1 BELONG SERIES 1 SERIES

BELONG A LIFE NIGHT SERIES ON ISOLATION

CONTENT

ABOUT THIS SERIES IMPORTANT DETAILS ABOUT THIS SERIES (Pg. 4)

ALONE Unless otherwise noted, Scripture passages have been taken from the Revised SOLITUDE VS. ISOLATION Standard Version, Catholic edition. Copyright ©1946, 1952, 1971 by the Division (Pg. 8) of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Quotes are taken from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic INVITED Church for the United States of America (indicated as CCC), 2nd ed. Copyright THE MYSTICAL BODY OF CHRIST ©1997 by United States Catholic Conference – Libreria Editrice Vaticana. (Pg. 25) Author: Lily Hannan Design: Casey Olson ACCEPTED DIVERSITY IN THE CHURCH Copy Edit: Angela Hamrick (Pg. 41) Hispanic Inculturation: Stephanie Espinoza, Juan Aznaran, Stephanie Salinas, Andrea Vasquez-Tejada NEEDED ©2018 Life Teen, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book, including interior OUR RESPONSIBILITY IN THE CHURCH design, cover design, and/or icons, may be reproduced or transmitted in any (Pg. 57) form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission from the publisher.

The information contained herein is published and produced by Life Teen, Inc. The resources and practices are in full accordance with the Roman . The Life Teen® name and associated logos are trademarks registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Use of the Life Teen® trademarks without prior permission is forbidden. Permission may be requested by contacting Life Teen, Inc. at 480-820-7001.

2 BELONG SERIES 3 ABOUT THIS SERIES INTRODUCTORY MATERIAL Each Life Night begins with a Goal, Key Concepts, Key ABOUT THIS SERIES Terms, and Scripture and Catechism references. These At some point in life, every person encounters the deep ache of sections provide an overview of the content and themes of loneliness and isolation. Many factors cause teens to experience the Life Night. this pain to a greater degree today and a multitude of solutions often leave them feeling even more alone. Belong addresses the ABOUT THIS LIFE NIGHT importance of moving from isolation to solitude as well as our About This Life Night briefly describes the Gather, Proclaim, need for acceptance and community, which can be found and Break, and Send. It provides a step-by-step framework for fostered in the Catholic Church. the Life Night.

STRUCTURE AND METHOD ENVIRONMENT Belong is a four-part series and is best used when the Life The Environment section offers ideas on how to create a Nights are executed in order. If this is the first programming of meeting space that supports the content and main themes of your semester, implement a Social or Kick-Off Life Night before the Life Night. Not only can the environment be a part of the beginning. evangelization and catechetical process, but the effort and creativity put forth can also make the teens feel valued and The Life Nights in this series flow easily from one to the next. welcomed. However, if you would like to take a certain topic further, you can schedule an additional, mid-week Life Night or add a Life MEDIA SUGGESTIONS Night to the series itself. Media Suggestions provide music and video clip suggestions that creatively support the content and main themes of the Life Between Belong and the next Life Night series or curriculum Night. While planning, take a look at the media suggestions guide, offer a Social Life Night to add variety. and consider weaving a video clip or song into the Life Night. Media communicates with our hearts and minds in a unique, CORE PREPARATION powerful way — especially the hearts and minds of teens. Isolation is not an experience confined to teenage years. Many adults struggle to encounter their “aloneness” and move FLOCKNOTE toward solitude instead of isolation. A month or two prior to For those who also subscribe to Flocknote, Parent the Life Night series, consider reading Henri Nouwen’s book, Updates and text messages are loaded into the interface. Simply “Reaching Out,” as a Core Team. Incorporate a discussion about log in to schedule and send these communications. Find more the book into your regular Core Team meetings. During your information about subscribing to Flocknote at flocknote.com. last meeting before the series, use the Send and Break from the Life Night Alone to discuss isolation and solitude. Conclude AS YOU GET STARTED the guided meditation from the Break by praying for each teen As You Get Started offers adaptations to keep in mind as you in your youth group by name. Pray especially that they will read through and plan the Life Night. have the courage to move into a place of solitude before God, a renewed desire for authentic community, and the willingness HISPANIC INCULTURATION to build community within your youth group and . The Hispanic /Latino population in Catholic parishes across the United States is large and growing. According to the National Study of Catholic Parishes with Hispanic Ministry, 38 to 40

4 BELONG SERIES 5 percent of adult Catholics self-identify as Hispanic. Additionally, HANDOUTS Hispanics account for 71 percent of growth of the Catholic All of the Life Night handouts can be found on the September population in the United States since 1960. 2018 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com under Life Support: September 2018. The handouts are formatted for According to the USCCB’s survey, Hispanics in the United States you to easily print on standard letter-size paper. Be diligent in and the Catholic Church, 54 percent of Catholic millennials accessing the handouts while planning the Life Nights. (those born in 1982 or later) are Hispanic. To meet this growing need, Life Teen has added a Hispanic Inculturation section to SOCIAL MEDIA RECAP AND PACKAGE Life Nights. This section was developed by a group of dedicated The Social Media Recap and Package provides Instagram youth ministers who serve at largely Hispanic/Latino parishes images, hashtags, and tweets that both you and your teens throughout the United States and Mexico. can use to engage social media throughout the week. They recap the main themes and remind the teens of the important We recognize that not all Hispanic/Latino communities are the aspects of the Life Night. They can be found at the beginning same. However, it is our hope that this section assists youth of every Life Night and on the September 2018 Life Teen USB. ministers in adapting to the needs of their specific community by providing insight into the Hispanic/Latino culture. PARENT LETTER The Parent Letter contains Content Overview and Conversation PROCLAIM Starters for each Life Night. The Parent Letter not only includes In this series, you will find two versions of the Proclaim for and equips parents in the formation and catechesis each Life Night. The Proclaim Outline lays out the key terms of their teens, but also provides them an opportunity for and main points quickly so the person giving the Proclaim ongoing conversion and catechesis. can expand upon them with their own insight and ideas. The Proclaim Details offers a more robust version of the teaching The Parent Letter can be emailed to parents before or after a with examples, ideas for personal testimony, and suggested Life Night. It can also be printed and handed out at the end of expansion on the key points. Use both to write a Proclaim that a Life Night. Consider having Core Members at the doors and fits your youth group and local community. in the parking lot during pick up, passing out the Parent Letter and looking out for the safety of the teens. SMALL GROUPS In order to hold the teens accountable in attending all of The Parent Letter is available in both English and Spanish. If the Life Nights in the series and to build a sense of trust and you have a bilingual community, we recommend double-sided community, it is recommended that the teens are divided into printing the Parent Letter in both English and Spanish. Teens, small groups on the first Life Night of the series and stay with and sometimes even Core Members, have a tendency to grab those groups for the duration of the series. This allows for any handout, not necessarily the right one. We want the right deeper conversation and a greater sense of openness among handout to get in the hands of parents. Also, if word gets out in the teens. your community that you are handing out bilingual materials, the Spanish speaking community will feel more welcomed and If possible, have Core Members lead the same small groups encouraged to become involved. for each Life Night. This will lead to greater trust and deeper small group discussions. USCCB FRAMEWORK For parishes using the USCCB framework for high school catechesis, this series will work with your Church semester.

6 BELONG SERIES 7 LIFE NIGHT OVERVIEW ABOUT THIS LIFE NIGHT

The Gather is an activity that allows the teens to see ALONE what common experiences they have with one another, A LIFE NIGHT ON SOLITUDE VS. ISOLATION culminating in the experience of loneliness. A testimony from a teen transitions into the Proclaim, which unpacks the difference between solitude and isolation. The Break GOAL gives the teens an opportunity to reflect on and discuss Peter’s betrayal and ’ prayer in the Garden of The goal of Alone is to help the teens recognize their Gethsemane. The Send is a guided meditation on Jesus’ experiences of isolation and loneliness and motivate them encounter with Peter after his betrayal. to move from isolation to solitude before God and into community with one another. ENVIRONMENT

KEY CONCEPTS Place carpet squares, chairs, or markers on the ground in the main meeting space in a way that separates the teens • Being in solitude is good because it gives us an opportunity from one another. Divide the room in half using painter’s to contemplate who we are before God. We get to know tape with one side representing “solitude” and the other our truest self and gain a deeper intimacy with God. “isolation.” The line of tape will also be used for the Gather activity. On the solitude side, create a peaceful and clean • Isolation is a result of the fall of humanity and is never space with live plants. On the isolation side, create a good. It is a lack of self-awareness. It is a numb, dulled chaotic and dark space with trash on the floor and blacked existence. Isolation is a lack of authentic friendships and out windows or images. community. Project the Alone environment image, which can be • Christ established the Church to help us develop a found on the September 2018 Life Teen USB and online at mature interior life and grow in authentic community. lifeteen.com under Life Support: September 2018.

