Greetings!

Greetings in the Lord Jesus!  I pray that your ministry with, to, for and by youth and young adults may continue to touch people's hearts.  It was over a year ago that a Year of Faith was declared.  This Year of Faith is a particular period of time set aside by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI as a "good opportunity to usher the whole Church into a time of particular reflection and rediscovery of the faith."  How are you tending your spiritual life?  Are you and your ministry growing deeper into our Catholic faith? 

It's not too late to celebrate and grow deeper! 

The Year of Faith began on October 11, 2012, the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and the twentieth anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  The year of faith will conclude on the Feast of Christ the King, November 24, 2013.   

To  learn more about the Year of Faith and ways that you might celebrate it, I continue to encourage you to read or do the following:

1)  Read Porta Fidei, Pope Benedict's Apostolic Letter announcing the Year of Faith  

2)  Discover the beauty of ecclesial faith
* Explore what it means to have both personal and ecclesial faith:  to be a person of faith and be a member of (belong to) the Catholic Church.
* Create a "family of faith" history journal (digital photo and text) that captures the story of the parish from its beginning to its current state.
* Explore the Catechism.  Try a minute with the Catechism offered by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.  Click here to listen.

3)  Promote encounters with meaningful witnesses to the faith
* Organize an "open mic" style faith-sharing night. (a faith karaoke without the singing!)  Prepare several speakers in advance to give 3-5 minute witness talks and provide questions or sentence starters to guide the open mic sharing night.
* Highlight famous figures who have been witnesses of faith, both living and dead; emphasize the communion of saints and explore lives of the saints.  (Explore the USCCB's list of Saints, Blesseds and Venerables for the Year of Faith.)  Click here for a list and prayers.

4)  Celebrate your faith, especially in Eucharist
* Acknowledge and affirm youth and young adults who share their gifts in Liturgy (altar servers, lectors, music ministers, etc.).   Ask them to talk about their experiences and how they express or shape their faith.

5)  Provide resources for family faith sharing
* Schedule parent-youth sessions within the regular meeting time during the year, and facilitate parent-youth faith sharing activities.
* Provide parent formation resources (paper or digital) that correlate to the faith topics used for youth so that parents are able to have informed conversations with their child. 

6)  Promote missions and the task of giving witness
* Provide families with an "ideas" list of ways they can nurture a "lifestyle" of justice and service as a family - emphasize a scriptural understanding of "stewardship."
* Provide instructions for a simple "debriefing" process that individuals and families can use to reflect on their service experiences.  Include conversation starters, information on Catholic Social Teaching, scriptural references and ideas for prayer.

7) Try learning prayers for the Year of Faith  (Dangerous - Remember prayer changes things!)
* Prayer for the New Evangelization
Renew and strengthen your faith. Google this prayer, bookmark it, and pray it!
* Acts of Contrition, Faith, Hope, and Love
Look in the Compendium of the Catechism or ask a good Catholic over 40.
* The Memorare
Another powerful Marian prayer, it reminds God's people that Mary is our mother and intercessor.
* Canticle of Zachariah Also in Luke (1:68-79),

This is a vivid testament of faith from one experiencing God's goodness.
* The Magnificat 
The Canticle of Mary in the Gospel of Luke (1:46-55) gives a glimpse of the faith of one who trusts.
* The Nicene Creed

This year is about returning to the foundation. This prayer articulates our foundational best.

Go deeper yourself and invite the youth and young adults with whom you minister to join you.  Thank you for all you do for the young church and may God continue to bless you and your ministry!

Peace and all good,
Greg

This is a five-day experience in which youth serve in the Atlantic City area and learn about service, social justice, community, and spirituality with a deepened view of what it means to be the hands and feet of Christ.  

"A very powerful experience... As the week went on, I felt my relationship with God grow stronger. I never would have thought this retreat would have ever had such a powerful impact on me or that it would draw me back year after year."  - 2011 & 2012 Participant

EXPERIENCE

• The hardships faced by teenagers without a home and living at the poverty level
• Community living and working together

LEARN

• To live simply so that others can simply live
• To develop skills to critically analyze situations and systems in light of Catholic Social Teaching
• To promote an awareness and appreciation of cultural diversity
• That justice is necessary for peace; violence is not
• That you can have a global impact, close to home

CREATE

• New friendships
• Inspiring prayers
• A better world for those in need