Mary remains a sign of the Church as a spiritual mother to us as Christ’s family as Jesus is her only son. (CCC 507). Mary is more than a vessel, but herself a sign to all of us.
An encounter with God can happen anywhere we allow Him to be with us. If we stop worrying about the future and, if Tommy is going to get his paperwork in on time, we can better see the joy experienced together in the Present.
In ministry, we have a wonderful opportunity to help teenagers know Jesus Christ and encounter him in all of their circumstances and challenges. Being aware of our emotional background and history can help us accompany teenagers in a healthy and holistic way. If anxiety and depression are a part of your story, you have a unique opportunity to understand and accompany young people, but only if you are in a healthy place.
This year has me thinking a lot about my own fruitfulness. Sometimes I get caught up in the attendance numbers or what other youth ministers are doing and get discouraged wondering if I'm producing any fruit. In the Gospels, Jesus makes it pretty clear though, that fruitfulness is his business and faithfulness is ours.
I keep an ever-growing list of jokes on my phone. It is a holdover from when I was a youth minister. Whenever I hear a good one, I write it down and keep it for later. You never know when you’ll need a good joke! My current favorite is: Most […]
___________________________________________ The “Sharing the Faith” Life Teen Blog series features testimonies of core members who find creative ways to live out the Gospel in their unique vocational fields. ___________________________________________ “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.” (John 15:18) Hi! My name […]
“Love transfigures everything and touches the most banal realities with the note of infinity.” – Father Jacques Philippe On a mission trip to Albany, New York, I served parishes and communities in the surrounding cities over spring break. As I sat on the plane on the way back to school, […]