MEDIA SUGGESTIONS KEY TERMS: SCRIPTURE: CATECHISM: Isolation Genesis 2 763-768 Life Teen: “Alone” (Life Support: September 2018) Solitude Matthew 27:1-10 Luke 5:16 Life Teen: “1 New Message” (Edge Support: March 2017) John 18:15-27 Life Teen: “Locked From the Inside” (Life Support: May 2018)

“You’re Gonna Be OK,” Brian & Jenn Johnson (After All These Years, , 2017)

8 BELONG SERIES 9 SOCIAL MEDIA HASHTAGS: #LT_Alone Notes: ______AS YOU GET STARTED... ______For a Gather with a large group and a small space, consider ______splitting the teens up on multiple lines or simply have them ______move to different parts of the room for each statement. ______For a Proclaim without a teen testimony, consider having the Core Members participate in the Gather activity and transition ______into the Proclaim with a testimony from a Core Member. ______For a parish with perpetual or a ______Blessed Sacrament Chapel, consider inviting the teens ______to grow in solitude during the week by spending time in prayer before the Eucharist. Make sure teens know where ______the chapel is located, and be sure to give them the access ______code if there is one. ______

______HISPANIC INCULTURATION By Stephanie Espinoza ______Contributors: Juan Aznaran, Stephanie Salinas, Andrea ______Vasquez-Tejada ______Important Notes for Pastoral Care: ______Hispanic/Latino teens often feel at odds with their two cultural identities — the one rooted in Hispanic/Latino ______heritage and the one based on the American mainstream. ______During the Gather, consider adding statements related to ______isolation that are often associated with this ethnic/racial ______divide, such as the following: ______• Most of your friends are of a different race/ethnicity. ______• Most of your friends are of the same race/ethnicity. ______• You don’t speak the language your parents and/or ______grandparents speak. ______• You speak the same language your parents and/or grandparents speak. ______

10 BELONG SERIES 11 BREAK

Small Group Scripture Reading and Discussion (30 min) LIFE NIGHT: ALONE Divide the teens into small groups of six to eight with one Core Member in each group. Pass out and begin the small group with a prayer. Read John 18:15-27 aloud and then GATHER instruct the teens to silently read the passage a second time. Use the following questions to facilitate a discussion: Welcome and Opening Prayer (5 min) Gather teens in the main meeting space. Welcome them to the • Was Peter isolated or in solitude? How so? Life Night, introduce any teens or Core Members attending for • What might have happened if Peter was in solitude? the first time, and begin in prayer. • What are some common circumstances of isolation for teens today? Over the Line (10 min) • What are some areas of isolation in your own life? As suggested in the Environment, use painter’s tape to create a line across the middle of the main meeting space. Read Matthew 26:36-46 aloud and then instruct the teens to Instruct the teens to stand on the line and face the wall silently read the passage a second time. Use the following parallel to the line. Then, instruct the teens to take a small questions to facilitate a discussion: step backward. • Was Jesus isolated or in solitude? How so? Using the statements on the Over the Line handout, which • What was the difference between Peter and Jesus? can be found on the September 2018 Life Teen USB and • What did Jesus do next? How did His solitude aid Him in online at lifeteen.com under Life Support: September 2018, His upcoming mission? ask the teens to step across the line if (insert statement). • How can you turn areas or times of isolation into Give the teens a moment to observe who stepped over the opportunities for solitude? line and who remained in place and then invite those who moved forward to take a step back and rejoin the group. SEND The last statement refers to the teen who will give the testimony at the beginning of the Proclaim. After this teen Guided Meditation (15 min) steps over the line, instruct the remaining teens to take a Gather the teens in the main meeting space. Create a seat and invite the teen who is giving the testimony to the peaceful and prayerful environment by dimming the lights front of the main meeting space. and playing instrumental worship music. Have an image of Jesus in the front of the main meeting space. Pass out a blank piece of paper and writing utensil to each teen. PROCLAIM Project and read John 21:15-17. Use the following to lead “Alone” Teaching (15 min) the teens in a silent reflection, allowing time to journal The Proclaim Outline and Proclaim Details can be found after each question: on pages 16 to 23. After His death and Resurrection, Jesus sought out Peter only to find him fishing. Before Peter met Jesus, he was

12 BELONG SERIES 13 a fisherman. Jesus found Peter back in his old habits. He ______was distracting himself. He was isolating himself. ______What are some things you do to purposefully distract or isolate yourself? ______In what ways do you feel alone or isolated that are not ______necessarily a consequence of your own actions but rather, ______the actions of someone else? ______What was Jesus trying to communicate to Peter in this ______passage? ______What might Jesus be communicating to you in this ______passage? ______How does Jesus seek you and find you in your isolation? ______What are some changes you can make to your daily ______routine to move toward solitude and away from isolation? ______Once teens have had time to reflect on the last question, ______conclude the Life Night with the following prayer: ______Jesus, you found Peter and drew him out of his isolation. ______There are many times when we feel lonely and isolated. ______Help us to not fall into the temptation of masking our loneliness or distracting ourselves from it. Help us to move ______into a place of solitude where we know you and seek to ______know ourselves. Amen. ______Notes: ______

14 BELONG SERIES 15 PROCLAIM OUTLINE ISOLATION • Play the video “Alone,” found in the Media Suggestions. After the video, project the following definitions of ALONE solitude and isolation. • Solitude is trusting we are known by God and seeking KEY TERMS to know ourselves. Isolation is feeling unknown by God and others and being unknown to ourselves. • Solitude is part of God’s original design and results Isolation: Feeling unknown by God and others and from taking time for prayer and reflection. Isolation is being unknown to oneself. a result of our fallen world and causes us to surround Solitude: The state of trusting that we are known ourselves with noise and distractions to avoid feeling by God and seeking to know ourselves and God. lonely. Isolation is a lack of authentic friendships and community. It disconnects us from reality and the TEACHING POINTS world. • Because of the Fall of Humanity, God’s design is SOLITUDE broken. We were made to know God, know ourselves, • Prior to the Life Night, prepare a teen to give a testimony and be in relationship with other people. We can’t on an experience of loneliness and the power of turning know ourselves if we don’t know God and we to God to grow in solitude rather than withdrawing in can’t have authentic relationships if we don’t know isolation. ourselves. • Being alone makes us uncomfortable, so most of us avoid • Many people are afraid of being alone and find silence it. However, everyone experiences being alone; no one is painful. We are often scared of discovering who we exempt. How we experience our “aloneness” can either are, so it requires courage to spend time in silence and be in isolation or solitude. contemplation. We are afraid of our brokenness and • In the beginning, Adam was alone, but his “aloneness” worry that, because of our flaws, we won’t belong. was one of solitude. He grew in self-knowledge and self- • God invites us to know Him, spend time with Him, and awareness of who he was through contemplation of experience the depth of His love that goes beyond God’s creation, but also through a relationship with God. any flaw or failure. As we spend time with Him, we • We also see the importance and power of solitude in the discover ourselves and encounter other people in a story of Moses and the Ten Commandments, Jonah and real and meaningful way. the whale, and several times in stories of Jesus from the Gospels. THE CHURCH • In each of these encounters, they grow in intimacy with • Christ established the Church to help us grow in our God, learn to trust Him more, and have a greater sense of relationship with God. The Church gives us a place their purpose and mission. and the tools to practice solitude and develop a • Jesus, our model of holiness, often withdrew to pray. more mature interior life — our ability to enter into He went to the wilderness, mountain tops, and solitary solitude, hear the voice of God, and know ourselves. places in order to know Himself and contemplate His • We are given the sacraments and prayers such Father’s will. He always spent time alone in solitude as lectio divina, the rosary, and the Liturgy of the before making important decisions. Hours, along with thousands of years of wisdom and

16 BELONG SERIES 17 guidance through the Church’s teachings and the PROCLAIM DETAILS witness of the . • Christ also established the Church for us to be in authentic community with each other. We can all ALONE share our journey toward solitude with each other if we are vulnerable, honest, and directed toward love of God and others. TEACHING • Though we each stand alone before God, we do not have to be isolated. We can be in solitude — knowing SOLITUDE God, ourselves, and authentic community in the Body of Christ. Prior to the Life Night, prepare a teen to give a testimony on an experience of loneliness and the power of turning Notes: ______to God to grow in solitude rather than withdrawing in ______isolation. Help the teen answer questions such as, “What is my desire when I feel lonely?” “Are there unhealthy ways ______in which I deal with that desire?” “What are healthy ways ______I have learned to deal with that desire?” “How has God ______answered that desire and transformed my heart when I ______turned to Him?” ______Most of us avoid being alone because it makes us ______uncomfortable. What are we supposed to do? What are ______we supposed to think about? We pull out our phones when ______we are waiting in line. We fill our weekends with video game marathons. We join sports teams. We wouldn’t dare ______go out to eat alone because we don’t know what we would ______do if we had to sit all by ourselves. If we are home alone, ______we probably turn on the TV or scroll through social media. ______Like we heard from (insert the name of the teen who shared ______the testimony), everyone experiences being alone; no one ______is exempt. However, how we experience our “aloneness” ______can either be in isolation or solitude. ______In the beginning, there was a time when Adam was the only human on Earth. He was alone, but his “aloneness” ______was one of solitude. In his solitude, he was given a unique ______opportunity to know himself and his creator, God. What did ______Adam do in his solitude? God brought the animals before ______him, one by one, for him to name. In this time with God, Adam discovered that he was different than the animals.

