PARISH YOUTH FORMATION PROGRAM

Evangelization Young people need to encounter God in a personal way, experience a conversion of mind and heart rooted in the ways of teachings of Jesus, and express this choice freely, personally and consciously. Evangelization recognizes the need on witnessing, which is living according to the Gospel... and ... giving testimony to our experience of God's grace. It is also participatory, making it both empowering and community-building. Catechesis According to the General Directory for Catechesis, catechesis is not only giving information, but also a comprehensive faith formation that includes more than instruction; it is an apprenticeship in Christian living. It does not simply involve teaching about Jesus or to put people in touch with him. Above all, it aims to bring people in communion and intimacy with Jesus. Its fundamental tasks are promoting knowledge of faith, liturgical education, moral formation, teaching to pray, education for community life, and missionary initiation. Social Action The youth ministry should offer and involve young people in activities and efforts that promote social awareness and involvement, such as open forums, group discussions, community immersions, socio-civic activities, voters education and other similar endeavors. Eventually, these youth themselves should be at the forefront of social action. Fellowship In the early Church, fellowship was more relational than recreational. It included sharing (cf. Jn 1:7) and breaking bread (cf. Acts 2:42) with their fellow faithful, as well as developing intimacy with Christ (cf. 1 Cor 1:9) and other believers (cf. Gal 2:9). This is a much different image from simply hanging out with one another or merely engaging in sports. Fellowship, in its truest sense, is building a community within a youth ministry. Leadership Building leadership among young people is a key element to ensure that they become mature and strong Christians. It is also vital to the well-being of youth ministry. Without a core of committed, trained, and reliable leaders, youth groups often crumble when a youth minister or leader leaves. Investing on young people through formation and experience ensures a stable pool of future church leaders. If they develop leadership skills today through the youth ministry, they can have a tremendous impact on the Church and the community in the future.

REGULAR FORMATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Every Sunday: HOLY EUCHARIST

1st & 5th Sunday of the Month: WORDFEST (Catechesis) 2nd Sunday of the Month: 3rd Sunday of the Month: 4th Sunday of the Month: Monthly: TAIZE PRAYER (Evangelization, Catechesis) YOUTH CAF (Fellowship) RECREATION (Fellowship, Social Action, Leadership) SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION EUCHARISTIC ADORATION LENTEN RETEREAT ADVENT RETREAT SUMMER CAMP

Lenten Season: Advent Season: Summer:

Wordfest
This activity takes place every first Sunday of the month. This may be done after the last Sunday Mass in the parish, preferably during the evening. Things to be prepared are the following: a Bible/Lectionary and candles. Lights may be turned off to facilitate solemnity and to avoid distractions.

Song Greeting Leader: All: Our help is in the name of the Lord. Who made heaven and earth.

Opening Prayer
The facilitator/leader leads the prayer followed by a short moment of silence invoking the Holy Spirit.

Reading of the Biblical Text

This is to be done by the facilitator/leader or any other volunteer. Remember to read slowly and clearly. Generally speaking, there should be only one reading, preferably from the Gospel, fitting the level of understanding of the youth. The reading is taken from the current Sunday text.

Meditation
A time of meditation is observed. This may take the following forms:

personal witnessing art output dramatization/role playing

Commentary /Catechesis/ Homily

This should help toward understanding the reading. Difficult events or words should be explained and the message clearly elaborated. This step appeals to the intellect of man. It should contribute toward making the message attractive. It should show very concrete ways how to practice the message in real life.

Intercessions
A time of silent prayer is observed for personal intentions and for the needs of other people.

Closing Prayer Our Father (recited or sung.) Blessing

The facilitator/leader gives the blessing.

May the message of Christ, in all its richness, find a home in us. - Amen. Concluding Song

Taize Prayer
For the current prayers and readings, see Taize website. http://www.taize.fr/en_article5806.html How can we keep on praying together? People often ask this question after a stay in Taiz, or else after taking part in one of the meetings outside of Taiz. Here, then, are some of the more important elements that go to preparing a prayer that is meditative in character and that has neither beginning nor end. To begin the prayer, choose one or two songs of praise.

