1. The Church and Young People
Section 5:
The Church and Young People

2. Section 5, Part 1
You Have Been Called

3. Introduction Practical implications of first 4 sections for your life
Simplest but most important & difficult
Relationship to Church is similar to Apostles towards Jesus
Need some gifts & understanding of those gifts to respond
Communion is an essential gift & fruit of your choice
3 Articles
(A. 52) -- Called by God to Belong to the Church
(A. 53) -- Christ Enriches Us through Participation in the
Life of the Church
(A. 54) -- Called to Community

4. Article 52: Called by God to Belong to the Church
Your Call from God
Gifts make us feel special; grateful, undeserving
God’s gift of the Church is that extraordinary
Church is his most extraordinary gift
God also gave us creation – out of love
God gave man free will
What is a “call” from God
How do we “hear” the call? How did St. Paul hear it?
Most Catholics are “called” at Baptism; through their parents & Godparents
Parents make promises “for you” (as a gift)
How did your family celebrate the event of your Baptism?
Do we take God’s call for granted (Pope Benedict XVI, Christmas Greetings)

5. Article 52: Called by God to Belong to the Church cont.
Your Life in the Sacraments
Baptism immerses you in water & into the Church
Died & rose with Christ—water & white garment
Anointed with Sacred Chrism priest, prophet, & king
Age of reason is a time for mercy in Penance (Reconciliation)
Performed an examination of conscience & Reconciliation
Eucharist is central because nourishes your spiritual life
Sacraments of Initiation
Baptism
Holy Communion
Confirmation—completes baptism & initiation with the Holy Spirit

6. Article 52: Called by God to Belong to the Church cont.
Learning More About God & His Church
Gift of Catholic education
Identify how / what ….
Answering God’s call in real life situations…. Like…
School…
Sports…
Home…
Internet…
Friends…
Dating…
Work…
Church…
How can we say “yes” more powerfully to make faith exciting & communal?

7. You Tube Videos: Called to the Church
Fr. Barron: Why Catholics Leave the Church
Busted Halo: Why We Baptize
Pope Francis: Eucharist is More Than A Symbol
Busted Halo: Why We're Confirmed

8. Homework Read A. 53 5.1 review questions #’s 1-2 (Optional)
Looking Ahead
5.1 review questions #’s 1-8 due Wednesday (Optional)
Information will be tested on the Final Exam

9. Article 53: Christ Enriches Us through Participation in the Life of the Church
The Sacred Scriptures
Think about how important “words” are? (talk, text, tweet…)
Consider Jesus as the Word of God
When we read & pray the scriptures:
We learn about Jesus
We encounter Jesus
What could we practice to learn to pray the scriptures better?
Use imagination… enter into the story
Repeat small phrases. And meditate on words, phrases, images…
Ponder similar experiences that you can learn from; have an insight from…
St. Jerome
“Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.”

10. Article 53: Christ Enriches Us through Participation in the Life of the Church cont.
The Sacraments
The sacraments bring us face to face with God
We encounter grace & participate in the Holy Trinity through the sacraments
Sacraments are an efficacious sign (producing a desired result)
Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist (Sacrament of Initiation)
Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick (Sacrament of Healing)
Matrimony, Holy Orders (Sacrament at the Service of Communion)
We are to witness to our faith in communion with the Body of Christ
One Monk’s Favorite Prayer
St. John Cassian ( AD)
Arrow Prayer – short, direct & focused
Aspiration (to aspire or breathe)
Jesus, Mary & Joseph
O come to my assistance, God make haste to help me.
My Lord & my God

11. Article 53: Christ Enriches Us through Participation in the Life of the Church cont.
Prayer
We are called to be people of prayer
Understand the picture on p (“Knock & it will be opened…”)
Learning to pray
Different styles
Prayer is vital to be a Christian; we are united to Christ in prayer
When we are united to Christ, we pray.
St. Ignatius’ Prayer for Generosity (shadowbox)
Read the prayer to grow in holiness p. 209

12. Article 53: Christ Enriches Us through Participation in the Life of the Church cont.
Prayer Process - Taken from The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic
Gratitude: Begin by thanking God in a personal dialogue for whatever you are most grateful for today.
Awareness: Revisit the times in the past twenty-four hours when you were and were not the-best- version-of-your-self. Talk to God about these situations & what you learned from them.
Significant Moments: Identify something you experienced in the last twenty-four hours & explore what God might be trying to say to you through that event (or person).
Peace: Ask God to forgive you for any wrong you have committed (against yourself, another person, or Him) & to fill you with a deep & abiding peace.
Freedom: Speak with God about how He is inviting you to change your life, so that you can experience the freedom to be the-best-version-of-yourself.
Others: Lift up to God anyone you feel called to pray for today, asking God to bless & guide them.
Pray the Our Father.

13. You Tube Videos: Participation in the Church
Fr. Jim Martin: Lectio Divina
Jonathan Fanning: The Prayer Process

14. Homework Read A. 54 5.1 review questions #’s 3-6 (Optional)
Looking Ahead
5.1 review questions #’s 1-8 due Wednesday (Optional)
Information will be tested on the Final Exam

15. Article 54: Called to Community
Genesis teaches us that God created us to live in
harmony with Him, creation & each other
We are created to be in community; we experience
“loneliness” when without
True Friends Help Us to Grow in Faith
“Some friends bring ruin on us, but a true fiend is more loyal than a brother.”
Friends can help us grow closer to (or away from) God
They build up our gifts & talents * Tell us the truth * Support our faith growth
Support us when we are down * Share our values * Enjoying wasting time together

16. Article 54: Called to Community cont.
Friends in Mission: Ignatius of Loyola & Francis Xavier
Ignatius & Francis became great friends while studying to be priests
Ignatius started the Jesuits
Francis was one of the first to take vows in the new Jesuit order
Francis served as a Missionary in a journey to India
Ignatius said goodbye to his friend, knowing that they were serving the “glory of God” by splitting up.
Canonized at the same time in 1622
Of Sock Hops and Bobby Socks
Where do we go to meet new friends?
Where do we go to meet girls?
What is the goal of meeting girls?
Being a Christian man when a girls “asks” for more… (…elevated dignity)
How does having a girl friend incorporate one’s Christian values?
Does pornography have anything to do with friends?
Peer pressure?
Attitude about women?

17. Article 54: Called to Community cont.
Christian Service (hours)
What kind of man do you want to become?
How do you serve ? Where do you serve? Why do you serve?
What are opportunities to go beyond what Mr. Walters requires?
How can you raise the dignity of another human being?
Making the world a better place
Kairos, March for Life, Monogram Club
CC, your parish (youth group, liturgy), City, Diocese, volunteer websites

18. Article 54: Called to Community cont.
We are Members of the Body of Christ
The People of God & the Body of Christ
All the baptized make the diverse reality of the Body of Christ
Live It! shadowbox
As humans we want to belong (identity)
We often define ourselves by our differences
Differences can be complimentary (most important to be happy)
Opposites attract; this is fun & complimentary, but can become harsh & destructive

19. You Tube Videos: Called to Community
Jefferson Bethke: Community in the Church
Friendship: Ignatius and Francis

20. Homework 5.1 review questions #’s 7-8 (Optional)
5.1 review questions #’s 1-8 due Wednesday (Optional)
Information will be tested on the Final Exam