18 BELONG SERIES 19 He grew in self-knowledge and self-awareness of who he Jesus, our model of holiness, often withdrew to pray. He went was through contemplation of God’s creation, but also to the wilderness, mountain tops, and solitary places. He through a relationship with God. made time for contemplation in order to know Himself and Genesis 2 His Father’s will. After spending time alone in solitude, He made important decisions. He spent time in the desert before preaching the Kingdom. He went to a deserted place before Adam being alone in the Garden of Eden is the first time calling His disciples. He spent time in prayer to prepare for the we hear about solitude in Sacred Scripture. We also see the Crucifixion. importance and power of solitude in the story of Moses and Luke 4:42, 5:16, 22:42; Matthew 14:23; Mark 1:35 the Ten Commandments, Jonah and the whale, and several times in stories of Jesus from the Gospels. ISOLATION

After the Israelites were delivered from the tyranny of Pharaoh, Solitude is different than isolation. the Lord wanted to establish a covenant with His people and summoned Moses to journey to the top of Mt. Sinai, alone. Play the video “Alone,” which can be found in the Media The people and priests were at the foot of the mountain, Suggestions. After the video, project the following definitions but Moses had to climb a fiery, heavily clouded mountain of solitude and isolation. surrounded by lightning and thunder, alone. It was a task only he could fulfill. During this journey, Moses experienced a deep Usually we think about solitude and isolation as similar intimacy with God, gained a deeper understanding of his concepts in that a person is alone. However, for this series, purpose and mission, and ultimately received God’s will for we want to talk about them as separate ideas. For this series, His people through the law (or Ten Commandments). when we use the word solitude, it doesn’t just mean being Exodus 19 alone, but trusting we are known by God and seeking to know ourselves. When we talk about isolation, we mean feeling unknown by God and others and being unknown to ourselves. Jonah was an Israelite who God called to be a prophet to Nineveh, but he refused to accept this mission. Instead, he Solitude is good; it is a part of God’s original design, and we ran away from the calling and presence of God and took a should seek opportunities to grow in it daily. Isolation is a ship in the opposite direction of Nineveh. God then raised result of the Fall of Humanity; it separates us from God and a great storm on the sea. The sailors, realizing that Jonah’s others and should be avoided. Solitude results from taking disobedience caused the storm, threw Jonah overboard in time for prayer and reflection. It is choosing to be mindful an attempt to save the ship. Jonah didn’t drown because he during our daily activities when we are alone or with other was swallowed by a great fish and vomited out on dry land. people. Isolation is a lack of self-awareness, meaning we don’t He was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three know who we are or our purpose so we avoid opportunities nights. During this time, he found solitude to which he gave to face ourselves. It causes us to surround ourselves with thanks for. Through this time of solitude, Jonah realized his noise and distractions to avoid feeling lonely. It is a numb, mission and came to trust God. dulled existence because we cannot enter into meaningful Jonah 1 relationships with others. Isolation is a lack of authentic friendship and community. It is being disconnected from Project and read Jonah 2:1, 7. reality and the world.

20 BELONG SERIES 21 Because of the Fall of Humanity, God’s design is broken. We directed toward love of God and others. This series is going were made to know God, know ourselves, and be in relationship to delve into the reality of the Church as the Body of Christ with other people. However, our fallen world and fallen nature and how each and every one of us is invited, accepted, and make it difficult. We can’t know ourselves if we don’t know needed in the Church. We make up the Church; we make God and we can’t have authentic relationships if we don’t up the Body of Christ. Though we each stand alone before know ourselves. We are afraid of being alone because silence God, we do not have to be isolated. We can be in solitude — is painful and we don’t know what to do with it. We are often knowing God, ourselves, and authentic community. scared of discovering who we are, so it requires courage to CCC 765, 768 spend time in silence and contemplation. We are intimidated by our brokenness and worry that, because of our flaws, we Notes: ______won’t belong. However, God invites us to know Him, spend ______time with Him, and experience the depth of His love that goes beyond any flaw or failure. Along the way, we discover ______ourselves and encounter others in a real and meaningful way. ______THE CHURCH ______So how might we go about forming a more mature interior life? How can we enter into solitude rather than isolating ______ourselves when we encounter loneliness? ______Christ established the Church to help us grow in relationship ______with God. The Church gives us a place and the tools to practice ______solitude. Within the Church, we are given the sacraments — the Sacrament of the Eucharist and the Sacrament of ______Reconciliation deepen our relationship with God and others. ______We are given prayers such as lectio divina, the rosary, and ______the . We are given thousands of years ______of wisdom and guidance through the Church’s teachings and the witness of the saints. The physical church is a great ______place to go to for silence, reflection, and prayer. All of these ______tools help us develop a more mature interior life, which is our ______ability to enter into solitude, hear the voice of God, and know ______ourselves. ______CCC 763 ______Christ also established the Church for us to be in authentic ______community with one another. The Church is for people who ______are in need of a more mature interior life. We can share our ______journey with each other if we are vulnerable, honest, and ______

22 BELONG SERIES 23 CORE TEAM OVERVIEW LIFE NIGHT OVERVIEW

Solitude vs. Isolation ALONE: INVITED A LIFE NIGHT ON THE MYSTICAL BODY OF CHRIST GOAL: The goal of Alone is to help the teens recognize their experiences of isolation and loneliness and motivate them to move from isolation to solitude before God and into community with one another. GOAL The goal of Invited is to help the teens grasp the reality of GATHER (15 MIN): the Mystical Body of Christ in a way that sparks a desire to Welcome and Opening Prayer: ______belong in the Church. It explains the role and importance of Over the Line: ______Baptism and the Eucharist in the Body of Christ.

PROCLAIM (15 MIN): KEY CONCEPTS “Alone” Teaching: ______• Jesus chooses you, invites you, and pursues you. BREAK (30 MIN): • is the sacrament by which we accept God’s Small Group Scripture Reading and Discussion: ______invitation to join the Church, the Body of Christ. ______• God invites us to sustain our relationship with Him and SEND (15 MIN): the Church by becoming food for us in the Eucharist, thus Guided Meditation:______uniting us to Him and His Body, the Church.

Notes: ______KEY TERMS: SCRIPTURE: CATECHISM: ______Baptism Luke 22:17-20 1262-1271 ______Eucharist John 6:56 1391-1396 John 15:16 ______Mystical Body 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 ______of Christ ______

24 BELONG SERIES 25 ABOUT THIS LIFE NIGHT AS YOU GET STARTED...

The Gather begins with an invitation for the teens to get For a deeper Send, consider concluding the Life Night with to know one another and then has several teens act out Eucharistic Adoration. Gather the teens in the chapel or church invitations to different events in an increasingly silly way. The for an individual reflection during the Break and transition Proclaim explains Baptism as the invitation to be part of the into the Send by exposing the Blessed Sacrament. If you are Body of Christ and the Eucharist as our way to continue to unable to move to a chapel or church, set up an altar in the accept that invitation. The Break is an individual reflection main meeting space when creating the environment for the that allows the teens to think about invitations of faith they Life Night. have received and extended. The Send is a time for the teens to pray with one another and offer gratitude for the As an additional challenge, ask the teens to extend an invitation invitations God has extended to them. to one friend for the next Life Night, Life Night series, or Social Life Night. ENVIRONMENT HISPANIC INCULTURATION Place carpet squares, chairs, or markers on the ground in the By Stephanie Espinoza main meeting space in a way that pairs teens off. Seal theAbout Contributors: Juan Aznaran, Stephanie Salinas, Andrea Me Questionnaire in envelopes that say, “You’re invited!” on the Vasquez-Tejada front and place an envelope and writing utensil on each seat. The questionnaire can be found on the September 2018 Life Teen Cultural Insights: USB and online at lifeteen.com under Life Support: September During the Gather, consider adding a quinceañera, the 2018. mañanitas on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, or a Dia de los Muertos celebration to the invitation options. Project the Invited environment image, which can be found on the September 2018 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com under Life Support: September 2018.

MEDIA SUGGESTIONS

“Come to Me,” Bethel Music (The Loft Sessions, Kingsway Music, 2012)

“You Came (Lazarus),” Bethel Music (Starlight, Bethel Music, 2017)

“Reckless Love,” (Reckless Love, Bethel Music, 2018)

SOCIAL MEDIA HASHTAGS: #LT_Invited

26 BELONG SERIES 27 The inviters pull a piece of paper from the hat and try to convince the invitee to join them at the event. Give the teens a few minutes to act out the invitation and then say, “That LIFE NIGHT: INVITED was good, but now do it incorporating this prop,” and hand each inviter a prop (an umbrella, a piece of luggage, a shower curtain, a bouquet of fake flowers, ski goggles, a cup of coffee, GATHER etc.).

