Catholic Teens 9-25-07

Hey All—

A few of our young people attend Steubenville University. One of the programs Steubenville offers is a semester of study in Europe, with the opportunity to travel and participate in pilgrimages. Jennifer recently wrote, describing her experience on pilgrimage in the former Yugoslavia. I think her reflection is worth passing on:
”There was also this huge hill withthe stations on it. The path was very rocky. These were huge rocks. Atthe top there is a huge white cross and we prayed there and sang somepraise and worship. Very awesome experience. You could see mountains inthe distance and the city below. To know that God loves us more than themountains that are so breathtaking and huge was a great feeling.We also visited this place where 30 priests were killed from thecommunist in 1945. We had mass in the church there and they explainedthat the communists told them to deny their faith or die. One by onethey went up to the crucifix kissed it and said, "you are my king and myGod." (or something like that) then one by one they were led outside andshot and then dragged to a cave outside and burned. Some of them werenot dead from the gunshot. It was a time to reflect on how hard thatwould be to do that and how amazing these men's faith were.We also visited a place where a priest talked to us. He was the priestof the children who received the messages and Mary actually appeared tohim once. The communists tried to make him say that the children werewrong and b/c he wouldn't they took him to jail for 1 1/2 years and hewas beat. He really pushed us to be better Catholics and live the faithand love people more. Not just to learn the faith but to believe it inour hearts. Pretty powerful”

Pretty amazing stuff. I hope some of you get to take advantage of these opportunities in the future. If nothing else, be inspired by the courage described above—and appreciate the freedom we have to believe in God today in America.
Note also, that this stuff still happens. In the tiny country of Belarus, formerly run by the Communists, all foreign-born priests have been ordered to leave the country. Pray for the people of Belarus.

==================================================Intentions:

-For the students preparing for Confirmation.
-For those who are persecuted for their faith.
-For the Catholic Church in Belarus.
-For young people to be open to God’s Call in their lives.
-For peace in the world and an end to terrorism.
-For all the other intentions you hold in your hearts, we pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.




Announcements:

DTS High School Group! Plans are underway to begin an area-wide High School DTS group. (As some of you know, we’ve had a successful college-age group for about 6+ years now.) Now it’s your turn to get in on the fun!

Jeff Leslie, the new youth minister at St. Bronislava is taking a group of teens and adults down to the Madison area to observe a DTS group. After that, the plan is to start one here. The trip to St. Mary’s in Pine Bluff is scheduled for Wednesday night, Oct. 24th. Leaving at 445pm returning at 1115pm. Transportation is free and there are only a handful of spots left. If you’d like to go email me or call Jeff at 341-6706.
For more information on DTS go to www.DeadTheologiansSociety.com

You’ll be hearing more about this group in the near future!

Vocations: Come & See Days for girls in Grades 7-10 at Mater Redemptoris Convent in LaCrosse (awesome group of sisters!) Sept. 28th-30th and Nov. 30th-Dec. 2nd. For info contact Sr. Stephania at snewell@dioceseoflacrosse.com


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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.

Catholic Teens 9-18-07

Hey All—

Dream Big! Part of being young is dreaming of what the future has in store for you. The Pope recently encouraged young people to do just such a thing:

Benedict XVI said: "Allow me to repeat this to you tonight: Each one of you, if you remain united with Christ, can accomplish great things.

I love watching young people, full of so much potential—grow, develop, and then go on to do great things. And God has something amazing in store for each one of you---trust Him, follow Him, and you will not be disappointed with the result!
Dreams Can Come True, Pope Affirms
Tells Youth Christ Will Fulfill Their AspirationsLORETO, Italy, SEPT. 2, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI told young people not to be afraid to dream, since the Spirit of God is the one who places great aspirations in their hearts.This is the message the Pope left Saturday evening to the half-million young people gathered in Loreto. The encounter was part of the Italian bishops' pastoral program to focus on youth ministry.The Holy Father continued the message today at Mass, saying: "Unfortunately, today it is not unusual that many young people see a full and happy life as a difficult dream, and sometimes almost as an impossibility."Many people of your age look to the future with anxiety and pose many questions."The Pontiff said they ask themselves, "'How do we be a part of a society marked by many and grave injustices and sufferings? How do we react to egoism and to the violence that at times seems to dominate? How do we give full meaning to life?'"Do not be afraid, Christ can fulfill the deepest aspirations of your heart! Could there be unrealizable dreams when it is the Spirit of God who awakens and cultivates them in the heart?"Great thingsBenedict XVI said: "Allow me to repeat this to you tonight: Each one of you, if you remain united with Christ, can accomplish great things."This is why, dear friends, you must not be afraid to dream -- with open eyes -- of great projects of good, and you must not let yourselves be discouraged by difficulties."


==================================================Intentions:

-For the students preparing for Confirmation.
-For those suffering from depression.
-For young people to be open to God’s Call in their lives.
-For peace in the world and an end to terrorism.
-For all the other intentions you hold in your hearts, we pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.




