“As leaders in the field of the youth apostolate, your task will be to help your parishes, dioceses, associations, and movements to be truly open to the personal, social, and spiritual needs of young people. You will have to find ways of involving young people in projects and activities of formation, spirituality, and service, giving them responsibility for themselves and their work, and taking care to avoid isolating them and their apostolate from the rest of the ecclesial community. Young people need to be able to see the practical relevance of their efforts to meet the real needs of people, especially the poor and neglected. They should also be able to see that their apostolate belongs fully to the Church's mission in the world (cf. Pope JohnPaul II, Christ Invites, Reveals and Sends, 1993).”
a. In our first class, we spoke of Being at the Foot of the Master, Taking on the Attitude of the Master, and lastly – becoming the Master. The word “Master” can be equated to the word “Lord”. In the Latin, the word “Lord” is “Dominus”, which means, master of a house. The Master we serve is Jesus Christ. He is Lord of the House of God, and of our very being.
b. We as leaders are a reflection of the Master, and in many ways, we are given authority to lead, guide, and rule our communities. In the book of Genesis, God gives Adam authority to name and to dominate creatures – notice the word “dominate” (See Genesis 1:26-31 & 2:19). It is important that we realize that through our Baptism we have God’s authority because we are His children. (John 1:12-13) The word used for “power” in the Greek is “Exsulcia”, which means, “authority”.
c. Christ who is our Good Shepherd teaches us that it is not by force we dominate, but by our sincerity to love, to inspire, and to make good judgments that will help build up the Kingdom of God. True leadership can only be exercised when our mind, heart, body, and soul is willing to surrender to the Lord – One cannot call Jesus Savior, if He is not your Lord. If this is true, others will not know Jesus, if Jesus means nothing to you. Remember, “the Christ that you have in your life is the Christ that you offer to the youth. This is the Christ they will be for others.” (Bertha Peralta-Rodriguez) We either inspire our youth to be the Real Christ or the False Christ.
d. Another lesson that we learned in this experience is that following the Master means learning to discipline yourself in avoiding sin and vice – Christ calls you not only to be like Him, but to bring order to your very being. Only He can be the one to help you.
2. As leaders you are called to awaken and strengthen the vocations of the youth – to become what they ought to be in the sight of God, His Church, and society. As leaders, we must make sure that our youth are connected to the life of the Church.
II – Goals: we all need them for our Group or Ministry! What “Renewing the Vision” offers us:
1. The Church calls us to empower youth to be disciples of Jesus Christ.
a. As believers, our example as a disciple of Christ must challenge our youth to passionately love and serve the Lord. They will be the first to bring forth His message of hope to the world they live in. Hence, we are all carriers of the message of the “Kingdom of God”.
b. It is important we don’t shy away from the two most important instruments of instruction: the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Like Catechists, we are to be an “Echo of the Gospel.” To be this Echo, you must be willing to learn, study, and live your faith in Jesus Christ. Refusal to learn about Christ will only lead you and your group or ministry to its downfall.
c. Our goal is to excite our youth to be adventurers. You must challenge them to respond to the Gospel, while using their gifts, talents, and experiences – and most especially by awakening their vocation.
d. It is important that as leaders you find resources that will help you create the group or ministry your church needs. Your Archdiocese or Diocese already provides the resources to help you:
i. Office of Youth Ministry / Young Adult Ministryii. Office of Vocations
iii. Office of Family Life/Pro-life
iv. Office of Social Justice
v. Networks with groups or ministries that may help you in your work. Start with those in your Archdioceses or Dioceses.
e. Our goal is not to offer programs, but rather to offer opportunities for our youth to grow as disciples of Jesus.
f. Coming back to the Patron Saint or Devotional Name of your parish – as we discussed before, learning about the name will draw you even deeper to serving Christ and His Church.
2. The Church calls us to encourage commitment and participation in our parish.
a. When we know why we are Catholic, why we are Christian, and where we are called to serve, our service is intensified. The youth as well as the community, see the joy, the excitement, and the commitment we have toward Christ and our parish. Even the Pastor and the Religious Leaders will respond to us, using our energy to inspire the parish. The Spirit of the Lord makes our example infectious, which in turn will be a blessing by which the Lord destroys the power of sin and doubt, making us Salt and Light for our Community. (Matthew 5:13-16) The Church recognizes that our youth receive the Catholic Faith through Family Life, Parish Life, Catholic Schools, and Youth Organizations. In some parishes, this may not be the reality. “Renewing the Vision” is telling us GET BACK TO WORK!!!