About Me (10 min) After they act out the invitation with the prop, say, “That was Gather the teens in the main meeting space and have them good, but now do it like you are (insert the name of a different sit in pairs in the order they enter. Welcome them to the celebrity for each teen).” Life Night, introduce any teens or Core Members attending for the first time, and begin in prayer. After they act out the invitation as the celebrity, say, “That was good, but now do it without using the words ‘you’ and ‘me.’” Ask the teens to open the envelopes on their seats. Invite them to fill out theAbout Me Questionnaire for the teen The challenges build upon each other. The inviters end up sitting next to them. The teens ask their partners the inviting the invitees to a specific event with a prop, as a questions and write down the answers on the survey. Have celebrity, and without using the words “you” and “me.” The the Core Members collect the questionnaires and let the invitees choose whether or not they will attend the event teens know that they will be used at the next Life Night. after each round by saying, “yes, they will go,” or, “no, they will not go.” Plus One (15 min) Invite six teens to come to the front of the main meeting space Transition into the Proclaim by commenting, in a humorous and divide them into pairs. Invite a pair of Core Members to way, on the invitations. Mention how poorly we may have been participate as well. Explain that one person in each pair will invited to church or have invited others to church. Introduce be the inviter and the other the invitee. Prior to the Life Night, the idea that even though we may have been invited poorly, write several events on slips of paper and put them in a hat. or invited others poorly, God has invited us and will continue The following are sample events to get you started, but be to invite us to be members of His Church. sure to add events specific to your teens: PROCLAIM • The movies • Prom “Invited” Teaching (15 min) • Graduation The Proclaim Outline and Proclaim Details can be found • Grandma’s surprise 90th birthday party on pages 32 to 39. • Church (give this event to the pair of Core Members and have them rehearse a poorly done invitation to church BREAK prior to the Life Night) Invited Journal Reflection (15 min) Instruct the teens to spread out throughout the main meeting space. Create a peaceful and prayerful environment

28 BELONG SERIES 29 by dimming the lights and playing instrumental worship ______music. Consider projecting an image of Jesus. Pass out the ______Invited Journal Reflection handout and a writing utensil ______to each teen. Handouts can be found on the September 2018 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com under Life ______Support: September 2018. Invite the teens to silently reflect ______on the questions. ______SEND ______Prayer of Gratitude (20 min) ______Transition into a time of prayer by instructing the teens to ______find their partner from the beginning of the Life Night. Pass ______out the Prayer of Gratitude handout, which can be found on ______the September 2018 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen. ______com under Life Support: September 2018. ______Invite the teens to share with their partner the ways in ______which God has invited and is continuing to invite them to ______know Him. Encourage them to talk about the people and ______experiences they are grateful for and areas in which they would like to grow in gratitude for the way God is working ______in their lives. ______After several minutes, invite them to pray with one another ______using the Prayer of Gratitude handout, or by creating a ______prayer of their own. End the time of prayer by encouraging the teens to pray for their partner throughout the week. ______Conclude the Life Night by praying the Glory Be as a group. ______Have Core Members hold bowls of holy water by the exits ______of the meeting space. Invite the teens to intentionally bless ______themselves as reminder of their baptism as they exit. ______Notes: ______

30 BELONG SERIES 31 PROCLAIM OUTLINE • Holy water aids us in overcoming temptation and the works of the devil. If we are properly disposed, it can cleanse us from venial sins and temporal INVITED punishments. • Most importantly, holy water reminds us of our baptism, the moment our parents accepted an KEY TERMS invitation on our behalf to a relationship with God and His Church. Baptism: The first Sacrament of Initiation in which a believer receives the remission of original and INITIATED personal sin, begins a new life in Christ and the • God invites each of us to become a member of Holy Spirit, and is incorporated into the Church, the His Church. When we are baptized, we enter into a Body of Christ. relationship where we are fully known and loved, and we gain a family — the Church. Eucharist: The Holy Eucharist completes Christian • When we are baptized, we are adopted by God, become initiation into the Body of Christ (along with Baptism His daughter or son, and are united to one another as and Confirmation), and is the ritual, sacramental brothers and sisters. No matter what our earthly family action of thanksgiving to God. looks like, we now have an eternal family. We belong. Mystical Body of Christ: The Church is called the • Consider sharing a story about the time you were first (Mystical) Body of Christ because of the intimate invited into a relationship with Christ through the Church. communion Jesus shares with His disciples; the • When we become members of the Body of Christ, we metaphor of a body, whose head is Christ and become intimately and mystically united with Jesus and whose members are the faithful, provides an image one another. It is a union different than any other. Within which keeps in focus both the unity and diversity of the Mystical Body of Christ are the baptized on Earth, the Church. those in , and the saints in heaven.

SUSTAINED TEACHING POINTS • Once we are baptized, we are always baptized. However, we must sustain our relationship with the WEIRD THINGS CATHOLICS DO Church by saying “yes” to invitations to a deeper • Catholics grow up doing a lot of things that simply relationship with Jesus and His Body. We do this become habit. For someone who is just being through active participation in the life of the Church, introduced to Catholic practices, though, it appears most importantly the celebration of the and that we do some weird things. reception of the Eucharist. • Project and read a list of weird things Catholics • We become united to Jesus when receive Him in do, such as wearing ashes on our foreheads and the Eucharist. The Eucharist augments our union paying to light a candle. Use dipping our hands in a with Christ and separates us from sin. Because communal bowl of water for the final example. we are more united to Christ and distanced from • Most of us have used holy water our whole lives. If sin, we are more closely united to our community you are Catholic and living your faith intentionally, members. it’s not considered a weird practice, but rather, a huge blessing. 32 BELONG SERIES 33 • Share a story about a time when you were nourished ______or strengthened by the Eucharist. ______INVITED • Project and read John 15:16. ______• Jesus chose you. He invited you and continues to ______invite you to be known and loved within His family. ______Sometimes we think we are the ones doing all of the ______work, but that is backward. Jesus chooses you, invites ______you, and pursues you first. • We renew our commitment to this family every time ______we accept His invitation to receive His Body, Blood, ______Soul, and Divinity in the Eucharist. Every good act ______and inspiration to turn to God is initiated by God. ______• You accept His invitation every time you are inspired to ______pray or spend time with Him in the Sacred Scriptures. You accept His invitation when you show up for Mass ______every Sunday. ______• When we recognize that God always initiates and ______extends the invitation to a relationship where we ______are known and loved, we should be grateful. As our gratitude grows, we begin to realize that God is ______unceasingly inviting us into a relationship with Him. ______• We never have to be isolated. If we are, it is because ______we are choosing to ignore the invitation from God in ______our life. ______Notes: ______

34 BELONG SERIES 35 PROCLAIM DETAILS weird to dip your hand in holy water and then put it on your face, but if you are Catholic and are living your faith intentionally, you know it’s a huge blessing. INVITED Holy water helps us overcome temptation and the works of the devil. The prayer used to bless holy water petitions TEACHING God so that “every delusion and wickedness of the devil, and all unclean spirits, may fly and depart.” The devil flees WEIRD THINGS CATHOLICS DO the moment holy water touches us! Order of the Blessing of Holy Water Catholics grow up doing a lot of things that simply become habit. We don’t think twice about them. We rarely question them or try to learn why we do them. For someone who is Holy water can also cleanse us from venial sins and just being introduced to Catholic practices, though, it can temporal punishments if we are properly disposed. Being appear that we do some weird things. properly disposed means we are not in state of , desire to love God more, and want to detach ourselves Project and read the following list, adapting it as needed: from sin. When you bless yourself with holy water with this intention, you are forgiven. Similarly, if you were to die, you Ten Weird Things Catholics Do would not have any punishment for sins committed before 1. Go vegetarian on Fridays. dipping your hand into holy water! 2. Get down on one knee before we sit in a pew. 3. Dig up bodies to see if they have decomposed. Most importantly, holy water reminds us of our baptism, 4. Fast for an hour before receiving the Eucharist because the moment we accepted our invitation to a relationship we need to “prepare space.” with God and His Church. If we were baptized as infants, 5. Transport human bones (relics) so everyone can our parents accepted this invitation for us and promised to experience them. raise us with an awareness of this great invitation. 6. Wear ashes on our forehead on Ash Wednesday. 7. Say some parts of the Mass in Latin and other parts in INITIATED English. 8. Eat the body and blood of Jesus. God invites each of us into a relationship where we are known 9. Pay money to light a candle. and loved. When we are baptized, we gain a family — the 10. Dip our hands in a communal bowl of water as we Church. We may think of the Church as a place we simply go on enter a church. Sundays, but this definition falls short. At its depth, the Church is a people — the Body of Christ. When we are baptized, we Have you ever thought about the holy water at the entrance are adopted by God, become His daughter or son, and are of the church? When you think about it, it’s really quite united to one another as brothers and sisters. No matter what gross. Everyone’s hands, which have touched runny noses, our earthly family looks like, we now have an eternal family. We dirty shoes, bathroom doors, greasy hair, and oily faces, belong. have been in there! It is something most of us have done CCC 1262-1271 our whole lives. If you are not Catholic, it may seem pretty