Announcements:

Vocations: Come & See Days for girls in Grades 7-10 at Mater Redemptoris Convent in LaCrosse (awesome group of sisters!) Sept. 28th-30th and Nov. 30th-Dec. 2nd. For info contact Sr. Stephania at snewell@dioceseoflacrosse.com

World Youth Day 2008- destination: Sydney! The WYD cross has reached Australia and is less then ONE year away from being joined by thousands of youth 16-36 years old. There is still time to sign up for this amazing opportunity. If interested, contact Megan Moss, youth minister for St. Bartholomew, St. Joseph & St. Stephen parishes now! 341-1617x113 or meganmoss@togetherinfaith.org.


*************************************************************************************

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.

Catholic Teens 9-11-07

Hey All—

Something to think about:

Answered Prayers
A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island. The two survivors, not knowing what else to do, agreed that they had no other recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man's parcel of land remained barren.After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the land. On the other side of the island, there was nothing.Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island. He considered the other manunworthy to receive God's blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered.As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven booming, "Why are you leaving your companion on the island?"
"My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them," the first man answered. "His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything.""You are mistaken!" the voice rebuked him. "He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings.""Tell me," the first man asked the voice, "What did he pray for that I should owe him anything?""He prayed that all your prayers be answered."For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us.-- Author Unknown

==================================================Intentions:

-For the students preparing for Confirmation.
-For young people to be open to God’s Call in their lives.
-For the families and victims of 9/11
-For peace in the world and an end to terrorism.
-For all the other intentions you hold in your hearts, we pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.




Announcements:

Vocations: Come & See Days for girls in Grades 7-10 at Mater Redemptoris Convent in LaCrosse (awesome group of sisters!) Sept. 28th-30th and Nov. 30th-Dec. 2nd. For info contact Sr. Stephania at snewell@dioceseoflacrosse.com

World Youth Day 2008- destination: Sydney! The WYD cross has reached Australia and is less then ONE year away from being joined by thousands of youth 16-36 years old. There is still time to sign up for this amazing opportunity. If interested, contact Megan Moss, youth minister for St. Bartholomew, St. Joseph & St. Stephen parishes now! 341-1617x113 or meganmoss@togetherinfaith.org.


*************************************************************************************

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.

