First published February 19, 2007
Friday night I had the greatest pleasure of attending a meeting of a pre-teen youth group at Holy Cross Parish in Georgetown, Ontario. After the almost two-hour drive (I didn’t think Georgetown was that far!) I can’t think of a better way to end the week.
Let me tell you a bit about this group of wonderful kids: Their group is called “J.U.S.T. Fridays”, which stands for Jesus Uniting Students Together Fridays. They meet for an hour and a half, every two weeks and do all the usual stuff youth groups do. Our get together Friday night dealt with the topic of Saints and we sang songs and shared. The week before, they baked heart-shaped rice-crispy squares (except they were not squares, they were heart-shaped – get it?), for their Valentine’s Day Parish event.
It reminded me of another group I had the pleasure to meet earlier in the school year: The Saints and Rosary Club from St. Edmund’s Catholic School in Mississauga, Ontario. These kids get together during recess every Friday and pray the Rosary. How cool is that! On this particular occasion, they came on a field trip to S+L and we had a super time, including, of course praying the Rosary. (Which reminds me to tell you that we are always happy to have youth groups or school groups come and hang out with us.) These kids are between grades one and six (if I remember correctly).
And J.U.S.T. Fridays kids are between grades five and eight (although I saw some younger kids there). And this is what my point is: Don’t wait until your kids are in their teens to get them in a youth group. You have to start earlier.
I was 12 when I had my first powerful spiritual experience. We had a new priest in our Parish, who wanted to start youth ministry, and so he invited all youth to a weekend retreat (another great suggestion if you’re looking for one, don’t be afraid, if you need help let me know). So of course, my mother packed us three kids and sent us along. I think I was the second youngest of the group. Suffice it to say that the retreat was of a charismatic nature and I was witness to tongues, slaying in the spirit and prophecies (none of which I found weird or scary) and many other really cool activities, as well as adoration. Can I say that I was hooked? (Another point, don’t waste time doing YMCA-type activities. If the kids want to play street hockey or volleyball, or go skating, they can join the Y. They join a Church youth group to get what the Church has to offer – that doesn’t mean that recreational activities are bad. Just don’t make that the focus. Kids are coming to you because they want meaning and spirituality. Don’t be afraid to give them that. And I don’t mean it has to be Charismatic, but it has to be Catholic.) Out of that weekend, we ended up with a youth group and a youth choir. By the time I was older and rebellious, it was too late, I was in and won over.
As an adult, I was a volunteer with the Children’s International Summer Villages (www.CISV.ca), a secular organization that seeks to promote peace and international understanding by bringing children and youth from different countries together. The village is for 11 yr. olds. Why? Because that’s the age to start them if you want to break down prejudices and build bridges. At that age kids still are impressionable but have not yet formed any biases or prejudices. It’s amazing how it works (plus the younger kids are less likely to refuse to go).
So, my suggestion to all you youth ministers struggling with your teen-age youth group: Invite younger kids. I say as young as nine. And mix them all together. The older kids can help with the younger ones. Everyone can have a “buddy” that is older (or younger). This creates a familial environment (in what family are all kids the same age?) and gives the kids great skills for going into the real world where you deal with people of different ages (besides kids are less likely to get into mischief if they are mixed because the older kids want to be examples and the younger kids want to impress the older kids, especially if you have the buddy system). Of course, from time to time you have to have age-appropriate activities, but who is going to run the activities for the younger kids? The older kids. Trust me, it works.
So, all this to say: go for the younger kids. I said it last Friday to the group (and to Holy Cross’ pastor Fr. Dave), “if every Parish had a group like this, they would all have awesome youth groups” AND I went as far as saying (and I truly believe this), “there wouldn’t be any wars.”
Send me your comments. Love to hear from you.
PEDRO
First published February 1, 2007
Given the outcome of what happened at Carleton U. with the Student Association and the Pro-life group (watch Catholic Focus, CAMPUS FREE SPEECH), it’s easy to get disheartened with the secular direction the world is taking. It’s amazing to know that not long ago, the debate was whether to grant pro-abortion groups status on campus. Now it’s the pro-life groups who need to fight for their survival. It’s the same issue as the challenges with advertising the life message (Catholic Focus, ADVERTISING LIFE). It’s as if we are under attack on all sides.