36 BELONG SERIES 37 Consider sharing a story about the time you were first invited Share a story about a time when you were nourished or into a relationship with Christ through the Church. strengthened by the Eucharist. Share how the Eucharist separated you from sin, strengthened you to live out When we become members of the Body of Christ, we become holiness, and drew you into greater union with those intimately united with Jesus and one another. We call it a around you. mystical union because it is different than any other union we CCC 874 can experience. The bond is greater than the bond between our biological or adopted family. It’s greater than the bond INVITED we experience with our closest friends. It’s even greater than the bond between a husband and wife. It is a union that even Project and read John 15:16. death cannot separate. Within the Mystical Body of Christ are the baptized on Earth, those in purgatory, and the saints in Jesus chose you. He invited you and continues to invite you to heaven. We are all united in a mystical way and will one day be be known and loved within His family. Sometimes we think we fully united in heaven. are the ones doing all of the work — we are the ones pursuing CCC 954 God by coming to Life Teen, praying every day, and inviting others to church. The idea that we are the ones initiating is backward, though. Jesus chooses you, invites you, and pursues SUSTAINED you first. While we definitively accepted this invitation at our baptism, we renew our commitment every time we receive As we all know, belonging to a family is so much more His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Eucharist. than a “one and done” event. Once you are baptized, you are always baptized and will always belong to the Church. Every good act and inspiration to turn to God is initiated by However, our relationship with Christ and our spiritual God. You accept His invitation every time you are inspired to family must be sustained. We must continue to say “yes” pray or spend time with Him in the Sacred Scriptures. You to invitations to a deeper relationship with Jesus and His accept His invitation when you come to Mass every Sunday. Body, the Church. We do this through active participation in the life of the Church, most importantly through the When we recognize that God always initiates and extends celebration of the Mass and reception of the Eucharist, the invitation, we should become grateful. As our gratitude which is the body and blood of Jesus. grows, we begin to realize that God is unceasingly inviting us into a relationship with Him. We never have to be isolated. If It sounds weird — Catholics eat the body and blood of we are, it is because we are choosing to ignore the invitation Jesus. It’s a shocking reality that caused Jesus to lose from God in our life. many followers. God wants to nourish and strengthen us, so He becomes food for us to eat. We become united to Close the Proclaim with a prayer, using the following or Jesus when receive Him in the Eucharist. We become so something similar: united to Him that He dwells within our very being. The Eucharist augments our union with Christ and separates God, we thank you for choosing us and revealing yourself us from sin. Because we are more united to Christ and to us. Thank you for inviting us into your Church and for distanced from sin, we are more closely united to our continuing to invite us to receive you in the Eucharist and be community members. an active member of your Church. Help us respond to your CCC 1391-1396; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; John 6:56-66 invitation, daily. Amen.

38 BELONG SERIES 39 CORE TEAM OVERVIEW LIFE NIGHT OVERVIEW

The Mystical Body of Christ INVITED: ACCEPTED A LIFE NIGHT ON DIVERSITY IN THE CHURCH GOAL: The goal of Invited is to help the teens grasp the reality of the Mystical Body of Christ in a way that sparks a desire to belong in the Church. It explains the role and GOAL importance of Baptism and the Eucharist in the Body of The goal of Accepted is to unpack the term “diversity” and Christ. showcase the diversity of the Church in a way that allows the teens to see themselves within the Body of Christ. GATHER (25 MIN): About Me: ______KEY CONCEPTS Plus One: ______• The Church has a complementary unity and diversity PROCLAIM (15 MIN): because she is made up of people from various countries “Invited” Teaching:______and cultures with different gifts, personalities, and experiences, who are all bonded by a common faith. BREAK (15 MIN): • The Church accepts each of us and provides a place Invited Journal Reflection: ______where we can be uniquely ourselves and at the same time, radically united to every person despite our differences. SEND (20 MIN): In turn, we are asked to accept and trust the wisdom of Prayer of Gratitude: ______Church in her teachings.

Notes: ______• Diversity is divisive without unity and unity is destructive ______when the uniqueness of each person is not respected. True unity comes from an understanding that God loves ______us, communicates with us, and works through each person ______KEY TERMS: SCRIPTURE: CATECHISM: ______Acceptance 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 791 ______Diversity Galatians 3:27-28 814 ______Unity Ephesians 4:1-7 835 ______1202 ______

40 BELONG SERIES 41 ABOUT THIS LIFE NIGHT For a Break with a smaller group, consider having the teens write out the quote from Francis about diversity and The Gather utilizes the questionnaire filled out during the unity found in the Parent Letter for Accepted. Provide them Life Night Invited for an activity that reveals the diversity of with a long sheet of paper, such as bulletin paper, and multi- the teens. The Proclaim explores the relationship between colored markers. Lead a discussion about the quote as they acceptance, diversity, and unity within the Church. The write it out and decorate it. You can also divide the teens into Break begins with a testimony from a Core Member and small groups and give each group a section of the quote to encourages the teens to have compassion for one another write out. If your meeting space allows, place the quote on through a small group discussion. The Send concludes the the wall and surround it with pictures of the teens. Life Night in the spirit of unity by praying the . To build greater community among the teens, begin ENVIRONMENT advertising a Summit or Unleashed small group. Give teens a couple of weeks to sign up and kick it off after the last Life Label the four corners of the main meeting space “A,” “B,” “C,” Night in this series, Needed. and “D.” These labels will be used for the Gather. Place flags from different countries, logos from local organizations, and HISPANIC INCULTURATION pictures of mascots from surrounding high schools around By Stephanie Espinoza the room. If providing food, serve cuisine from different Contributors: Juan Aznaran, Stephanie Salinas, Andrea cultures. Vasquez-Tejada

Project the Accepted environment image, which can be Important Notes for Pastoral Care: found on the September 2018 Life Teen USB and online at Hispanic teens in the United States often believe their lifeteen.com under Life Support: September 2018. presence is perceived negatively by others. They are used to hearing that they tend to do worse in school compared to MEDIA SUGGESTIONS other ethnic groups or are more likely to be incarcerated or join a gang. They also hear that their parents, or other adult Jamil Dababneh: “ 2016 Official Anthem family members and friends, are taking away Americans’ Video” (youtube.com) jobs and are a burden to taxpayers.

“Who You Say I Am (Live),” Hillsong Worship (There Is When affirming the diversity of your youth group during More (Live), Hillsong (HIL), 2018) the Proclaim, address this narrative head on and shift it from one of burden to one of gift. Share that the Church is a SOCIAL MEDIA HASHTAGS: #LT_Accepted better place because of our diversity and highlight ways in which the different cultures of your parish or diocese have AS YOU GET STARTED... come together, learned from each other, and borne fruits of greater faith due to their unity. If you were unable to collect information for the Gather at the previous Life Night, consider gathering information about the Cultural Insights: Church, your local parish, and statistics about the teens that For the Send, consider dividing the Creed into eight parts you have from parish registration to play the game. and reciting it bilingually, alternating between English and

42 BELONG SERIES 43 Spanish. Project the text side by side so the teens can follow along.

If additional languages are represented in your youth group, LIFE NIGHT: ACCEPTED allow members from those communities to participate as well by reciting a part of the Creed in their native tongue. GATHER Notes: ______Welcome and Opening Prayer (5 min) ______Gather the teens in the main meeting space. Welcome them ______to the Life Night, introduce any teens or Core Members ______attending for the first time, and begin in prayer. ______Four Corners: About Us (15 min) ______Use the information from the About Me Questionnaire ______handout collected at the previous Life Night to create a four ______corners game about your youth group. Use the questions ______on the Four Corners handout to lead the game or create ______your own. Handouts are found on the September 2018 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com under Life Support: ______September 2018. ______Introduce the activity using the following: ______Last week you answered a questionnaire. We compiled ______that data and created trivia about our youth group. As I ______read the trivia question, go to the corner that corresponds ______to what you believe is the correct answer. ______PROCLAIM ______“Accepted” Teaching (15 min) ______The Proclaim Outline and Proclaim Details can be found on ______pages 48 to 55. ______BREAK ______Core Member Testimony (10 min) ______Have a Core Member share a personal story about a teaching ______of the Church they struggled to understand and believe. Have

44 BELONG SERIES 45 them explain that though they wrestled with the teaching, • When have you felt accepted by the Church? they remained obedient to it. Have them emphasize that • When have you felt rejected by the Church? Have you wrestling with Church teaching is beneficial because it resolved this? If yes, how? If no, how can you resolve it? leads to greater understanding and conviction. Have them conclude the testimony with how they came to understand SEND and embrace the teaching of the Church by wrestling with it. An example of an impactful closing line that ties into the Profession of the Nicene Creed (10 min) Life Night is: “The Church accepted me, now I accept the Create a prayerful environment by dimming the lights. Church.” Ask the teens to stand. Use the following to introduce the Nicene Creed: Small Group Discussion (20 min) Divide the teens into small groups of six to eight with We are united in one faith, a faith we profess every Sunday one Core Member in each group. The goal of the small when we recite the Nicene Creed at Mass. Although we group is to offer compassion to teens who may not have understand most of our beliefs, there are some we may felt accepted by the Church at one time or another, not not fully understand. Even if we don’t quite get them, to answer questions about Church teaching. Try to keep we should still adhere to the Church’s teachings while the discussion focused on the Church accepting each teen we wrestle with them. We have an opportunity to renew with their diverse backgrounds and experiences. Begin in our adherence to these teachings every time we prayer prayer and then use the following questions to facilitate a the Nicene Creed. I invite you to join me in confidently discussion: professing our faith.

• Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 aloud. Why, or by what Project and profess the Nicene Creed. experience, are we made part of the Body of Christ? What are some reasons you think you do not belong to Notes: ______the Body of Christ? What is the benefit of people having ______different roles within the Body of Christ? Why should each part of the Body have equal concern for the other ______parts? ______• How do you see the Church working together to create ______an unrivaled community? ______• What unique qualities do you bring to the Church? ______Background, culture, personality, experiences, talents? ______• How might you be called to contribute to our church ______community? ______• We are united in one faith. What is a teaching of the ______Church you celebrate? (I’m forgiven of sin through Jesus ______in confession, the Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus, etc.) ______

46 BELONG SERIES 47 PROCLAIM OUTLINE I’M ACCEPTED • The Church accepts every one of us with our culture, gifts, personality, and experiences. The Church ACCEPTED provides a place where we can be uniquely ourselves while radically united to one another. • Many people do not feel accepted by the Church. They KEY TERMS feel judged, looked down upon, or ostracized because of their choices or lifestyle. While there are many Acceptance: The act of receiving a person as they difficult situations we wrestle with and work through, are; the act of assenting or believing. the Church still accepts and loves us. No one is ever unwanted by God. Diversity: To be composed of different elements and • The Church is made up of imperfect people on their way qualities; the inclusion of different types of people. to holiness. We must work to forgive others, receive Unity: The condition or state of oneness based on forgiveness, and accompany one another toward the common beliefs or convictions without eliminating happiness and joy that is found in a life with Christ. the uniqueness of each person. I ACCEPT TEACHING POINTS • Happiness and joy only come when we live the life Christ modeled for us. Jesus accepted all people but DIVERSE YET UNITED challenged them to live the way they were created to • Restate some of the youth group trivia and share live. facts about the diversity of the Catholic Church. • The Church is a place where we should encounter God’s • The Catholic Church is made up of people from mercy and love and leave behind the isolation caused varying cultures in different states of life and with by sin. We should never feel alone in our struggles but many different passions and talents. Yet, we are all be encouraged to overcome them with the grace of united in one shared belief and mission. Christ and the love of our brothers and sisters. • We believe in one God, the Father almighty. We • Because we are completely accepted by God and His believe in His Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. We believe Church, we are asked to accept Christ’s teachings, in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life. We which are handed down by the Church. The teachings believe in one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church. are not arbitrary; they lead us to deeper communion • The Catholic Church is like an orchestra. When you with God and one another. bring unique musicians and instruments together and unite them under a singular conductor, the DIVERSE NOT DIVIDED music is truly magnificent. • An enemy must divide to conquer. Pride is a tool that • When each person — with their unique culture, gifts, is often used by our enemy to divide the Church. No personalities, and experiences — is united in one one’s gifts or contributions are more important than faith, a beautiful community where everyone has someone else’s. something different to offer and receive is created. • Diversity is divisive if God is not the underlying unifier. Unity in God creates a space for us to embrace our differences because it is built on our understanding

48 BELONG SERIES 49 that He loves us, communicates with us, and works PROCLAIM DETAILS through us differently. Our attempts at unity are destructive when the uniqueness of each person is not respected. ACCEPTED • We can polarize and become entrenched in our differences — content on proving we are right, needed more, or superior. If there is nothing to unify TEACHING us, no faith, no mission, no love of God and others, we become like clanging gongs, instead of a magnificent DIVERSE YET UNITED orchestra. • Project and read 1 Corinthians 12:12-26. Transition into the Proclaim by restating some of the youth • Each part of the body belongs, is unique, and has an group trivia and marveling about how the community is equal role to play. We can’t all have the same role and so diverse, yet at the same time, united in one faith. Then, we need each other to be able to play the unique role share the following facts about the diversity of the Catholic we are given. Church. Consider projecting pictures of the Eucharistic • You are accepted by the Church. You have a home in celebrations from each of the Eastern Rites as you share. God’s family and an irreplaceable role to play, but you must accept the faith in return. We may be used to celebrating Mass in the Latin Rite, but there are a variety of ways people can celebrate Mass, Notes: ______called “rites,” which are all valid. There are 22 Eastern Rites throughout the world. Although they go by different names ______and have diverse expressions of faith, they are part of the ______Catholic Church and share our one, united faith. ______Consider projecting pictures of cultural Catholic celebrations as you share the following: ______Brazil has more Catholics than any other country with close ______to 127 million, or 11.7% of the world’s Catholic population. It is ______followed by Mexico (96 million), the Philippines (76 million), the U.S. (75 million), Italy (49 million), Columbia (38 million), ______France (38 million), Poland (35 million), Spain (35 million), ______and the Democratic Republic of Congo (31 million). ______Huffington Post, “Most Catholic Countries Worldwide, ______Increase Seen in Global South,” Barooah, Jahnabi ______The number of Catholics around the world has tripled from 291 million in 1910 to 1.1 billion in 2010. The population has remained ______relatively stable over the past 100 years, so the growth has ______largely come from the Catholic populations in the Sub-Saharan

50 BELONG SERIES 51 Africa and Asia-Pacific regions. I’M ACCEPTED Huffington Post, “Most Catholic Countries Worldwide, Increase Seen in Global South,” Barooah, Jahnabi The Church accepts each of us. There is a place for our culture, gifts, personality, and experiences. Our uniqueness is important and valued. The Church provides a place where we can be Add facts about the diversity of your region of the country, uniquely ourselves and at the same time, radically united to state, and parish community. every person despite our differences.

Our youth group, and the Catholic Church as a whole, is Unfortunately, many people do not feel accepted by the made of people from varying cultures and countries. While Church. Some of you may not feel accepted by the Church. You we don’t always see or experience this diversity, it is still part may feel judged because you wore a particular outfit, hang out of our Church. We are all united in one shared belief and with certain people, or don’t know as much about the Catholic mission. We believe in one God, the Father almighty. We faith as others. believe in His Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. We believe in the

Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life. We believe in one, holy, At times, people feel judged or ostracized because their choices Catholic, and apostolic Church. or lifestyle do not line up with the teachings of the Church.

Some people don’t feel accepted because they experience Our diversity goes beyond culture and country. Think of all same sex attraction or don’t feel at home in their bodies. of the people in our Catholic community. We have athletes, Others don’t feel accepted because they had a child outside musicians, academics, artistic creatives, missionaries, of marriage or currently live with their boyfriend or girlfriend. caregivers, single people, married couples, religious men Some women don’t feel accepted because they want a greater and women, and priests. We have those who bring insight role in the Church and see mostly men in charge. Although into situations, those who bring humor, those who bring these are difficult situations, the Church still accepts, loves, and compassion, and those who inspire. We have the young with has a role for everyone. their zeal and the old with their wisdom. We have children with their trusting faith and teens with their insightful and While the actions and judgments of others may say otherwise, probing questions. no one is ever unwanted by God; everyone belongs in His family.

We must remember that the Church is made up of people on Take time to affirm teens by name for the diverse gifts they the way to holiness. We must work to forgive others when they bring to the community. Prepare these affirmations in advance. hurt us and receive forgiveness when we fall short. We must

accompany one another toward the happiness and joy that is The Catholic Church is like an orchestra. Musicians can found in a life with Christ. produce music — maybe even beautiful music — on their own, but if you bring each unique musician together and unite them under a singular conductor, the music is truly I ACCEPT magnificent. The same is true for the Church, the Body At the same time, happiness and joy only come when we of Christ. Each person — with their unique culture, gifts, truly follow Christ and live the life He modeled for us. Jesus personality, and experiences — when united in one faith, accepted all people, but He challenged them to live the comes together to create a beautiful community where way they were created to live. He established the Church everyone has something unique to offer and receive. CCC 791, 814 as a place where we can encounter His mercy and love, a place where we can leave behind the isolation caused by

52 BELONG SERIES 53 sin and brokenness. The Church is a place where we should order to play the unique role we’ve been given. “God arranged feel encouraged to overcome our struggles with the grace of the organs in the body, each one of them, as he chose” (1 Christ and the love of our brothers and sisters. Corinthians 12:18).

