Try to picture it now. When the earthquake subsided and the darkness lifted that Friday afternoon, it must have resembled something like a crime scene. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide your mind and heart now as you discern the site.
Picture it: You’re in a hurry. You’re focused on school or work or family or friends, where there are a thousand things going on. You stop “real quick” to eat in the middle of the day. Halfway through the meal – or a little while after – you remember it’s Friday. And it’s Lent! And that’s a burger in your stomach!! In the words of Homer Simpson, “D’oh!”
Are you looking for something unconventional to offer up for Lent? We asked Life Teen missionaries and our friends on Facebook for cool stuff they’ve done in the past. This is what they shared.
So here it is: soon it will be Holy Week, and the only thing running through your head is, “Where’d Lent go?” Maybe you never nailed down exactly what you were giving up, or your best efforts still came up short. If you’re anything like me, you’re wishing you could get a Lenten do-over… and this time take it more seriously. Until next year, there aren’t any chances to go back to Ash Wednesday – but that doesn’t mean we’re out of luck. (With our God, how can we ever be truly lost?) We are now in the middle [...]
“And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the guards, and warming himself at the fire.” – Mark 14:54 Hey, Peter, what was it like to see your best friend get pushed around, mocked, spit on and lied about? Did you make eye contact with the guards or try not to? What did it feel like to turn your back on God, standing just yards away from Him beside a warm fire? Did you stand in the shadows so Jesus couldn’t see you? What did it feel [...]
Did you promise to pray more during Lent this year? Then this free download is just for you! We pulled out some pages from Life Teen’s book 40 More to help keep you going in this fifth week of Lent. In the download, you’ll read a verse from the Bible, some questions about how it applies to your own life, a reflection, and a closing prayer. This week it’s about recognizing our sinfulness and accepting God’s compassion. Download: Jesus Shows Compassion in our Sinfulness
During the month of April, we wanted to help you dive a little deeper into Lent as well as highlight some of Pope John Paul II writings in preparation for his beatification on May 1. Make sure to share them with your friends.
Did you promise to pray more during Lent this year? Then this free download is just for you! We pulled out some pages from Life Teen’s book 40 More to help keep you going in this fourth week of Lent. In the download, you’ll read a verse from the Bible, some questions about how it applies to your own life, a reflection, and a closing prayer. This week it’s about understanding Jesus’ challenging words about salvation. Download: Is Everyone Getting into Heaven?
Have you messed up Lent this year? Ever make a New Year’s resolution and not keep it? Ever tell a teacher you would hand in something at a certain time and not do it? How about telling a friend you were going to meet them at some event and in the end decided to not attend without telling them? Did you start out this Lent making a resolution that you would sacrifice something and have already spoiled the sacrifice by not doing it? Let’s face it: if were completely authentic with these questions, most of us would say yes, we [...]
On my first mission trip to General Cepeda, Mexico I was humbled by the generosity of the poor we were there to serve. The first mass I celebrated in my broken Spanish was with about ten people gathered in a small building in one of the poorest ranchos outside of General Cepeda. During mass, an elderly woman got up from her seat, walked behind me and started to search for something behind the flowers near the tabernacle. I was stunned when she pulled out a collection basket. How could this be? Aren’t these people the poorest of the poor? What money do they have to give?
Our friends Drag and Gary meet up with Matt Maher, our favorite Canadian Catholic singer/songwriter, to talk about Lent. We learn about God’s mercy, using our inside voices, and cheese pizza.
Did you promise to pray more during Lent this year? Then this free download is just for you! We pulled out some pages from Life Teen’s book “40 More” to help get you started on the first week of Lent. In the download, you’ll read a verse from the Bible, some questions about how it applies to your own life, a reflection, and a closing prayer. This week it’s about dealing with temptation.
Here we are, on Fat Tuesday – and if you’re like me, you’re scrambling to decide what exactly you’re giving up for the next 40 days. Will it be candy – no, procrastinating… or maybe you’ll finally tackle that missing prayer time. The possibilities seem infinite and overwhelming. Before you know it, there are going to be ashes on your forehead and all your Catholic friends will be asking, “So what did YOU give up this year?” Don’t worry too much. I’ve been thinking about it, and I have some rock-solid advice on how to make this the most productive (and rewarding) Lent ever.
Cool Breeze -or- Suffocating Heat Rain -or- Drought Rich color contrasts -or- Brown Lady Bugs -or- Scorpions Garden -or- Desert Given the choice, which one would you choose? I’ll go with the garden. In Scripture, the imagery of gardens and deserts provides for us a vast contrast of settings, themes and spiritual undertones. Many great moments in Scripture happen in gardens: creation, the fall, Jesus’ agony and arrest and the Resurrection. There are also great moments that happened in deserts: the exodus and exile of Israel, the Ten Commandments, John the Baptists’ preaching of the coming Messiah and the temptation of Jesus. During the season [...]
I hope everyone is having a good 2011. It’s been a busy year so far here behind LifeTeen.com. In January we covered what it means to be pro-life, then in February we got hyper and considered the difference between LUV and LOVE… …We’re going to do things a little differently over the next two months. Rather than sticking to a single theme, we’re going to mix things up a little bit: March: Luv vs. Love, Lent. April: Lent, Holy Week, Pope John Paul II. Why so many themes?
