Totally Catholic Youth Ministers Lounge

Are you in youth ministry and you've had it with crazed parents? Rollin' your eyes at the pastoral council? Tired of administration work? Love youth? Love the Church? Appalled at parish politics? Looking for some good games? For a creative ways to teach a lesson for Religious Ed? Just need a place to veg out and say "phew! Someone outside of the parish to talk to!"? Grab y'r Starbucks, turn the computer away from the staff's eyes, grab a seat on a donated dusty couch and let it all go.

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Pope Benedict XVI To Youth (World Youth Day)

Pope Benedict speaks to the youth on the occasion of World Youth Day 2007, Palm Sunday:
Everybody feels the longing to love and to be loved. Yet, how difficult it is to love, and how many mistakes and failures have to be reckoned with in love! There are those who even come to doubt that love is possible. But if emotional delusions or lack of affection can cause us to think that love is utopian, an impossible dream, should we then become resigned? No! Love is possible, and the purpose of my message is to help reawaken in each one of you - you who are the future and hope of humanity-, trust in a love that is true, faithful and strong; a love that generates peace and joy; a love that binds people together and allows them to feel free in respect for one another.
...
My dear young friends, I want to invite you to “dare to love”. Do not desire anything less for your life than a love that is strong and beautiful and that is capable of making the whole of your existence a joyful undertaking of giving yourselves as a gift to God and your brothers and sisters, in imitation of the One who vanquished hatred and death forever through love (cf Rev 5:13). Love is the only force capable of changing the heart of the human person and of all humanity, by making fruitful the relations between men and women, between rich and poor, between cultures and civilisations.

It's a short but powerful read. Take it to your Religious Ed classes and read it for a prayer or to Youth Group or whatever you are doing with the kids. He is so accessable to read and understand and this letter is practical as it is beautiful.

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2 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

When Deus Caritas Est came out, I took my 12th-grade class through it. I had to do lots of explaining, but they got alot out of it.

11:07 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Will read, thanks for the soundbyte!

(Oh and by the way...did I ever thank you for not putting your zodiac sign on your profile? I HATE it when Christians do that.)

4:36 PM  

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