Catholic Teens 9-4-07

Hey All—

The Pope has been speaking to young people A LOT lately. Benedict XVI to Youth: Open the Doors to Christ
This past weekend he met with youths in Loreto—more on that in future weeks---today, however, I want to focus on what he said to youth in Assisi, Italy this past June 18th. It was a more casual gathering…as “casual” as a gathering with 10,000 people can be! During the Pope’s meeting with the youth, he invited them to ask him questions (how cool would that be?!) including the search for truth and how difficult it is to follow the example of St. Francis’ life.
The Pope concluded with a beautiful statement of his affection for the youth: “He affectionately concluded, ‘You are, dear young people, my joy, as you were for John Paul II."’
Enjoy, and strive to live out these beautiful things in your own lives!
ASSISI, Italy, JUNE 18, 2007 (\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.zenit.org\" target\u003d\"_blank\" onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\"\>zenit.org\u003c/a\>).- Benedict XVI told young people in Assisi that they are his joy, just as they were for Pope John Paul II.\u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>Benedict XVI traveled to Assisi on Sunday, for a busy one-day pilgrimage marking the 800th anniversary of Francis' conversion.\u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>The final event of the day was a meeting with young people. Some 10,000 youth, who had been gathered since dawn in the square outside the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, were on hand for the address. The Holy Father extended the meeting for a half-hour longer than planned. \u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>Tough questions\u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>The youth were invited to address questions to the Holy Father. One young man, Marco Giuliani, said: "We have thousands of questions, but it is hard to find convincing answers. We\nare tempted to think that the truth doesn't exist, that each person has his own truth. \u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>"Naturally we like to be happy, but we, too, feel, like the Pope, that merely having fun will not make us happy. Help us, Holy Father, to understand, and to make St. Francis' experience our own." \u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>A young woman, Ilaria Perticoni, said: "Holy Father, Francis fascinates us but it is not easy to follow him, imitate him." \u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>Papal responses\u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>Benedict XVI responded: "St. Francis speaks to everyone, but I know he has a special attraction for you young people. Your great presence here confirms that, as do the questions you asked me. \u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>"His conversion happened during the most vital time of his life, of his experiences, of his dreams. He lived 25 years without coming to terms with the meaning of life. A few months before he died he would recall that time in his life as the time that he was 'in sin.'" \u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>The\nPope offered Francis and Clare as models for facing the numerous problems that often afflict the life of young people. \u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>"Many youths fall victim to drug use in search of an artificial happiness, or become prey of a culture that exalts egoism," the Holy Father said. "This was also the drama of Francis' life before his conversion." ",1]
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ASSISI, Italy, JUNE 18, 2007 (zenit.org).- Benedict XVI told young people in Assisi that they are his joy, just as they were for Pope John Paul II.The final event of the day was a meeting with young people. Some 10,000 youth, who had been gathered since dawn in the square outside the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, were on hand for the address. The Holy Father extended the meeting for a half-hour longer than planned. Tough questionsThe youth were invited to address questions to the Holy Father. One young man, Marco Giuliani, said: "We have thousands of questions, but it is hard to find convincing answers. We are tempted to think that the truth doesn't exist, that each person has his own truth. "Naturally we like to be happy, but we, too, feel, like the Pope, that merely having fun will not make us happy. Help us, Holy Father, to understand, and to make St. Francis' experience our own." A young woman, Ilaria Perticoni, said: "Holy Father, Francis fascinates us but it is not easy to follow him, imitate him." Papal responsesBenedict XVI responded: "St. Francis speaks to everyone, but I know he has a special attraction for you young people. Your great presence here confirms that, as do the questions you asked me. "His conversion happened during the most vital time of his life, of his experiences, of his dreams. He lived 25 years without coming to terms with the meaning of life. A few months before he died he would recall that time in his life as the time that he was 'in sin.'" The Pope offered Francis and Clare as models for facing the numerous problems that often afflict the life of young people. "Many youths fall victim to drug use in search of an artificial happiness, or become prey of a culture that exalts egoism," the Holy Father said. "This was also the drama of Francis' life before his conversion."
\u003cbr\>"Your life's compass," said the Pope, taking a break from his prepared remarks, "must be the truth, because without truth the foundation for peace is lost." \u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>An architect of peace\u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>He continued: "Francis' commitment to peace is also to be seen as a form of prayer. This aspect of his life is of great contemporary importance in a world that has so much need of peace yet does not manage to achieve it. \u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>"Francis was a man of peace and an architect of peace. He showed as much in the mildness with which he approached men of other faiths, yet without silencing\nhis own faith in the presence of men of other faiths, as we see in his meeting with the sultan." \u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>Benedict XVI then invited the young people to join him in Loreto in early September for his meeting with Italian youth. \u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>"Open the doors to Christ. Open them as Francis did, without fear, without calculations, without measure," the Pope exhorted the young people. \u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>He affectionately concluded, "You are, dear young people, my joy, as you were for John Paul II."\u003cbr\>\n\u003cp\>\u003cbr\>\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.zenit.org/article-19913?l\u003denglish\" target\u003d\"_blank\" onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\"\>email this article\u003c/a\>\u003cbr\>\n\u003cp\>\u003ca href\u003d\"#113417c3e18f7af1_top\"\>top\u003c/a\>\u003c/p\>\u003chr\>\n\u003cp\>\u003cb\>\u003ca name\u003d\"113417c3e18f7af1_07061807\"\>\u003c/a\>Pope Urges Franciscans to Proclaim Christ\u003c/b\>\u003c/p\>Offers Francis' Faith in the Gospel as Guide\u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>ASSISI, Italy, JUNE 18, 2007 (\u003ca\>Zenit.org\u003c/a\>).- Benedict XVI encouraged all Franciscans to walk in their founder's footsteps by responding to all of life's challenges with the Gospel.\u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>The Pope delivered this message Sunday to the General Chapter of the Order of Friars Minor Conventuals in the Basilica of St. Francis. He underlined the modern-day relevance of the experiences of the great saint. \u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>St. Francis "understood himself entirely in light of the Gospel" and from this "comes the perpetual authenticity of his example," the Holy Father said. ",1]
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"Your life's compass," said the Pope, taking a break from his prepared remarks, "must be the truth, because without truth the foundation for peace is lost." An architect of peaceHe continued: "Francis' commitment to peace is also to be seen as a form of prayer. This aspect of his life is of great contemporary importance in a world that has so much need of peace yet does not manage to achieve it. "Francis was a man of peace and an architect of peace. He showed as much in the mildness with which he approached men of other faiths, yet without silencing his own faith in the presence of men of other faiths, as we see in his meeting with the sultan." Benedict XVI then invited the young people to join him in Loreto in early September for his meeting with Italian youth. "Open the doors to Christ. Open them as Francis did, without fear, without calculations, without measure," the Pope exhorted the young people. He affectionately concluded, "You are, dear young people, my joy, as you were for John Paul II."



==================================================Intentions:

-For students as they return to school.
-For young people to be open to God’s Call in their lives.
-For all the victims of the flooding and other natural disasters, especially the victims of Hurricane Felix in Central America.
-For peace in the world and an end to terrorism.
-For all the other intentions you hold in your hearts, we pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.




Announcements:

World Youth Day 2008- destination: Sydney! The WYD cross has reached Australia and is ONE year away from being joined by thousands of youth 16-36 years old. There is still time to sign up for this amazing opportunity. If interested, contact Megan Moss, youth minister for St. Bartholomew, St. Joseph & St. Stephen parishes now! 341-1617x113 or meganmoss@togetherinfaith.org.


*************************************************************************************

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.