As those walking with teens in the faith, God works through Youth Ministers and Core members for teens to get the help they really need. Part of this accompaniment with teens is having honest conversations with parents so that teens can get professional help for their mental health.
I have learned that the experience is made all the more special if I really begin preparing for Christmas during the season of Advent. After all, that’s what Advent is all about!
If you're letting Jesus into those parts of your heart, He can offer you real healing; but He will also use things like counseling or therapy to allow you to experience His love and divine healing.
The five days I spent on the reservation impacted my life in many ways, and while I would like to share all about my trip, I am going to focus on the most significant experience: being introduced to Black Elk.
We have the best of both worlds! As Catholic Christians, we can imagine ourselves at the intersection of the Religious and Spiritual. That is, we hold that it is possible (and if fact necessary) to grow in a personal, intimate relationship with the Divine and that each person embarks on their own quest to wholeness (for the betterment of themselves and others) but that one can only find the fullness of Truth within the folds of the one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church.
Scripture exists for us to know Jesus personally. That’s the purpose of prayer, as well. When we take Scripture to prayer, we should read it one story at a time, entering into that story and letting our own lives reflect it.
One of my favorite things about Jesus is His consistency. His character is never in question. He lives His whole life following after the Father, there is no question of His faithfulness.
During these times, it can be difficult for us to maintain our prayer life and overall faith. I know many people, including myself, struggle in being consistent with prayers during quarantine.
On our Christian journey to do good and avoid evil, the crux of our mission is to walk with Christ. Christ has already won the victory over sin and Hell. Therefore, we aren’t responsible for winning this victory ourselves. Instead, we’re called to lean into Christ’s extant victory.
During the peak of the pandemic, with a mask on as her main weapon against COVID-19, Trish Vega would brave the streets of New York, walking from West to East Village once a week, just to check on me and teach me the four habits of discipleship.
