesome life can be. It is easy to get caught up in life taking care of the little things and lose site of the precious gift we have. The teens help me realize the beauty of this gift. St. Clarence is blessed with a great group of teens. I am continuing to learn about them and enjoy what I am learning from them as well. Teens today are in great need of support because they are living adult lives more and more. I don't remember being half as busy as society keeps them today. We should consider it our duty to pay attention to them and walk with them lest we lose them. Teens are a great asset to the Church and its mission.

Pax,

Johannes

StCYM: Holy Week (25 MAR 18)

We have reached the final stretch of Lent. This week we reflect on the significance of Christ's Passion. We reflect on what was given to humanity as a result of God the Son's dying knowing of the coming rising. This week we finished up our discussion series with knowing our purpose in life and what happens after we die. Personally, it was interesting to hear the perspective of the teens regarding various topics.

Following the discussions, we watched the second half of The Passion of the Christ. This was a very raw portrayal of our Lord's Passion. The violence was very intense, but done with purpose and not simply for show. I noticed myself reflecting on Christ's wounds and their significance. It is our sinfulness that caused Christ's wounds. He is completely innocent, yet took the punishment owed us. What an act of love!

Throughout the movie there are flashbacks of Christ's ministry. He shows us God's goodness despite our failings. The primary mission of Christ is, indeed, salvation and not condemnation. This is not to ignore the fact that we have the free will to condemn ourselves, should we not believe and follow Christ and His teachings. However, Christ came to show the world God's light and His love for creation. He then taught us to go forth and share this same love ourselves!

Holy Week completes the saving work of God. God became flesh so that he could shoulder the weight of condemnation for it. Once this is complete, God moves ever forward in sharing the love that is born out of sacrifice. Love born out of sacrifice is the strongest form of love since it requires a complete denial of self in varying degrees. God's form of love is the strongest in existence because He, being the most perfect being, sacrificed Himself. Christ denied His divinity on the Cross by remaining on it. Christ could have chosen to come down, but remained.

This denial of the highest degree of perfection should motivate us to glorify God in all that we do! God took care of the hardest part and gives us the Holy Spirit to keep up the little things. We are truly an Easter people as St. John Paul II proclaimed. It is during Holy Week that we recognize this amazing potential due to God's supreme sacrifice. Let us go forward boldly and prepare ourselves, once again, to celebrate the victory.

StCYM: The Passion of the Christ (18 MAR 18)

Last night we met once again to continue our Lenten journey. To begin the night we played two good rounds of "Lean On Me", a game where you and a partner are back to back and have to stand up without using your hands for support. It was Seniors vs. the World and the Seniors swept the World 2-0. Following the madness, we had good discussions on the topics of Satan and also Homosexuality as we continued our discussion series based on Life Teen's 100 Things Every Catholic Teen Should Know. We finished our last hour with the viewing of the first half of The Passion of the Christ.

The Passion of the Christ is arguably the best Christian film ever produced. In my humble opinion it even beats the legendary The Ten Commandments. The reason I find it so good is the amount of attention that was paid to the details in the portrayal of Christ's Passion. The film is in Aramaic and Latin, which is astonishing because those two languages are considered dead. While Latin is technically still alive as it is the official language of the Holy See and the Church and Aramaic is only used by a small group of peoples in areas in Syria, Turkey, and Iraq (Syriac Christians), the contemporary world does not truly know these two languages. Experts were hired to translate the script from English into Aramaic and Latin.

The second reason this film captivates me is the attention to how Christ's Passion connects to key people in Christian history (Mary, Peter, John, etc.) using specific imagery and the like to make those connections noticeable, yet not to the degree where they take away from the natural flow of the story being told. The reality of the violence Christ faced is also very impactful. When you weigh your guilt against Christ's innocence, while seeing his torment, the film has a striking reality to it that goes far beyond what is normally felt when watching films based on a true story. The Passion is felt in the heart.

Next week we will conclude our discussions, review our Lenten journey, and then prepare for Holy Week. We will also conclude our viewing of the film. It is my prayer that it has a prolonged impact on our faith as we prepare to move forward into the Easter season and beyond. I wish you all a fruitful remainder of Lent. God bless you.