Song of Praise Psalm

Jesus prayed these age-old prayers of his people. Christians have always found a wellspring of life in them. The psalms place us in the great communion of all believers. Our joys and sorrows, our trust in God, our thirst and even our anguish find expression in the psalms. One or two persons can alternate in reading or singing the verses of a psalm. After each verse, all respond with an Alleluia or another sung acclamation. If the verses are sung they should be short, usually two lines. In some cases, the congregation can hum the final chord of the acclamation while the solo verses are being sung. If the verses are read and not sung, they can be longer. It is not necessary to read the entire psalm. Do not hesitate to choose just a few verses, and always the most accessible ones

Reading
Reading Scripture is a way of going to the inexhaustible wellspring by which God gives himself to thirsting human beings (Origen, 3rd century). The Bible is a letter from God to creatures that enables them to discover Gods heart in Gods words (Gregory the Great, 6th century). Communities who pray regularly customarily read the books of the Bible in systematic fashion. But for a weekly or monthly prayer, more accessible readings should be chosen, as well as ones that fit the theme of the prayer or the season. Each reading can be begun by saying A reading from... or The Gospel according to Saint.... If there are two readings, the first can be chosen from the Old Testament, the Epistles, the Acts of the Apostles or the Book of Revelation; the second should always be from one of the Gospels. In that case, a meditative song can be sung between the readings. Before or after the reading, it is a good idea to choose a song celebrating the light of Christ. While this is being sung, children or young people can come forward with candles to light an oil lamp set on a lampstand. This symbol reminds us that even when the night is very dark, whether in our own life or in the life of humanity, Christs love is a fire that never goes out.

Song Silence (5-10 minutes)

When we try to express communion with God in words, our minds quickly come up short. But, in the depths of our being, through the Holy Spirit, Christ is praying far more than we imagine. Although God never stops trying to communicate with us, this is never in order to impose. The voice of God is often heard only in a whisper, in a breath of silence. Remaining in silence in Gods presence, open to the Holy Spirit, is already prayer. The road to contemplation is not one of achieving inner silence at all costs by following some technique that creates a kind of emptiness within. If, instead, with a childlike trust we let Christ pray silently within us, then one day we shall discover that the depths of our being are inhabited by a Presence. During a time of prayer with others, it is best to have just one fairly long period of silence (5-10 minutes) rather than several shorter ones. If those taking part in the prayer are not used to silence, it can help to explain it briefly beforehand. Or, after the song immediately preceding the silence, someone can say, The prayer will now continue with a few moments of silence.

Intercessions or Litany of Praise

A prayer composed of short petitions or acclamations, sustained by humming, with each petition followed by a response sung by all, can form a kind of pillar of fire at the heart of the prayer. Praying for others widens our prayer to the dimensions of the entire human family; we entrust to God the joys and the hopes, the sorrows and the sufferings of all people, particularly those who are forgotten. A prayer of praise enables us to celebrate all that God is for us. One or two persons can take turns expressing the petitions or the acclamations of praise, which are introduced and followed by a response such as Kyrie eleison, Gospodi pomiluj (Lord, have mercy), or Praise to you, Lord. After the written petitions or acclamations are finished, time may be left for people to pray spontaneously in their own words, expressing prayers that rise up from their hearts. These spontaneous prayers should be brief and be addressed to God; they should not become an excuse for communicating ones own ideas and opinions to other people by formulating them as a prayer. Each of these spontaneous prayers should be followed by the same response sung by all.

Our Father Concluding Prayer Songs

At the end, the singing can go on for some time. A small group can remain to sustain the singing of those who wish to keep on praying. Other people can be invited for a time of small group sharing nearby, for example by reflecting together on a Bible text, perhaps using the Johannine hours. Each month in the Letter from Taiz Johannine hours are proposed, a time of silence and sharing around a text from Scripture.