We are completely accepted by God and His Church. In turn, Diversity can be divisive when there is no unity. We can we are asked to accept Christ’s teachings, which are handed polarize and become entrenched in our differences — content down by the Church. We are not asked to blindly accept these on proving we are right, needed more, or superior. If there teachings, but rather, to recognize the value of the Church’s is nothing to unify us, no faith, no mission, no love of God voice. Jesus sent His Spirit to guide and instruct the Church and others, we become like clanging gongs, instead of a and we trust that the teachings we receive will guide us to magnificent orchestra. know God and ourselves when authentically lived out. The 1 Corinthians 13:1 teachings are not arbitrary; they lead us to deep communion with God and one another. This doesn’t mean we become You are accepted by the Church. You have a home in God’s robots; it means we become fully alive and radically unique family and an irreplaceable role to play. The Church is diverse; all while still fully united to one another. people are welcome and accepted. Do you accept the Church and her teachings, which hold the tension of our diversity? We DIVERSE NOT DIVIDED are united by a shared faith. Do you accept this faith? We must not let our differences divide us. If an enemy wants to conquer, he must first divide. Pride is a tool that is often Notes: ______used by our enemy to divide the Church. We think our gift or ______contribution is more important than someone else’s. We think ______our way of worship is superior. We play too loud and ruin the ______harmony of the orchestra, or we think we know better than the conductor and try to take over or change the music. Unity ______in diversity only arises when God is recognized and trusted as ______the conductor. ______God has to be the underlying unifier of diversity. Our attempts at unity are destructive when the uniqueness of each person is ______not respected. Unity in God creates a space for us to embrace ______our differences because it is built on our understanding that ______He loves us, communicates with us, and works through us ______differently. ______Saint Paul speaks of this to the Church in Corinth. ______Project and read 1 Corinthians 12:12-26. ______

______Each part of the body belongs and has a unique and equal role to play. We can’t all be eyes or ears. We need each other in ______54 BELONG SERIES 55 CORE TEAM OVERVIEW LIFE NIGHT OVERVIEW

ACCEPTED: Diversity in the Church NEEDED A LIFE NIGHT ON OUR GOAL: The goal of Accepted is to unpack the term RESPONSIBILITY IN THE CHURCH “diversity” and showcase the diversity of the Church in a way that allows the teens to see themselves within the Body of Christ. GOAL

GATHER (20 MIN): The goal of Needed is to reveal to the teens the importance of their specific role in the Church and inspire them to serve Welcome and Opening Prayer: ______others and build community. Four Corners: About Us: ______KEY CONCEPTS PROCLAIM (15 MIN): “Accepted” Teaching: ______• The Church was instituted by Christ and answers the problem of isolation by giving us a place to practice BREAK (30 MIN): solitude, a community to belong to, and a role to fulfill. Core Member Testimony : ______• As members of the Church, the Body of Christ, it is our Small Group Discussion : ______responsibility to make visible the invisible union of the Body of Christ through our interactions and care for one • How do you see the Church working together to create another. an unrivaled community? What is the benefit of people having different roles within the Body of Christ? What • Each person is a gift that is needed and meant to be unique qualities do you bring to the Church? given to others in love. We look to Jesus as our model of • How might you be called to contribute to our church self-giving love. community? • We are united in one faith. What is a teaching of the Church you celebrate? • When have you felt accepted by the Church? KEY TERMS: SCRIPTURE: CATECHISM: • When have you felt rejected by the Church? Have you Community Matthew 15:29-37 613 Matthew 18:1-5 766 resolved this? If yes, how? If no, how can you resolve it? Kingdom of God John 11 John 19:34 SEND (10 MIN): 1 Corinthians 12:22 Profession of the Nicene Creed : ______

56 BELONG SERIES 57 ABOUT THIS LIFE NIGHT during small group, allow them to eat while you gather the other teens into the main meeting space. The Gather is a time for a meal during which some teens are not offered a seat at the table. The Proclaim processes For an alternative Break, consider inviting someone from the Gather and discusses the importance of taking an active a local organization or a parishioner who serves those in role in the Church. The Break includes small and large group need to answer questions instead of having a large group discussions that shed light on unique ways to help those in discussion. need. The Send is a wristband activity that challenges the teens to anticipate the needs of others. For a deeper Send, consider having your music minster lead the teens in singing the Come Holy Spirit prayer. ENVIRONMENT HISPANIC INCULTURATION The environment in the main meeting space is simple By Stephanie Espinoza and comfortable. Arrange the seating so it is cozy and Contributors: Juan Aznaran, Stephanie Salinas, Andrea encourages the teens to socialize in the middle of the Vasquez-Tejada room. Place chairs along the walls, but cover them in caution tape so the teens do not sit on them. Important Notes for Pastoral Care: When talking about people on the margins or people Project the Needed environment image, which can be lacking a seat at the table during the Break, be aware that found on the September 2018 Life Teen USB and online at this may be the reality of some of the teens and/or their lifeteen.com under Life Support: September 2018. families. In the event that teens share experiences of being on the margins, use the following questions to guide the In a separate space, set up dinner tables to fit two-thirds small group discussion: of the teens as instructed in the Gather activity. • What do hope and support look like for someone on the MEDIA SUGGESTIONS margins? • What is one thing you wish people knew about what it Life Teen: “One Moment” (Life Support: September 2017) is like to not have a seat at the table? • How can we become more aware of the different kinds “Come Holy Spirit,” Vertical Church Band (Frontiers, Essential of margins and the ways in which people experience Worship, 2016) different ones at different times?

SOCIAL MEDIA HASHTAGS: #LT_Needed Cultural Insights: The Hispanic/Latino presence in the Church is essential AS YOU GET STARTED... in order for the Church to go out and make more disciples who live in the love of Christ. The bicultural For a simple Gather, consider having snacks available reality of the Hispanic/Latino-American teen is an asset rather than a buffet-style meal. You can also begin dinner to evangelization because both cultures involve building as the teens are entering so that teens who arrive late are bridges for people to go freely between two seemingly the ones without a seat. Instead of serving dinner to them opposed worlds. Let your Hispanic/Latino teens know

58 BELONG SERIES 59 that their ability to navigate two cultures makes them ideal candidates to share the Gospel with the world today.

For more on this topic, check out the Dear Young, LIFE NIGHT: NEEDED Hispanic/Latino Catholics blog, which can be found online at lifeteen.com. GATHER Notes: ______Buffet (20 min) ______Prepare a meal that is served buffet-style. Have tables, chairs, ______and placemats set up as well as a buffet table with plates, ______cups, and silverware. ______Have an equal amount of blue, red, and yellow notecards. As the teens enter, hand each teen a notecard. Invite the teens ______with blue and red notecards to take a seat at the tables. Once ______they are seated, instruct them to get food from the buffet. ______Allow time for two thirds of the teens to eat and the remaining ______one third to watch and wait. Then, gather the teens to the front of the main meeting space. ______Since one third of the teens will not eat during this time, set ______aside plates for them to eat during their small group. Make ______sure they are unaware of the food that is set aside until after the Gather is debriefed in the Proclaim. ______PROCLAIM ______“Needed” Teaching (15 min) ______The Proclaim Outline and Proclaim Details can be found on pages 64 to 71. ______BREAK ______Small Group Discussion (15 min) ______Divide the teens into small groups of six to eight with one Core Member in each group. Instruct the small groups to stay close, ______preferably in the same room since they will come together for a ______large group discussion shortly. Begin in prayer and then use the following questions to facilitate a discussion:

60 BELONG SERIES 61 • In general, who is on the margins looking in? Where are the Notes: ______margins? ______• Who are the people in your everyday life who do not have a ______seat at the table? What can we do to anticipate the needs of those on the margins? ______• What can we do to anticipate the needs of those near to us? ______Large Group Discussion (15 min) ______Gather the teens in the main meeting space for a large group discussion. The goal of the discussion is to challenge the teens to ______think beyond typical responses to helping those in need. Use the ______questions from the small group discussion to begin the dialogue. ______The youth minister must be prepared to ask thought provoking ______follow up questions. ______SEND ______Wristbands (5 min) ______Have the Core Members give each teen a wristband that ______can only be removed with scissors and instruct the teens to put them on. Once the wristbands are on, inform the teens ______that the wristband is being given to them as a challenge to ______anticipate the needs of someone else. Encourage them to ______leave the wristband on until they have done something to ______help another person without being asked. This action should ______work toward building community in their daily life. ______Prayer for the Holy Spirit (5 min) ______Conclude by projecting and praying the Come Holy ______Spirit prayer, repeating it three times. The prayer can ______be found on the September 2018 Life Teen USB and ______online at lifeteen.com under Life Support: September 2018. Use the following to introduce the prayer: ______We are going to pray for the Holy Spirit to come. The Holy ______Spirit can guide us in our day-to-day lives. He can teach us ______to see the needs of others, prompt us to aid others, convict us of the good that can be done, and most importantly, ______fill our hearts with God’s presence so we stay tuned to ______God’s will. Join with me in asking the Holy Spirit to come. ______