Pax,

Johannes

StCYM: Death Row Story (11 MAR 18)

Last night we were honored to welcome Joe D'Ambrosio and our Pastor, Fr. Neil, to Sunday Night Session. It was a night focused on the incredible story of a death row inmate (Joe) fighting to be exonerated. To begin the night, we of course feasted on delicious mozzarella sticks and chicken nuggets. Once we were about done getting our fill, we watched the episode of CNN's Death Row Stories that told Joe's story.

As a man who cares for justice and has a degree in criminal justice, this episode was hard to watch without getting upset. The lies by the investigators, the inconsistent affidavits, the lack of proper investigation, the inconsistent medical evidence, the lack of evidence, etc, all made for a terrible case. I am amazed that a capital murder trial could be so tainted. I am also amazed at Joe's resilience throughout the ordeal. I question if I would have fought so hard for so long (22 years) or if I would have given up after a mere few years and accepted my fate (death). I hope my inclination would be to keep fighting.

What Fr. Neil did was incredible. He visited the imprisoned as Christ teaches us to do, but he went even further, he fought for justice. It was a long battle, that with the courageous actions of witnesses and judges, turned out in favor of Joe. What captivated me the most about Joe coming out of death row was his embrace of silence. He briefly discussed the noise of prison life and how there was no peace for 24 hours a day so, he would simply sit in darkness and silence or go outside and simply stare at the stars.

I think this is a fitting story during Lent when we wander into the desert to look inside ourselves and realize God's goodness. Joe prayed for 22 years for God to deliver him and He did. Many of us would say, "Wow, it took God 22 years to answer Joe's prayer; the prayer of an innocent man!" However, as Joe reminded us, God doesn't work on our time. We are not privy to the wisdom and knowledge of God. We often believe God is hurting us or abandoning us. That is a lie! Reject this lie immediately when you hear it! It is also important to note that Joe has forgiven those that did him wrong and that wanted him dead! This is profound! How hard is it for us to forgive those who merely offend us, yet this man who was sentenced to die can forgive those that sent him to death row. This is very Christ-like and something we should emulate.

As we move forward toward the Victory of Christ, I challenge us to recognize the noise and make time to simply be in silence and appreciate life itself. Let us praise God for simply being. I know I certainly need to embrace silence, because there is profound power in it. It often amazes me that when we have less, we actually have more. The less we have, the more God can occupy. And what God occupies is certainly good.

Pax,

Johannes


Deus Providebit!

StCYM: Soul Training I (25 FEB 18)

Yesterday we began our soul training for this Lenten season. We discussed getting back to basics. We watched a video of Marine recruits during their first hours of Basic Training. They didn’t have freedom, they were stripped of their hair and personality, and they were beginning a reprograming. To train a recruit in the military that recruit has to go back to the basics. Even the psyche of the recruit is retrained. During Lent it is a good time to get back to the basics of our spiritual lives and perhaps even reset ourselves.

In order to get back to the basics, we chose 24 topics to discuss over the next few weeks using Life Teen’s “100 Things Every Catholic Teen Should Know” as a guide. To discuss these topics, we will dig into the Scriptures and catechism. We began our journey discussing how we take our faith seriously (“God’s not playin’ games”), whether Christ rose from the dead (“Did Jesus really rise from the dead?”), and the death penalty. We incorporated current events such as seeing people fall from their faith and the recent Florida school shooting.

When it comes to being serious, being a witness is a key way to be serious for Christ. Answering our call to love those who are hardest to love (like the school shooter) or entering a frightening situation with courage are powerful ways to display our seriousness for the Gospel. Regarding the validity of the resurrection, we discovered the historic accounts outside of Sacred Scripture about Jesus. Knowing the truth of the resurrection should embolden us to live lives for Christ. We also discussed the death penalty and what the Church teaches regarding state sanctioned executions. We discovered that the Church actually teaches that it should be only used as a last resort when protect the public is impossible. It turns out that in our society it is possible, and so we should find ways to eliminate it.

Next week we will continue our journey through Lent as partake in Soul Training: On the Edge. We will discuss what it means to be on the edge by analyzing minimalism, risk taking, and near occasions of sin. Following the training session, we will continue our catechesis by discussing more of the topics we chose. I pray your Lenten journey continues well and that your relationship with our Lord continues to grow.

Pax.

StCYM: NCYC Reflection Day 3

As we continue through the season of Advent, I figured this would be a good time to share my personal reflections on the National Catholic Youth Conference that we participated in a few weeks ago. This reflection will be about day three.