Recently, Catholic musician Nick Alexander put together an imix of ProLife songs for download on iTunes. For the first two days, the comments were fairly positive. Then on day three, the comments turned nasty. Sadly, because I am convinced that the pro-abortion camp is the minority. But they are the loud minority. The squeaky wheel that gets the grease. We, are the silent majority. Maybe we need to be louder.
But then, something happens that reminds me that God is much bigger than all that. I am reminded that God can make something new out of everything and that to think that with God on our side, we are fighting a losing battle, is not really believing in our God.
Last night, on my way home, on the radio I heard the song, “Make Me an Instrument of Peace”. Yes. Exactly that – the words of St. Francis. But what is remarkable about this is that it was on a secular radio station. I am still trying to find out who the artist was. I think I am still a bit taken aback that a secular radio station (it was either 97.3 or 98.1) was playing a song that is clearly the words of a Catholic Saint. I was so inspired. Which leads me to ask: What’s the deal with Josh Groban? Is his song, “You Raise Me Up” not a song about God? I wasn’t sure, but after his new song, “You Are Loved”, I am almost sure that he is talking about God – and it’s very much a Christian message. And he gets play on secular radio.
Pretty cool. Does anyone have any thoughts about this?
So… if we educate ourselves on these topics – we can be a driving force in teaching our friends the wisdom of the culture of life. I am not suggesting we become a loud majority – just a faithful and loving majority. That’s how hearts are changed. And then, as for the loud minorities… remember, it’s also the loudest mosquito that gets squashed first.
Pedro
From my homily for September 30, 2012 on the Gospel of Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
Who do you think of when you think of “disciple”? I think of a lot of holy and wise men and women and all the Saints: People of great sacrifice, humility, compassion – people who pick up their cross and follow Jesus. of course, I also think of the 12 apostles. They were hand-picked by Jesus. They were the first disciples. They should be the model of discipleship. But, to be honest, had I been Jesus (not that I’m going to put myself in that category), I would not have chosen those guys as disciples. At least not the way they are described in the Gospel of Mark (which we’ve been reading every Sunday this Liturgical Year).
The Gospel of Mark can be divided into two main sections: The public ministry of Jesus; and the road to Calvary. These two sections are divided geographically: The first part takes place almost entirely in the north of Israel, in the Galilee region. This is where Nazareth, Capernaum and the Sea of Galilee are. This is where Jesus grew up and where all the apostles were from. The second part takes place in Jerusalem: the triumphal entry, the cleansing of the temple, the last supper, the agony in the garden, the betrayal and the passion, death and resurrection. All that takes place in Jerusalem. And the transition between these two sections happens as Jesus and his disciples, literally walk all the way from the northernmost point, Caesarea Philippi some 200kms down to Jerusalem, which is in the south. And this journey to Jerusalem is very much a transition from Jesus’ public ministry of healing, teaching and nourishing people to what had to happen on the Cross. This is where we’ve been in the Gospel of Mark for the last three weeks and we’re going to be here until the end of October (From 7:22-10:52). During this journey, three times Jesus tells the disciples what has to happen, but the disciples just don’t get it.
Peter shows great faith at the beginning of that journey at Caesarea Philippi with his proclamation of faith, when Jesus asks “who do you say that I am?” Peter responds, “You are the Christ,” and not two seconds later when Jesus tells them that he has to be handed over to the authorities, suffer and die, Peter rebukes him and Jesus calls him Satan.
During this journey we also see the disciples not letting the children come to Jesus and the disciples arguing about who of them is the greatest. They can’t cast out a demon and can’t figure out why and James and John ask Jesus if they can sit at his right and left in Heaven.Then John tries to stop someone else who is casting out demons in Christ’s name because he’s not one of their group. To all of this, I imagine Jesus saying, “really?”
