Catholic Teens 9-19-06
Hey All--
You may have read about or seen on the news the controversy in the Muslim world over Pope Benedict’s recent remarks.
Some comments:
-Anybody with even a minimal understanding of Pope Benedict knows he was not trying to provoke a conflict.
-Very few people appear to have read the whole of his speech, which once again denounced any connection between God, religion and violence. This is not a new theme. In fact, when he last visited Germany for World Youth Day in the summer of 2005 he actually met with various Muslim leaders. One of his key exhortations to them, in addition to continuing dialog, was the need for them to denounce violence in the name of Islam. Unfortunately, too often this has not been carried out. (Simply follow the daily news reports).
Finally, Jimmy Akin, an excellent Catholic writer and commentator, hits the nail on the head with this statement:
From Jimmy Akin via: http://jimmyakin.typepad.com/defensor_fidei/2006/09/b16_clarifies.html
He is strong and resolute in his defense of the truth and willing to say unpleasant things when needed, but to deliberately provoke this situation is simply not Benedict's way of doing things. His way is the one described above, of promoting a dialogue that seeks to de-couple religion and violence.This is an intense time of suffering for him and for all those Christians who are at risk of Muslim violence.
Amen to that.
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Question O' The Week:
“What is the best way to get closer to God?”
Pope Benedict XVI recently answered this, “Be with him.” The best way to get closer to God is to spend time with Him. It’s the same way we get close to friends—we talk, we enjoy each other’s company, we spend time together.
How do we spend time with Him? There are all sorts of ways. Prayer—talking to Him. Eucharistic Adoration is about the best way. Just sitting in His Presence. You know when you’re with a good friend, how you can have fun whether you have formal plans or whether you’re just “hanging out”? It’s that way with God too.
Reading the Bible is another excellent way. Start with the Gospels or the Acts of the Apostles and read what God has to say to you.
Of course the Sacraments are a real encounter with God. You want to get really close to Him? Go to confession—and then you’ll have any roadblocks removed from the path to Him—and you will really feel and experience His love for you.
Finally, learning about God. As I’ve said before, “To know Him is to love Him.”
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Intentions:
-For our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI.
-For peace in the world and an end to terrorism.
-For an end to violence in the name of religion.
-For all the other intentions you hold in your hearts, we pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
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Announcements:
The Youth Group, Generation JPII will be picking up full-steam ahead in September.
The next meeting is Sunday night, October 1st 6-8PM. We’ll be sharing stories from the summer Peru Mission Trip. Mark your calendars!
Look for meetings to be held 2 Sundays a month! Watch for more info!
God bless you!
Phil Lawson
For more information on St. Peters check out the parish website: www.saintpetercatholic.com
Catholic Teens is a weekly email from Phil Lawson to Catholic Teenagers. To receive these weekly reflections, send an email to lawsphil@gmail.com. On the other hand, if you’d like to be removed from this list, please send an email indicating that.
You may have read about or seen on the news the controversy in the Muslim world over Pope Benedict’s recent remarks.
Some comments:
-Anybody with even a minimal understanding of Pope Benedict knows he was not trying to provoke a conflict.
-Very few people appear to have read the whole of his speech, which once again denounced any connection between God, religion and violence. This is not a new theme. In fact, when he last visited Germany for World Youth Day in the summer of 2005 he actually met with various Muslim leaders. One of his key exhortations to them, in addition to continuing dialog, was the need for them to denounce violence in the name of Islam. Unfortunately, too often this has not been carried out. (Simply follow the daily news reports).
Finally, Jimmy Akin, an excellent Catholic writer and commentator, hits the nail on the head with this statement:
From Jimmy Akin via: http://jimmyakin.typepad.com/defensor_fidei/2006/09/b16_clarifies.html
He is strong and resolute in his defense of the truth and willing to say unpleasant things when needed, but to deliberately provoke this situation is simply not Benedict's way of doing things. His way is the one described above, of promoting a dialogue that seeks to de-couple religion and violence.This is an intense time of suffering for him and for all those Christians who are at risk of Muslim violence.
Amen to that.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Question O' The Week:
“What is the best way to get closer to God?”
Pope Benedict XVI recently answered this, “Be with him.” The best way to get closer to God is to spend time with Him. It’s the same way we get close to friends—we talk, we enjoy each other’s company, we spend time together.
How do we spend time with Him? There are all sorts of ways. Prayer—talking to Him. Eucharistic Adoration is about the best way. Just sitting in His Presence. You know when you’re with a good friend, how you can have fun whether you have formal plans or whether you’re just “hanging out”? It’s that way with God too.
Reading the Bible is another excellent way. Start with the Gospels or the Acts of the Apostles and read what God has to say to you.
Of course the Sacraments are a real encounter with God. You want to get really close to Him? Go to confession—and then you’ll have any roadblocks removed from the path to Him—and you will really feel and experience His love for you.
Finally, learning about God. As I’ve said before, “To know Him is to love Him.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Intentions:
-For our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI.
-For peace in the world and an end to terrorism.
-For an end to violence in the name of religion.
-For all the other intentions you hold in your hearts, we pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Announcements:
The Youth Group, Generation JPII will be picking up full-steam ahead in September.
The next meeting is Sunday night, October 1st 6-8PM. We’ll be sharing stories from the summer Peru Mission Trip. Mark your calendars!
Look for meetings to be held 2 Sundays a month! Watch for more info!
God bless you!
Phil Lawson
For more information on St. Peters check out the parish website: www.saintpetercatholic.com
Catholic Teens is a weekly email from Phil Lawson to Catholic Teenagers. To receive these weekly reflections, send an email to lawsphil@gmail.com. On the other hand, if you’d like to be removed from this list, please send an email indicating that.
posted by Phil Lawson at 6:53 AM
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