Reflection on NCYC Day 3                                                                                                   18NOV17

- I am learning a great deal about the holiness of the family. Despite this, I still do not feel drawn to have a biological family. The pattern of consolation will not change. I consider this great comfort as I recently struggled with confusion. I pray for courage.
- I am so grateful for the many prayer and adoration opportunities available here at NCYC. God is good!

Credo Domine!

I was very busy on day three and very exhausted at the end of it, which explains why I did not write much. I will provide more substance here. During day three we attended Mark Hart's breakout session entitled, "Moving Forward: Biblical Truth You'll Need for Your Future". It was a good discussion of God's love for us and desire for us to thrive, while incorporating His revelation in Sacred Scripture. Of course Joshua 1:9 stuck out to me when he discussed it, since it's our main verse for the retreat.

Day three ended with the Vigil Mass. It was a great display of the Universal Church. People from different places and speaking in different languages were all together to celebrate the Mass. It was beautiful. The bishops and other clergy were excited to see and hear the 25,000 teens. The energy was great.

Following the Mass we returned to our hotel. We discussed our top three favorite parts of NCYC. I am grateful for the chaperones that helped. They were absolutely amazing and the teens enjoyed their company. I also enjoyed getting to know the teens better. It was amazing to see everyone experience their faith as a group. I was moved to tears of joy on more than one occasion during NCYC.

NCYC was a rejuvenation of the fire of faith that we all possess through our Baptism and Confirmation. The season of Advent is a time of preparation and rejuvenation as we make preparation in our souls for Christ! Who are you preparing for? Are you preparing for the world or for Christ? Bring this question to Him in prayer as we continue our march toward Christmas.


Pax

StCYM: NCYC Reflection Day 2

As we continue through the season of Advent, I figured this would be a good time to share my personal reflections on the National Catholic Youth Conference that we participated in a few weeks ago. This reflection will be about day two.

Reflection on NCYC Day 2                                                                                                   18NOV17

- Day one ended with great music and prayer. The teens are filled with energy!
- Day two was a full day in downtown Indianapolis. We began with Sarah Kroger leading us in praise and song. We then heard a powerful witness from a former refugee who came from South Sudan.
- She was followed by Sr. Miriam, SOLT who gave her witness, which was heavy. God is showing His grace through her rough life. Early teen alcoholism, promiscuity, abuse, rape, etc. She experienced so much darkness. God delivered her and called her to speak to the young as a nun.
-  The breakouts were great. I learned about the saints and why to be Catholic. Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers was incredible! He was not afraid to talk tough issues. He taught us not to be afraid of Truth.
- Lunch as a group was great! The evening session was awesome. Matt Maher was the performer (he also helped with Adoration). The teens went to Confession! It ended with the Benedictines and compline. Back at the hotel [one of our own] gave a powerful witness!

Credo Domine!

One of the cool things to see was how open the teens were to trading their hats. The participants of NCYC bring unique hats to trade with one another. This is a really cool way to interact and get to know others from around the country. Advent is a season of preparation, but also of fellowship. We are not called to prepare for Christ alone. We are called to community. NCYC was a great display of the universality of the Church.

I am grateful that the teens were so receptive of myself and the other amazing adult chaperones. We all became an awesome family. I greatly enjoyed my time with them. Despite the lack of sleep and the long days, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I feel confident saying that everyone else feels the same.

Pax

StCYM: NCYC Reflection Day 1

As we enter the season of Advent, I figured this would be a good time to share my personal reflections on the National Catholic Youth Conference that we participated in a few weeks ago. This reflection will be about day one.

Reflection on NCYC Day 1                                                                                                   18NOV17

- I was a bit timid early on because I did not know what to expect and how the teens would respond.
- Day one was long, but a great start to this pilgrimage. [Chris Stefanick] pressed into us the importance of whose we are versus who we are. We are God's beloved through Christ filled with the Holy Spirit!
- If there is ever a weekend of consolation it's one where I am joined by 25,000 fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Tears of joy where very much a part of day one.
- The joyful tears came when God was so close. When I reflected on my vocation, the pattern continued. There was an overwhelming draw toward the priesthood.
- I also reflected on ADHD. God does not give up because of our crosses. God uses them! God is good!

Credo Domine!

The last time I was at an event with this many Catholics was at Mother Teresa's canonization (there were many more Catholics there than at NCYC). It was great to, once again, feel the energy of so many people. I was so moved during the praise portion that I entered into a deep state of prayer. I was amazed at how I was able to enter this state in the middle of the loud music and praise. I am grateful for this ability since I had struggled entering into solid prayer leading up to NCYC.