But it’s comforting to know that this has been human nature since the beginning. We hear in the Book of Numbers that Moses was dealing with the same issue. Moses complains to God that he can’t handle all the Israelites by himself and God tells him to select 70 men, elders in the community to help him. He says to take them to the Tent – that’s the Tabernacle, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept – and God would take some of the Spirit that was on Moses and put it on the 70 elders. So they go to the Tent and God sends his Spirit upon the elders and they begin to prophecy for a bit and then they stop. But two of them, Eldad and Medad, had not gone to the Tent, they stayed in the Camp, they still received the Spirit and began to prophesy and they continued to prophesy. Joshua tells Moses that Eldad and Medad are prophesying but they didn’t go to the Tent and asks if they stop them. Moses says, “Would that all God’s people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his spirit on them.” (Numbers 11:29)
Aren’t we the same? Proud, insecure, jealous and petty? At home, at work, at school, in our clubs and Parish groups? We don’t want to go to a particular social justice event because they are not “pro-life”, or to a worship event because they are not Catholic. Really? Jesus says that if we truly are Christian, we’re all on the same team. And if we feel that we are not good enough because we struggle with humility and jealousy and we don’t understand the Cross, we’re in good company, ‘cause that’s exactly where the 12 apostles were on the road to Jerusalem. If they were chosen as disciples, so can we be. God calls everyone. We don’t need to be perfect to be disciples, we just need to have faith.
And yes, faith is a gift. We have to pray for it. We have to ask for it. But having faith doesn’t mean that we don’t have doubts or that we understand everything the Church teaches. To be faithful disciples means that we’re in the Church, trying. If you’re still not sure, The Letter of St. James (which we have been reading all month) is a great reminder that we show our faith through our works.
Who do I think of when I think of disciples? I think of you. Not because you’re perfect, but because you’re not perfect. You’re just like me, struggling just have to have faith. This is why Pope Benedict XVI has decreed a year of Faith to begin on October 11. It will begin on the 50th anniversary of the opening of the 2nd Vatican Council and end on November 24, 2013, which is the 20th anniversary of the promulgation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
The Holy Father said that he hopes that this year of faith will inspire in all believers “the aspiration to profess the faith in fullness and with renewed conviction, with confidence and hope.” Just as in the previous years of St. Paul and for Priests, there will be many activities and events in all Parishes and throughout all dioceses to commemorate the year of Faith. I hope all of you can participate.
So this is going to be a great year for us to work on our Faith, so we can be better disciples. Not to be perfect, but like the 12 apostles who were scared and confused and who didn’t understand. They struggled with jealousy and pride, but who gave their all to follow Christ.
That’s the kind of disciple that I can be. So can you.
Reflexión sobre Marcos 10:17-30
Seguimos en esta parte del evangelio de Marcos que es la transición entre la vida pública de Jesús y el camino a la Cruz. Y en este camino los discípulos se la pasan confundidos y Jesús nos va enseñando poquito a poquito qué es lo que quiere decir ser discípulo. Acuérdense que Dios nos llama a todos y no tenemos que ser perfectos para ser discípulos. Es más, el ser discípulos nos perfecciona.
Y hoy llega este jóven adinerado y le pregunta a Jesús qué es lo que tiene que hacer para ir al cielo y Jesús le dice, sigue los mandamientos, Ya. Hecho. ¿Qué más? Aquí viene lo difícil: Regala todo lo que tienes y ven y sígueme. Y el jjóven se va triste por tenía muchas pertenencias.
A mí siempre me ha parecido esto muy injusto. El tipo es bueno, sigue los mandamientos, no mata, no dice mentiras, honra a sus padres, reza, pone a Dios ante todo… ¿por qué no puede ir al cielo? Recuerdo la primera vez que escuche este evangelio – yo tenía como 8 años y pensé en mi tía Gabriela – ella nunca se casó, no tenía hijos, y tenía mucho, mucho dinero – tenía una casa lindísima, y una propiedad enorme en uno de los barrios mas high class de Panamá. Y me pareció injusto. ¿Cómo que mi tía no puede ir al cielo? Si ella era una mujer buenísima y todo lo que tenía lo daba – daba a la iglesia y a Caritas y donaciones y fundaciones e hizo mucho por el país – estoy seguro que mi tía Gabriela está en el cielo.
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deacon pedro 