i. The Family – It is the Church at Home. Our Catholic Christian formation begins at home where it is nurtured through love and fellowship. It is the family that stands out; telling us God is evident in the Family Union. It is here where youth leadership can find the tools and basic structure of creating a group or ministry. Your group or ministry can play a key role in the formation of families.ii. The Parish – The Church is the Home for Families. It is where families bring their children for Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation. This is where families are both spiritually and religiously formed. The parish must be youth friendly, and if it isn’t, then your youth leadership should work towards convincing the parish to be youth friendly, most especially with youth of different ages, cultures, and vocations.
iii. The Catholic School – It is the instrument by which the Church works with in bringing up faithful Christian youth and their families to discipleship. It is where youth learn, experience, and live out their Catholic Faith.
iv. The Youth Organization – Another instrument of the Church which works to provide formation and mission for youth leadership.
3. The Church calls us to Pastorally Care for the Personal and Spiritual Growth of our Youth.
• Guide young people in the call to holiness by developing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ by meeting him in the Scriptures, in the life and teachings of the Catholic Church, and in their own prayer lives;a. The Church calls us to develop a group or ministry which caters to the needs of the youth. We must worry about their personal and spiritual needs. Catholic identity and Christian discipleship are key components to addressing their needs as they may face negativity in their development that can come from poverty, discrimination of any kind, or social injustice. Negativity can also come from their lack of understanding of sin, or the distortion of values promoted by things they watch and read.
b. The Church offers us a guide to foster development in the area of faith and personal growth with our youth. This guide will help us to act and develop our ministry to cater to the needs of our youth. According to Renewing the Vision - Part 2, when it comes to Youth Ministry, the Church desires to:
• Nurture in young people positive, Catholic values of love, honesty, courage, peace and nonviolence, fidelity, chastity, generosity, tolerance, respect for life from conception to natural death, care and compassion, service to those in need, equality, social justice, integrity, responsibility, and community;
• Help young people apply their Catholic faith to daily life experiences, nurture in young people a lifelong commitment to the Catholic faith, guiding them in developing a personal faith and skills for continuing their growth as Catholics;
• Empower young people to live the moral and theological virtues and apply these virtues in making moral decisions;
• Develop the biblical and doctrinal literacy of young people and a deeper appreciation for the importance of the Scriptures and the teachings of the Church in the Christian life;
• Foster development of a personal spirituality and prayer life in young people;
• Nurture in young people an understanding of and active participation in the sacramental life of the Church, especially the Eucharist;
• Help young people recognize that the Catholic faith calls them to work for justice and to defend human dignity;
• Empower young people to serve those in need, to develop skills that foster social changes to secure justice and equality for every human being, and to live a life of Christian service modeled on Jesus' life;
• Empower young people to become healers and reconcilers when conflicts arise, to pursue peace, and to become peaceful persons;
• Promote an understanding of and respect for people who are different from the young people—different cultures, different languages, different faiths, different ages—and develop the attitudes and skills for overcoming racial and ethnic prejudices as individuals and members of society;
• Develop young people's critical thinking skills that empower them to analyze contemporary life and culture in light of the Good News of Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Church;
• Promote Catholic sexual values and attitudes and the importance of valuing chastity and sexual restraint;
• Promote positive self-image in young people, including an appreciation of one's ethnic culture, a sense of self-esteem, a sense of purpose in life, a positive view of one's personal future, and a humble acceptance of one's self as lovable and loved by God and others;
• Develop the life skills of adolescents including the skills for entering into and maintaining meaningful friendships, planning and decision-making skills, life-planning skills, appreciation and understanding of a variety of cultures, and peaceful conflict resolution skills;
• Help young people recognize the movement of the Holy Spirit in their lives and discern their particular Christian vocation in the world—in the workplace, in marriage or single life, in the priesthood or consecrated life, or in the permanent diaconate;
• Cultivate the gifts and talents of young people, and empower
them to utilize these gifts and talents in leadership and ministry in the
Church and community including peer ministry and intergenerational
skills.
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TASK FOR SUNDAY: How are you doing so far? Sometimes figuring out the way to make a project function takes re-reading the notes, resources, and discussions you've had with your Team. You are experiencing issues or blessing in your group - all signs that God is taking care of you, and strengthening your vocation. In other words, like the body in exercise, must increase the weight to build muscle, you must feel the spiritual challenges to build your vocation.
Your next task will test your Teams work on Schedule, and Plan for a Youth Group gathering. You must be detailed in your words, thoughts, and planning - from themes, talk, speaker, timing, the room, the set up, what materials or equipment you will use, etc.
I am providing you with a Facility Management Form to plan out your leadership meetings, and group meetings. Use the form wisely, and return it to me by email.