THE VALUE OF SILENCE Three times a day, everything on the hill of Taiz stops: the work, the Bible studies, the discussions. The bells call everyone to church for prayer. Hundreds or even thousands of mainly young people from all over the world pray and sing together with the brothers of the community. Scripture is read in several languages. In the middle of each common prayer, there is a long period of silence, a unique moment for meeting with God. Silence and prayer If we take as our guide the oldest prayer book, the biblical Psalms, we note two main forms of prayer. One is a lament and cry for help. The other is thanksgiving and praise to God. On a more hidden level, there is a third kind of prayer, without demands or explicit expression of praise. In Psalm 131 for instance, there is nothing but quietness and confidence: "I have calmed and quieted my soul hope in the Lord from this time on and forevermore." At times prayer becomes silent. Peaceful communion with God can do without words. "I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother." Like the satisfied child who has stopped crying and is in its mothers arms, so can "my soul be with me" in the presence of God. Prayer then needs no words, maybe not even thoughts. How is it possible to reach inner silence? Sometimes we are apparently silent, and yet we have great discussions within, struggling with imaginary partners or with ourselves. Calming our souls requires a kind of simplicity: "I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvellous for me." Silence means recognising that my worries cant do much. Silence means leaving to God what is beyond my reach and capacity. A moment of silence, even very short, is like a holy stop, a sabbatical rest, a truce of worries. The turmoil of our thoughts can be compared to the storm that struck the disciples boat on the Sea of Galilee while Jesus was sleeping. Like them, we may be helpless, full of anxiety, and incapable of calming ourselves. But Christ is able to come to our help as well. As he rebuked the wind and the sea and "there was a great calm", he can also quiet our heart when it is agitated by fears and worries (Mark 4). Remaining silent, we trust and hope in God. One psalm suggests that silence is even a form of praise. We are used to reading at the beginning of Psalm 65: "Praise is due to you, O God". This translation follows the Greek text, but actually the Hebrew text printed in most Bibles reads: "Silence is praise to you, O God". When words and thoughts come to an end, God is praised in silent wonder and admiration. The Word of God: thunder and silence At Sinai, God spoke to Moses and the Israelites. Thunder and lightning and an ever-louder sound of a trumpet preceded and accompanied the Word of God (Exodus 19). Centuries later, the prophet Elijah returned to the same mountain of God. There he experienced storm and earthquake and fire as his ancestors did, and he was ready to listen to God speaking in the thunder. But the Lord was not in any of the familiar mighty phenomena. When all the noise was over, Elijah heard "a sound of sheer silence", and God spoke to him (1 Kings 19). Does God speak with a loud voice or in a breath of silence? Should we take as example the people gathered at Sinai or the prophet Elijah? This might be a wrong alternative. The terrifying phenomena related to the gift of the Ten Commandments emphasise how serious these are. Keeping or rejecting them is a question of life or death. Seeing a child running straight under a

car, one is right to shout as loud as possible. In analogous situations prophets speak the word of God so that it makes our ears ring. Loud words certainly make themselves heard; they are impressive. But we also know that they hardly touch the hearts. They are resisted rather than welcomed. Elijahs experience shows that God does not want to impress, but to be understood and accepted. God chose "a sound of sheer silence" in order to speak. This is a paradox: God is silent and yet speaking When Gods word becomes "a sound of sheer silence", it is more efficient then ever to change our hearts. The heavy storm on Mount Sinai was splitting rocks, but Gods silent word is able to break open human hearts of stone. For Elijah himself the sudden silence was probably more fearsome than the storm and thunder. The loud and mighty manifestations of God were somehow familiar to him. Gods silence is disconcerting, so very different from all Elijah knew before. Silence makes us ready for a new meeting with God. In silence, Gods word can reach the hidden corners of our hearts. In silence, it proves to be "sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit" (Hebrews 4:12). In silence, we stop hiding before God, and the light of Christ can reach and heal and transform even what we are ashamed of. Silence and love Christ says: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you" (John 15:12). We need silence in order to welcome these words and put them into practice. When we are agitated and restless, we have so many arguments and reasons not to forgive and not to love too easily. But when we "have calmed and quieted our soul", these reasons turn out to be quite insignificant. Maybe we sometimes avoid silence, preferring whatever noise, words or distraction, because inner peace is a risky thing: it makes us empty and poor, disintegrates bitterness and leads us to the gift of ourselves. Silent and poor, our hearts are overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit, filled with an unconditional love. Silence is a humble yet secure path to loving. PREPARING A WELCOMING SPACE FOR A MEDITATIVE PRAYER When possible, it is preferable to meet in a church, making it beautiful and welcoming. The way the space is arranged is important for the quality of the prayer. Naturally it is not necessary to do a complete restoration of the church! Very simple means can be used to create a prayerful atmosphere. If it is not possible to meet in a church, it is important to make the prayer-space as harmonious as you can. It is preferable for all the participants to face the same direction during the prayer, as a way of expressing that we pray not to one another but to Christ. A place of prayer can be made welcoming with very little: a cross, an open Bible, some candles, icons, and flowers. The lighting should be subdued, not glaring. Put a carpet in the center for those who wish to pray while kneeling or sitting on the ground; chairs or benches should also be available around the edges for those who prefer to sit on them.