It is easy to prepare for Christ when you have 25,000 screaming teens around you who are on fire for our Lord. The hard part is taking that energy with you when you go. The Holy Spirit is ready to fill us with that same energy even now! Let us be more open to Him.

Pax

Reflection on the Gospel (15 NOV): Luke 17:11-19

In the video above a mother goes back to find the people that helped keep her son alive after a horrific accident. There were many people involved in saving her son. She contacts various different people in her quest to visit the saviors and thank them. It is a touching story.

If you are like me, you ask God to help you in various ways including work, faith, trust, health, school, relationships, bad habits, etc. etc. etc. When things get taken care of what do we do? Do we feel proud of ourselves and move on or do we go back and find God to thank Him and praise Him? I had a moment where I did the former. I was training for months to regain strengths in my knees and to have courage to pass the Army Physical Fitness Test.

Before I took my record test (the one that counts) I took a diagnostic test. After months of failures and disappointments not only in regard to this test, but in life in general, I finally passed. I was on top of the world, but I was cursing in excitement and patting myself on the back. When I saw my superior after washing up and changing I shared this excitement with him. Being a good man of faith, he admonished me because I did not praise God. He heard my cursing and pride. He correctly called me out. After I passed the record test I remembered this and I gave praise to God instead of simply carrying on with pride.

Let's dive into the reading. What would immediately jump out to Luke's audience is the fact that the men had leprosy, which is an infectious disease that can disfigure people. Today it is treatable, but in the time of Christ it was not. Due to the infectious nature of this disease, people that had leprosy were considered unclean and thus cast out of the community. They lived on the outskirts and were completely cut off from society. This is where the term Leper Colony comes from, since they had to form their own communities due to being outcasts. Long story short, leprosy was a death sentence.

Christ being the Great Healer tells them to present themselves to the priests. This was a requirement to be considered clean; the priests had to make it official. Ten men who essentially had a death sentence were healed and freed from this sentence. How awesome a work of Christ! However, only one out of ten comes back to thank him. This one man was a Samaritan.

The fact that a Samaritan returned to praise God versus a Hebrew man would have immediately stirred Luke's audience again. Samaritans were seen as archenemies of the Ancient Hebrews, which is why they are used to emphasize Christ's parables. The logic in a sense is, "even a Samaritan did it!" So, when reading this think of your archenemy (and pray for them) and use the logic used in the Gospels. When God does something for you think of your archenemy praising and thanking God while you simply go on ungrateful. If you have a well formed conscience, you will obviously not want to let your archenemy be a better person than you!

So, let's challenge ourselves to retire at night thanking God for the day that we had, even if it was a difficult one. A simple prayer of thanksgiving while examining your day will help increase our humility and overall virtue. Amen!

Pax

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Gospel reading for 15 NOV: Luke 17:11-19

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying,
"Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!"
And when he saw them, he said,
"Go show yourselves to the priests."
As they were going they were cleansed.
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.
He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply,
"Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine?
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?"
Then he said to him, "Stand up and go;
your faith has saved you."

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Laudamus te! Credo Domine!

StCYM: Called to Community

Sunday was only our third Sunday Night Session since I started back in September. It is crazy how time flies. In between our second and third SNS we visited the Cathedral; carved pumpkins; and went on a hayride and had a campfire. We are continuing to act in community. It is really amazing to see the participation increase as time goes on. This is a sign that we are growing comfortable with each other. I look forward to what lies ahead.

The topic of the night was community. We started off the night playing Catch Phrase, which is always fun. It is a game that tests our communication skills and level of understanding. The game is verbal charades in a sense. The goal of the game is to describe a word (given on the screen) to your teammates without using that word. This game is fun and intense as it is a race against time.

After completing this intense game we enjoyed time together learning about community. We began with looking at the early Christians in scripture. We discussed Acts 2:43-47 where Luke tells us how the early Christians would live in self sacrifice for the benefit of the community. We also discussed Hebrews 10:24-25 where the author encourages us to be committed to the assembly. There is indeed no better way to build relationship than through person to person contact, which happens when we are physically present in the assembly (digital presence is also not nearly as good as physical presence).

We concluded the night by discussing what the teens needed out of the community. It was encouraging to experience the openness of the group to share what they needed, even though the needs, struggles, and wants were anonymous. Following this discussion we closed in prayer in which we shared our prayer intentions.

