Young Adult
Pray It!
An Easter Season Prayer -via faithandworship
Halleluia!
Jesus is risen!
He is risen indeed!
May this declaration
resound not only in these walls
but touch the lives
of all we meet
and forever be
the truth of which we speak.
Your love,
once sown within a garden,
tended for your own people,
neglected and rejected,
now spreads its sweet perfume
in this place
and wherever it is shown.
Halleluia!
Jesus is risen!
He is risen indeed!
Halleluia!
Jesus is risen!
He is risen indeed!
May this declaration
resound not only in these walls
but touch the lives
of all we meet
and forever be
the truth of which we speak.
Your love,
once sown within a garden,
tended for your own people,
neglected and rejected,
now spreads its sweet perfume
in this place
and wherever it is shown.
Halleluia!
Jesus is risen!
He is risen indeed!
Read It!
Why Knowing Your Love Language Will Change Your Relationship- By: Andy Otto via Busted Halo
In my past romantic relationships, it was often a struggle to figure out how best to show my partner love. Was it paying for dinners out? Physical affection? Saying “I love you”? So much of my attention was focused on this rather than truly enjoying the relationship for what it was.
To continue reading.. click here
In my past romantic relationships, it was often a struggle to figure out how best to show my partner love. Was it paying for dinners out? Physical affection? Saying “I love you”? So much of my attention was focused on this rather than truly enjoying the relationship for what it was.
To continue reading.. click here
Share It!
BUILDING THE “CHURCH OF MERCY,” UNDERSTANDING AND LIVING POPE FRANCIS’ VISION OF CHURCH- via St. Joseph Educational Center
This is a great opportunity for all.
SJEC Director Dr. Matthew Halbach will present the talk, “Building the Church of Mercy, Understanding and Living Pope Francis’ Vision of Church,” on Wednesday, June 10, at Christ the King parish.
Every disciple ought to have an answer to the question: What does it mean to be church in my diocese, in my parish today? How we understand the reality of “church” guides and informs how we envision church to be and, ultimately, how we live as church.
Building the Church of Mercy
Wednesday, June 10
7 – 8:30 pm
Christ the King Parish, Des Moines
For more information, call the parish office at (515) 285-2888
The homilies and addresses of Pope Francis, and especially his Apostolic Exhortation, “The Joy of the Gospel,” point to a bold and refreshing vision of church as the embodiment of the mercy of God in the world. This vision, which has been referred to as “The Church of Mercy,” is full of beauty and wisdom. Yet, this vision also includes a radical call to reform–a call which must be answered by every Catholic individual, every parish and every diocese around the world.
How you and your parish will respond to this call is the question of our time, as building the church of mercy is the ultimate goal of the New Evangelization.
Click here to view and print presentation slides.
Click here to view and print reflection questions.
This is a great opportunity for all.
SJEC Director Dr. Matthew Halbach will present the talk, “Building the Church of Mercy, Understanding and Living Pope Francis’ Vision of Church,” on Wednesday, June 10, at Christ the King parish.
Every disciple ought to have an answer to the question: What does it mean to be church in my diocese, in my parish today? How we understand the reality of “church” guides and informs how we envision church to be and, ultimately, how we live as church.
Building the Church of Mercy
Wednesday, June 10
7 – 8:30 pm
Christ the King Parish, Des Moines
For more information, call the parish office at (515) 285-2888
The homilies and addresses of Pope Francis, and especially his Apostolic Exhortation, “The Joy of the Gospel,” point to a bold and refreshing vision of church as the embodiment of the mercy of God in the world. This vision, which has been referred to as “The Church of Mercy,” is full of beauty and wisdom. Yet, this vision also includes a radical call to reform–a call which must be answered by every Catholic individual, every parish and every diocese around the world.
How you and your parish will respond to this call is the question of our time, as building the church of mercy is the ultimate goal of the New Evangelization.
Click here to view and print presentation slides.
Click here to view and print reflection questions.
Do It!
Dream Job- VibrantFaith@home
By Erin Davis Gibbons Audrey Cox
Activity Plan
By Erin Davis Gibbons Audrey Cox
Activity Plan
- Finding a job, keeping a job, paying the bills, and still having time to have fun can be tough. Finding a balance of work, faith, family, and friends can be next to impossible. Maybe you love your job. Maybe you feel underemployed and undervalued. Maybe you're just biding your time until you can climb the corporate ladder. Just remember this: you are not alone!
- Meet a friend, family member, or mentor and do this activity together. From your Bible (or the text below), read Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:39-44). Discuss:
- Why do you think Jesus was experiencing so much anguish?
- When have you felt like all you wanted was for someone to take away the frustrations of your life?
- In what ways have your friends and family supported you in your transition into adult life? How have you supported them?
- What do you love most about your life today? What's the greatest challenge you experience?
- Do you think you were prepared for the stresses and monotony of everyday work life? Why or why not?
- How did turning to God help Jesus cope with his fear and doubt?
- How might turning to God help you cope with tough times?
- In 2005, David Foster Wallace gave a commencement speech at Kenyon College entitled "This is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, About Living a Compassionate Life." Read the excerpt below or read the complete speech at: "This Is Water" by David Foster Wallace (see below).
- There happen to be whole, large parts of adult American life that nobody talks about in commencement speeches. One such part involves boredom, routine, and petty frustration... By way of example, let's say ... you work hard for eight or ten hours, and at the end of the day, you're tired and stressed. All you want is to go home and have a good supper ...
- But then you remember, there's no food at home ... And so now after work you have to get in your car and drive to the supermarket. It's the end of a workday and the traffic is apt to be very bad, so getting to the store takes way longer than it should, and when you finally get there, the supermarket is very crowded because of course it's the time of day when all the other people with jobs also try to squeeze in some grocery shopping ...
- The point is that petty, frustrating crap like this is exactly where the work of choosing is gonna come in. Because the traffic jams and crowded aisles and long checkout lines give me time to think. And if I don't make a conscious decision about how to think and what to pay attention to, I'm gonna be pissed and miserable every time I have to shop. Because my natural default setting is the certainty that situations like this are really all about me, about my hungriness and my fatigue and my desire to just get home.
- When have you experienced a situation like the one David Foster Wallace describes in his speech? Do you tend to work to overcome such moments or to wallow in self pity? What is the role of attitude in facing the "petty, frustrating crap" of life?
- God wants to hear about our frustrations in life and help give us the strength to cope with them. Wallace's speech encouraged the graduating seniors to overcome their self-centered view of the world. Jesus was completely selfless, and God sent him as a role model for us. When Jesus wondered about his role in life, he turned to God, who gave him the strength to face death on the cross. Review Jesus' words in Luke 22:42. What is your prayer?
- Pray:
- Dear God, you know our innermost struggles. When we get caught up in our everyday lives and frustrations, be a strong voice in our heads, encouraging us to look outside ourselves. Amen.
- Luke 22:39-44
And [Jesus] came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40 And when he came to the place, he said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." 41 And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done." 43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