It is helpful to welcome people as they enter, giving them the song-sheet and inviting them to come forward. Leading the prayer is a service to others. It entails preparing the prayer and making sure it goes forward in a way that allows everyone to remain focused on the essential, with no distractions. Once the prayer has begun, there should be no technical announcements or explanations that interrupt the flow. ICONS IN WORSHIP Icons contribute to the beauty of worship. They are like windows open on the realities of the Kingdom of God, making them present in our prayer on earth. Although icons are images, they are not simply illustrations or decorations. They are symbols of the incarnation, a presence which offers to the eyes the spiritual message that the Word addresses to the ears. According to the eighth-century theologian Saint John Damascene, icons are based on the coming of Christ to earth. Our salvation is linked to the incarnation of the divine Word, and therefore to matter: In the past, the incorporeal and invisible God was never represented. But now that God has been manifested in the flesh and has dwelt among men, I represent the visible in God. I do not adore matter; I adore the creator of matter, who has become matter for my sake, who chose to dwell within matter and who, through matter, has caused my salvation (Discourse I,16). By the faith it expresses, by its beauty and its depth, an icon can create a space of peace and sustain an expectant waiting. It invites us to welcome salvation even in the flesh and in creation.

Youth Caf
This activity takes place every third Sunday of the month. Like the Wordfest, this may be done after a Sunday Mass or after doing a ministry in the parish. All youths gather to share food, experiences, insights and other resources to help sustain their ministry and aid them in their personal struggles with their Christian social life. Each one brings his/her food to be shared to the group. It opens with the prayer before meals.

Recreation
This activity takes place every fourth Sunday of the month. This may take the following forms, provided that everybody must enjoy, relax and have fun: a. contests b. community immersion c. sound trips d. outings e. dances f. sleeps over g. parties h. camping

Monthly Confession
The Sacrament of Penance is such a gift! It can be very hard to do -- it can be intimidating, embarrassing -- but once absolution is given, you will walk out of that confessional feeling like a trillion bucks. Christ, in His most Holy Wisdom, gave us this precious Sacrament to literally and truly bestow His grace upon us through His priests as a means of forgiving us and assuring us of His mercy and love for us. This psychological benefit of "feeling assured" and "clean again" stems not only from the supernatural fruits of the Sacrament, but from our human nature and our need to purge ourselves of those things that plague our consciences. Christ, the Great Physician, knows us well and knows that "confession is good for the soul," in both a supernatural and psychological sense. As G.K. Chesterton wrote: When a Catholic comes from confession, he does truly, by definition, step out into that dawn of his own beginning... in that brief ritual God has really remade him in His own image. He may be grey and gouty; but he is only five minutes old. I have talked to many people who've been terrified to go to Confession; all I can say is be a brave soldier and buck up and "just do it." Christ Himself wants this of you, so just resolve to do the right thing. Millions of Catholics over the course of 2,000 years have braved the "little dark box" (at least metaphorically; though Confession has been around since Day 1, theConfessional is a 7th. century Irish gift to the Church); you can, too. Priests have heard it all, trust me, and nothing you say can ever be repeated to anyone in any way that could identify you -- not to the police, not to another priest, not toanyone (a priest is automatically excommunicated if he were to violate the Seal of Confession)! And if you're worried because you're "new at this," that's okay! It's okay to be nervous, it's okay to be afraid because this is something new and different to you. And it's okay to tell the priest how you feel. Just let him know it's your first Confession; he will put you at ease and help you through it and be so glad you've come to receive the graces our Lord wants to pour out on you! It's not as scary as it seems to so many people. Really. But if you're still afraid, take a deep breath, pray for strength, go to Confession and receive His wonderful mercy! You will not regret it, I promise you!

Monthly Adoration
We have witnessed a growing phenomenon in the participation of youth in eucharistic adoration services. Such love for the Eucharist as exemplified at adoration should be encouraged and nourished. As Pope Benedict XVI states in Sacramentum Caritatis, #6668, eucharistic adoration after Mass is a continuation of what occurs when we receive Holy Communion. "In the Eucharist," the Pope states, "the Son of God comes to meet us and desires to become one with us; eucharistic adoration is simply the natural consequence of the eucharistic celebration, which is itself the Church's supreme act of adoration. . . . The act of adoration outside Mass prolongs and intensifies all that takes place during the liturgical celebration itself." Continuing, the Pope states that adoration strengthens us to do the work of the Church. "And it is precisely this personal encounter with the Lord that then strengthens the social mission contained in the Eucharist, which seeks to break down not only the walls that separate the Lord and ourselves, but also and especially the walls that separate us from one another."