I certainly am blessed to have been called to journey with this group of teens and their parents. The National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis is going to be an amazing pilgrimage. God is going to be felt and is going to speak to thousands of teens (and chaperones). Veni Sancte Spiritus!

Pax

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More readings on community:
Matthew 18:15-20
Romans 12:3-8
Galatians 6:1-10
1 Thessalonians 5:12-22

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Deus providebit! Credo Domine!

Reflection on All Souls Day

Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)
- Readings: Wisdom 3:1-9; Psalm 23:1-6; Romans 5:5-11 or 6:3-9; John 6:37-40

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“As gold in the furnace, he proved them…” (Wis. 3:6). Today on All Souls Day we remember the souls in purgatory as they undergo purification before entering heaven. Purgatory is defined by the Church as “the state of those who die in God’s friendship, assured of their eternal salvation, but who still have need of purification to enter into the happiness of heaven,” (Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 210).

To enter into heaven, a place that contains no impurities because it is perfection, one must be pure. Since God is all perfect, to be wrapped in His grace in heaven requires perfection. Purgatory is the purification of one’s soul before entering heaven. We are "gold" thanks to our baptism, through which we die and rise with Christ (cf. Rom. 6:3-4), and due to our sinfulness, we must be purified to cleanse us of our impurities. The Church does not have a firm teaching in how long this purification process lasts. It is perfectly reasonable to believe that the more stains a soul possesses the longer the purification will take.

The Church sets aside the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, more commonly known as All Souls, to remember them and pray for them. In today’s first reading St. Paul teaches us about Christ’s death as the means of reconciling with us sinners (Rom. 5:6-11). We should not grow weary of death! We should embrace it with confidence if we are walking with Christ!

The Church Suffering (souls in purgatory) has the hope of salvation, because they are guaranteed to enter it. Praying for them during this process helps shower them with grace. Praying for the souls in purgatory also reminds us of our spiritual lives. Are we living for Christ? Are we seeking purification while on earth? It is also perfectly reasonable to expect a shorter time in purgatory if we prevent our souls from acquiring many stains.

With the souls in purgatory in our prayers, let us march forward as servants of God called to be missionary disciples. Let us carry this hope of salvation wherever we go and be a witness to it! God’s will is for us to have eternal life (John 6:40)! Let us respond to God’s Will with a resounding “yes!”. Amen.

God is good!

Deus Invictus! Credo Domine!

Reflection on the Solemnity of All Saints

Solemnity of All Saints
- Readings: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14; Psalm 24:1-6; 1 John 3:1-3; Matt. 5:1-12

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Does the world understand you? If so, what does it understand about you? Does it see you as a child of God or just another person on this planet? By our righteous lives will the world understand us to be Christians. This will disturb the world, because it does not know God, but fear not (cf. 1 John 3:1) open wide the doors to Christ!

In today’s first reading we are presented with an angel marching from the East (heaven) holding the seal of the living God (Rev. 7:2). The angel commanded the angels given control of nature to not destroy anything until the seal of God was placed on the servants of God (7:3). The point of this is to remind Christians that they are and will be protected from the coming turbulence. As servants of God, we are under His Divine Protection even in death.

We are sealed in God through the Sacraments, primarily Baptism and Confirmation. This should give us confidence to press forward! Christ recognizes that we are human, and thus knows we will experience various hurdles that could lead us to despair. Our Lord lays out that we don’t need to have perfect lives to inherit the Kingdom in the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-11). In fact, Christ even prepares us for persecution. But fear not! Christ tells us to rejoice and be glad because our reward will not be a worldly one, but a Godly one in heaven (5:12)!

Today we celebrate this reward and those that currently reside in it. The saints have run the race and entered the grace of God in heaven. As John puts it, the saints are "the ones that survived the time of great distress," (Rev. 7:14). They, along with the angels, are in the presence of the Creator of the Universe! They have God’s ear and are ready to intercede for us. Let us turn to them as examples of holy living for our Lord and His Kingdom. Amen amen God is certainly good!

Remembering the saints should stir up joy! These examples of holy living should give us confidence and hope in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The reason we should be confident is because these saints are human! They experienced the same senses, feelings, and emotions that we do. They are filled with the same Holy Spirit that we are! Let us press forward and keep running the race with the hope of one day joining them.

God is good!

Deus Invictus! Credo Domine!

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!