62 BELONG SERIES 63 PROCLAIM OUTLINE JESUS AS A MODEL • If we are searching for our role in the community, we can start by looking to Jesus as a model of self- NEEDED giving love. He didn’t serve others for the attention or to feel good about Himself. KEY TERMS • He poured Himself out for everyone He met and ultimately gave His life so that we could have a place Community: Fellowship with others, as a result of to belong in the Church. In fact, the Church was born sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals. from the pierced heart of Christ hanging on the cross. Kingdom of God: The reign or rule of God; the • Read John 19:28-34 while projecting an image of Kingdom of God draws near in the coming of the Divine Mercy. Incarnate Word; it is announced in the Gospel; it is the • Jesus gave Himself daily by taking time to be with messianic Kingdom, present in the person of Jesus, the people. He let the crowds follow Him and taught Messiah; it remains in our midst in the Eucharist. them about the Father. He gave the gift of His time and presence to all He encountered. TEACHING POINTS • Provide examples of Jesus being present to people from the Gospels. DON’T BE A LEECH • Process the buffet dynamic as a large group. • It can be easy to look at the problems in the world and seek large-scale solutions. We may aspire to We are all part of the larger community of the • change the world and make it a better place for Catholic Church. Community members are invested everyone. and active. If we don’t try to see, feel, and anticipate each other’s needs, we are more like leeches. • While we have to work toward rectifying injustices, many people pursue global changes and fail to Our community needs us. If there is a problem, • recognize the influence they have in their day-to-day we need to be part of the solution. Too often we life. complain about shortcomings or inconsistencies in the Church without recognizing our own need to • We can model Jesus simply by being present to improve. those around us. It is often more difficult to serve others in this way than it is to send money to an Jesus came to bring about the Kingdom of God, • organization or march for a cause. which is ruled by love and mercy. • While we are called to work for large scale changes, We are responsible for making it known and present • that work should always build on the love, mercy, to each other. As members of the Church, it is our and justice we extend to those around us every day. job to make visible the invisible union of the Body of Christ through our interactions with one another. ACTIVE AND DEDICATED • We do this by considering and anticipating each • A consequence of the Fall of Humanity is isolation — other’s needs, working together for the good of the isolation from God and one another. Jesus died so that community, rejoicing when a member rejoices, and we may be reunited to God and each other in the Body suffering when a member suffers. of Christ. 64 BELONG SERIES 65 • We may be hesitant to give of ourselves like Jesus did PROCLAIM DETAILS for the Church. We may have been let down, neglected, or forgotten by those we love, so we have safeguards in place to protect us from getting hurt again. NEEDED • The Church is both divine and human. While the human side makes mistakes and is growing in perfection, the divine side is perfect. Jesus established a structure in TEACHING the Church that we can trust, a structure that will never be defeated. DON’T BE A LEECH • Project and read Matthew 16:18. Process the buffet dynamic as a large group. Ask the teens • We can make the divinity of the Church a tangible who got to eat what the meal was like. Was it filling? Did reality by modeling Christ, starting by being present it taste good? What did it feel like to have others watch in little ways. See how others are being present to you. them as they ate? Ask the teens who didn’t get to eat if Experience the benefits of playing an active role in the they are hungry and what it felt like to watch the other community and grow from there. teens eat. Then, ask the teens who got to eat why they • The Church was instituted by Christ as His body and didn’t offer their seats so the other teens could eat, or answers the problem of isolation. It is a place to grow what cue they were waiting for? Finally, ask both groups in solitude and a community in which we can belong. if an action means more to them if someone told a person to do it, or if they just did it. • We have a role to play; we are needed. We cannot be leeches but must be active and dedicated members We are all part of our youth group community and part who persevere toward our ultimate goal and community of the larger community of the Catholic Church. We are in the Kingdom of God. also part of other communities, such as a sports team, show choir, theatre club, student government, debate Notes: ______team, band, etc. When we are part of a community, we have a role to play. Community members are invested and ______active. They see, feel, and anticipate each other’s needs. ______If you don’t see your community members’ needs and act ______on your own accord, you are not truly a member of the ______community and are more like a leech. ______Because we each have a particular role to play, our ______community needs us. If there is a problem, we need to ______be part of the solution. If everyone isn’t eating, we should ______say something or offer our seat to another. If Life Teen ______is boring, we should ask how we can be involved in a leadership role. If there is an injustice, we should fight for ______justice. If there is a lack of love, we should be loving. ______

66 BELONG SERIES 67 Too often we complain about shortcomings or inconsistencies Church was born from the pierced heart of Christ hanging in the Church. We feel that the Church is failing us, but we on the cross. are the Church. We are not only accepted by the Church, CCC 766; John 19:34 we are needed by the Church. If we see an area in which the Church can improve, we should first look at the way we may Read John 19:28-34 while projecting an image of Divine contribute to the problem and begin making changes there. Mercy. For example, if we find ourselves frustrated with someone who causes drama and division, we should first examine The way in which Jesus gave of Himself was not just in this ourselves and improve the areas in which we perpetuate extreme sacrifice, though. Jesus had an incredible presence drama and division. Do we ignore or avoid that person? Do and took time to be with people. He let the crowds follow Him we talk about them behind their back? Do we encourage and taught them about the Father. He patiently answered others to isolate them? Do we make them feel small and questions and took care of the needs of those around Him unwanted? It is difficult to recognize our own contributions — from feeding them to healing them to raising their loved to the problem, but it can help us reach a solution with more ones from the dead. He mentored His disciples. He was compassion and understanding. friends with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. He ate with outcasts and sinners. He allowed children to come to Him. He gave As members of the Church, it is our job to make visible the gift of His time and presence to all He encountered. the invisible union of the Body of Christ through our Matthew 15:29-31, 15:32-37, 18:1-5, 19:13-15; interactions with one another. Jesus came to bring about John 11; Mark 2:13-17 the Kingdom of God, but we are responsible for making it known and present to each other by considering and It can be easy to look at the problems in the world and seek anticipating each other’s needs, working together for the large scale solutions. We may aspire to change the world good of the community, rejoicing when a member rejoices, and make it a better place for everyone. We may want to and suffering when a member suffers. It is often when we eliminate war, hunger, thirst, and discrimination. While we are suffering that the support of our communities become have to work toward rectifying these injustices, many people the most evident. pursue global change and fail to recognize the influence they 1 Corinthians 12:22 have in their day-to-day life.

Share a brief story about a difficult time in your life when the Church community supported you, or about a large-scale We can model Jesus simply by being present to those crisis or tragedy in which the community supported each around us — our friends, family, and community members. other in incredible ways. Listening to our friends in need, patiently helping our siblings with homework, and being hospitable to new teens at youth group are all ways we can be present. It is often more difficult JESUS AS A MODEL to serve others in this way than it is to send money to an We all desire to play an important role. If we are searching organization or march for a cause. We are called to work for our role in the community, we can start by looking to toward global change, but it should always accompany the Jesus as a model of self-giving love. He didn’t serve others love, mercy, and justice we extend to those we encounter for attention or to feel good about Himself. He poured every day. Himself out for everyone He met and ultimately gave His life so that we could have a place to belong. In fact, the

68 BELONG SERIES 69 Take time to affirm ways you have seen teens be present to a role to play. We are needed. We cannot be leeches but others at Life Nights, retreats, and community events. must be active and dedicated members who persevere as the Church toward our ultimate goal and community in the ACTIVE AND DEDICATED Kingdom of God.

Ultimately, Jesus gave the gift of His life for the Church so Notes: ______that we might join His Body and be saved. A consequence ______of the Fall of Humanity is isolation — isolation from God and one another. Jesus died so that we may be reunited to God ______and each other in the Body of Christ. ______CCC 613 ______We may be hesitant to give of ourselves like Jesus did for ______the Church. What if you have loved and served your family only to be let down by them? You showed up to your sister’s ______game, but no one showed up to your play. What if you feel ______forgotten by your own family? Maybe your parents have been ______working multiple jobs and seem to overlook your own needs. ______We have safeguards in place to protect us from getting hurt ______again. While that’s OK, we have a need for community and others need us. We have to find healthy ways to open up to ______people, so that we can be healthy and holy members of the ______Body of Christ. ______The Church is both divine and human. While the human side makes mistakes and is growing in perfection, the divine side ______is perfect. Jesus established a structure in the Church we ______can trust, a structure that will never be defeated. ______Project and read Matthew 16:18. ______We can make the divinity of the Church a tangible reality ______by modeling Christ. Start by being present in the little ways. ______See how others are being present to you. Experience the ______benefits of playing an active role in the community and grow ______from there. ______The Church was instituted by Christ and answers the problem ______of isolation by giving us a place to practice solitude and a ______community in which we can belong. However, we also have

70 BELONG SERIES 71 CORE TEAM OVERVIEW ______NEEDED: Our Responsibility in the Church ______GOAL: The goal of Needed is to reveal to the teens the ______importance of their specific role in the Church and inspire ______them to serve others and build community. ______GATHER (20 MIN): ______Buffet: ______PROCLAIM (15 MIN): ______“Needed” Teaching: ______BREAK (30 MIN): ______Small Group Discussion: ______• In general, who is on the margins looking in? Where are the ______margins? ______• Who are the people in your everyday life who do not have a ______seat at the table? What can we do to anticipate the needs of ______those on the margins? ______• What can we do to anticipate the needs of those near to us? ______Large Group Discussion:______SEND (10 MIN): ______Wristbands: ______Prayer for the Holy Spirit : ______Notes: ______

72 BELONG SERIES 73 ______

74 BELONG SERIES 75 76 BELONG SERIES 77