Jesus showed us the grace in having help in our suffering even as Simon of Cyrene helped Jesus carry his cross even to his death. Sharing our burdens with those we trust helps lighten the load of our crosses and means we are letting God work through those around us.
When working in ministry, it can be easy to confuse authentic friendships with those we are ministering with or to. While Christ calls us to love others, He doesn’t call us to be best friends with everyone we encounter. So what does an authentic Christ-centered friendship look like then?
In this era of the Internet and social media, we’re able to stay connected with our brothers and sisters all over the world. We may be in different locations, but we’re all connected under one body in Christ and in the experiences that we share. And these experiences can either be expressed in words, pictures, or even memes.
When churches closed, I couldn't help but be frustrated that these "unprecedented times" seemed to have won. Watching Mass was not the same as attending Mass, and yet, even though I knew that this was the best we were going to get, I felt so disconnected from our Lord.
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.
We take for granted the gap between curiosity about these unique practices and understanding them, let alone incorporating them into our spirituality. For teenagers - especially this year - Lent is an important season.
While serving in ministry, it is essential that we keep our spiritual cup filled through various means. That includes partaking in the sacraments such as the Eucharist and Reconciliation, setting aside personal time for prayer, and even coming together with our community to pray and give praise to Him. Regardless of the amount of time, energy, and effort we put into building God's kingdom, we must also take a step into the secular world and spend some time outside of ministry.
At that moment, we realized that maybe we don't have it all together… but hey, that's okay. I still have some helpful tips up my sleeve, and I'm going to share them with you now.
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.
