Youth Ministry

You got "Pope" mail

So I had an email from Pope Benedict XVI the other day. Pope Benedict with words of encouragement wrote that "empowered by the Spirit and courageous like Mary, your pilgrimage of faith fills the Church with life!". What I most enjoyed was realizing the pilgrimage of faith he spoke of was not many long hours on planes and buses, but the daily walk of my life.

Often I can come back from retreats, mission trips and even World Youth Days and loose that spark or enthusiasm after awhile. We cannot duplicate the lack of sleep, close quarters, and half a million people; but it is possible to remember the lessons learned! Now is the time for myself, and all young adults, to passionately live our lives for Christ! If we do, we shall bring a great abundance of life into the church.

New Frontier

Pope John Paul II called us to bring forth a new evangelization. To engage the youth and young adults in this mission new methods and approaches are needed from the Diocesan office down to the way we are hospitable in our parishes. Take the launching of the catholic alternative to Facebook, www.xt3.com , the method by which Pope Benedict emailed me. Online one can connect freely to thousands of people, ask priests tough moral questions, listen to recordings of catechesis sessions from WYD, and even share prayer requests!

Don't Stop! ... Believing!

We need to make sure we keep the spirit flowing in our lives and those of the youth we serve. If we allow our spiritual wells to dry up we will have nothing to share to others. I find when I re read messages of the Pope, or re listen to those talks I heard, I'm reminded of all those inspirations and tidbits of wisdom I've already let slip away. Let us take advantage of the resources and opportunities we have to recollect and share our experience with others. It is in the sharing that growth and sustained change will happen. The change we wish to see in the youth we serve and the world needs to start within our own lives. So take time to reflect before the busyness of life takes over.

Let us Pray...

May the words of the Pope from Australia ring true that World Youth Day and any conversion experience, "be experienced as a new Upper Room, from which all of us, burning with the fire and love of the Holy Spirit, go forth to proclaim the Rise n Christ and to draw every heart to him! Amen."