Catholic Teens - December 7, 2005

Hey All--
Yesterday, we celebrated the Feast of St. Nicholas. Hope your stockings
were hung and filled with goodies yesterday morning! A lot of people don't
realize just who Nicholas was. He was actually a Catholic Bishop in the
territory of Myra. (Modern day Turkey). He lived in the 300's and was known
for his generosity. On one occassion, he helped a poor family by throwing a
pouch of gold coins through their window on 3 consecutive nights. This
allowed the family to stay out of slavery. From this event, we get the
giving of gifts and eventually Santa Claus.
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Question O' the Week:
"How can we come to know Christ more fully?"
Pope Benedict answered this in a recent address to some young people from
the Netherlands. He tells them that if they don't know how to pray...ask
Jesus and Mary to teach you. I'd say that's a pretty good source! Enjoy
the rest of his comments!
Date: 2005-11-28
Pontiff Tells Young Dutch How to Know Christ
Through Prayer, Eucharist and Sacrament of Reconciliation
VATICAN CITY, NOV. 28, 2005 (Zenit.org).- In a message for the first Youth
Day held in the Netherlands, Benedict XVI explains to young people how they
can come to know Christ.
"Jesus is your authentic friend and Lord," the Pope said in the message,
read in Dutch to the thousands of youths gathered Sunday in Nieuwegein.
"How easy it is to be content with the superficial pleasures that daily life
offers us, how easy to live just for oneself, apparently enjoying life!" the
Holy Father wrote. "However, sooner or later, we realize that it is not true
happiness, as the latter is much more profound: We find it only in Jesus."
To discover Jesus, Benedict XVI gave young people three personal pieces of
advice.
Above all, he recommended prayer. "If you do not know how to pray, ask him
[Jesus] to teach you and ask his heavenly Mother to pray with and for you,"
the Pope said. "The prayer of the rosary can help you to learn the art of
prayer with the simplicity and depth of Mary."
"He knocks"
Second, the Bishop of Rome invited young people to discover Jesus in the
Eucharist, the sacrament of his real presence, where "he knocks on the door
of your heart to give you his grace."
"Go out to meet him in the holy Eucharist, worship him in the churches and
remain kneeling before the tabernacle," the Holy Father exhorted. "Jesus
will fill you with his love and will manifest the thoughts of his heart to
you."
Third, Benedict XVI mentioned the sacrament of reconciliation as the place
where "Jesus waits for you to forgive your sins and reconcile you with his
love through the priest's ministry."
"Never feel alone because you are part of the Church, which is a great
family," he added. He encouraged the young people of the Netherlands to go
to Jesus who "needs you to renew present-day society."

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Announcements:
The next Youth Group: Generation JPII is scheduled for this
Sunday, December 11th at 230PM. We'll be caroling at Harmony House, the
nursing home behind Sentry. Meet there!
God bless you!
Phil Lawson
"It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you
wish." --Mother Teresa