I boldly beg you to pray for our servicemen and women, veterans and all their families. Christmas is the occasion when we remember the Gift of the Father to us. Each of us tries to respond by giving something we have received to those in need. Those who serve our country in uniform need and deserve our prayers.
Catholics do not pray to statues.
That would be idolatry and therefore, a violation of the First Commandment. If a person prays to a statue out of superstition, believes that the statue has special powers or is even God – that is idolatry.
However, this is not what Catholics do when they pray in front of a statue. Catholics worship with their whole person and all of the senses. A statue, or any other piece of religious art, is intended to draw the soul deeper into prayer by helping the senses to recall the mystery that it represents.
The irony of the materialism during the time of Christmas is that materialism (as well as other sins) is exactly what Christ came into the world to free us from! He came to take us away from our idols, our “false gods” in this world and long only for Him. This Christmas, let’s re-examine our “Dear Santa” list and look to Jesus. Ask yourself what you really need this Christmas.
Sometimes I find myself itching for a good miracle story. And I know I can just open the Bible for one but sometimes I find myself asking, “Lord, how about a good modern day miracle story on the news tonight?” It’s kind of a bad attitude to have because after all, “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” (John 20:29)
When I heard this miracle story it blew my mind! It’s about Pope Benedict’s role in the rescue of the Chilean miners, whose one-year anniversary we observed last Thursday. Check it out …
Here in South Bend, people get pretty pumped over Notre Dame football. They dress in blue and gold, paint their faces, prepare food all night for the tailgates, even get up early. When the game starts, the crowd goes nuts! Cheers. Standing. Sitting. High fives to strangers you don’t know. We are fully engaged in the event. I wonder what would happen if we participated with the same heart and passion at Mass on Sunday?
Let’s be honest. Mass … it’s boring, right? Growing up, that’s what I thought.
This past Sunday my day started with a run. I don’t know if you’ve ever gone for a run or not, but you kind of get in this “zone.” It was just me, the sun, the pavement … my gasping breath (but that’s embarrassing to talk about) and my thoughts. I didn’t want to miss this quiet opportunity to chat with God, so I let Him know I was listening to whatever He wanted to tell me.
I began praying about what I should write this week and the simplest thing came to me. I felt like God was telling me to let you know that I’m praying for you. I honestly thought the idea was kind of lame (sorry, God). It seemed too basic.
Growing up, I was the typical nerd. I was always the student in class who would raise their hand saying, “I have a question … ” (I learned quickly not to stand up, wave my hands, and yell … thanks to first grade.) I just loved asking all types of questions. I still do.
Editor’s Note: While there are many reflections, testimonies, and stories about the tragedies that occurred on 9/11/2001, we wanted to share with you a prayer. This special prayer occurred when Pope Benedict XVI visited the United States. His time spent at Ground Zero in New York City helped bring healing to the people of New York, as well as Catholics world-wide. As you reflect upon the events of 9/11, take time to pray with the Holy Father to pray for peace among our world.
The cheers exploded! There was singing and dancing. The outdoor arena was packed with 50,000 teens and the energy was tangible in the air because of their excitement. No, we weren’t at a Lady Gaga concert. We came for the greatest “Lady”—Our Lady, the Blessed Mother. It was the 22nd annual Medjugorje Youth Festival, and I was there to experience the pilgrimage of a lifetime!
When I ask you, “How many friends do you have?” what pops into your mind? Is it …
How many “true” friends?
How many Facebook friends?
How many friends in my whole lifetime? Actually, it’s far more than any of those numbers. In truth you have more friends than you can count. The saints in heaven are the best friends you could ask for – and they’re pulling for you.
On Day 3 of their Epic Adventure, the teens were split into a guys group and a girls group. In the morning the guy’s had a session with Eric Porteous, while the girls went out onto the low ropes course. After their session, the guy’s had organized free time. In the afternoon, the girls had their session, lead by two missionaries, Carrie Bigley and Jilina Damin, and the guys went out on to the low ropes course. Mass was held just before dinner, and the teens then dove into a session called Epic Spirit. To finish off the evening, each teen experienced being prayed over by their youth minister and summer missionaries.
For the last full day of the Edge week at Camp Tepeyac, the campers had opportunities all day to tackle obstacles. The day started with organized free time, leading into Mass. With the strength they gained from the Eucharist, they were able to run the obstacle course and have an outdoor dance party. The evening featured praise and worship by worship leader Gabe Reyes and an empowering talk on obstacles from host Joe Chernowski, preparing the teens to go into battle when the come off the mountain. They ended the night by being prayed over by the summer staff and [...]
Day 3 at Camp Tepeyac was busy but filled with lots of fun and conquering of fears. The guys and girls tackled paintball, high ropes, the Tango Tower, and low ropes. After a beautiful mass, the campers had a chance to praise God with worship led by Francis Cabildo. Hosts Richard Rivera and Tricia Tembreull brought the truth about Epic Prayer. Core members and youth ministers had the opportunity to be prayed over by the summer missionaries and full-time missionaries before they had the chance to pray over their teens.
You are being challenged. Not to a light saber duel. Or a Nerf gun war. And as fun as it sounds to try and drink a gallon of milk … that’s not what I mean either. The challenge is prayer. You know you have free time between Full House re-runs and weeding the garden for your Mom, so why not use it to grow in your relationship with God?
One of my favorite things to do is workout. Whether at a gym, running outside, or doing P90X in my home, I love getting my body into shape. (Now, if only I could work on my eating habits a little bit). For me there’s just something about the discipline it takes, the feeling I get at the end, and the little results I can see that show me that I am getting healthier.
Being a teenager without the presence of my father was a struggle. I often felt a void, longing for someone who would show me what it was to be a true man of God. As I travel around and meet a lot of teenagers, I know that many young men and women struggle in their relationship with their fathers. For those of you who have a great relationship with your dad, please take some time to honor him this Sunday. For those of you who struggle, here are some thoughts from someone who’s been struggling as well.
Teens spent day four conquering their fears and diving into epic prayer. Some spent the morning on the high and low ropes course while the other half spent the day white water rafting. In the evening, Dan Huss gave a talk about epic prayer and teens had a chance to talk to God through reflection and journaling. The night ended with the most epic form of prayer, adoration.
Like the very first disciples, we come to Christ eager to learn how to pray (Luke 11:1). By teaching us the “Our Father” Christ establishes the pattern for all prayer. He explains our relationship with God and with one another: God is our Creator. He is our Redeemer. With him as our common Father we are brothers and sisters to one another. When Jesus prays he uses the Aramaic word “Abba” (Mark 14:36), which is what small children would have called their fathers. Only Christ, the Eternal Son who is one in being with the Father, has the right to [...]
