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I've Got Nothing
Resources for Living and Hoping June 28, 2007 |
Today, I've got nothing
to write about. "Writer's Block",
blogging fatigue, author anxiety, call it
whatever - fact is ... I've got nothing. |
2007 I've Got Nothing Extra-Ordinary Time Memorial Day Ever Heard of Bub from Bethsaida? The Power of Weeeeeee! Forty Days and a Starting Point Discomfort of Salvation What Denomination? Public Life of Jesus Wilson is Not Enough Jesus & MySpace
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Extra-Ordinary Time Resources for Living and Hoping June 6, 2007 |
With
 last
weekend's celebration
of Pentecost, our liturgical calendar has
entered into Ordinary Time. The name corresponds
to the Latin term Tempus per annum (literally
"time through the year"). The term Ordinary does
not mean common or plain, but is derived from
the term ordinal or "numbered." The Sundays and weeks of ordinary time are numbered. There are fourteen weeks of summer between Memorial Day and Labor Day. |
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Memorial Day Resources for Living and Hoping May 17, 2007 |
Memorial Day reminds us of the
fragility of our life, the challenges of peace,
and the sacrifices necessary for democracy and human rights. It is a day of remembrance. Our faith is a faith of remembrance. Sacrifice has been offered on our behalf of our sinfulness. Our Eucharist is a celebration of the memorial of Christ, of his life, of his death, of his Resurrection, and of his intercession in the presence of the Father. |
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Ever Heard of Bub from Bethsaida? Resources for Living and Hoping May 2, 2007 |
You probably have never heard of the town of
Bethsaida. It was
hometown to Peter, Andrew, and Philip-all
disciples of Jesus. You have most likely
heard of them. But, it is entirely unlikely that you have ever heard of the Bub Gong, the prophet from Bethsaida. Remember the kid with the five barley loaves and two small fishes who generously assisted in the feeding of the multitudes? That was Bub from Bethsaida. Bub Gong used all the technology of the day available to a spiritual guru. Yet, you never heard of him. Bub was doing all the right things, yet seemed to have no disciples or evangelists to carry on the message. Where did Bub go wrong? |
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The Power of Weeeeeee! Resources for Living and Hoping April 19, 2007 |
But, after the fourth floor, you are
ascending above
Baltimore's waterfront: the cityscape of
streets, bright lights, and tall buildings, the
harbor of placid water and gently moving
ships..., higher and higher. Never a fan
of heights but impressed by the vista before me,
there was but one response to share with my two
elevator companions at that moment.I raised my hands above my head and exclaimed, "Weeeeeeeeeeeeee!" This has become my philosophical catch-phrase which is getting me through my days. |
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Forty Days and a Starting
Point Resources for Living and Hoping March 28, 2007 |
In each of these examples, it was the
forty days that was
significant. There never seems to be a
commemoration of the initiation of the forty
days. In our calendar today, we are
dependant on New Year’s Day to make a resolution
or begin a diet. Ash Wednesday leads us
into a time of penitence. |
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The
Discomfort of Salvation Resources for Living and Hoping March 14, 2006 |
 "I
slipped and tripped near the stairwell. I
completely lost my balance and found myself
plummeting head-first towards the concrete wall
of the stairwell. The concrete wall was
certain to do considerable damage to my skull,
no matter how thick some of my friends claim
that they think it is. I was "saved" by a steel
banister along the stairwell." |
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What
Denomination is Eric Camden? Resources for Living and Hoping February 28, 2006 |
 Eric and Annie Camden have seven kids and a dog. He is a pastor of a church. I’m pretty sure that he is Christian. But, I can’t get a handle much beyond that. What denomination is Eric Camden? And does it really matter? |
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The
Public Life of Jesus Christ
Catholic Review February 22, 2006 |
There are entire sections of any bookstore
designed to help us be the better center of our
own worlds. How can I be a better parent? How
can I change my work environment? How can I
become the life of the party? |
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Wilson
is Not Enough Resources for Living and Hoping February 14, 2006 |
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Would Jesus be in MySpace? NACYML newsletter. February 9, 2006 |
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a resource guide to the movie The Nativity Story
www.archbalt.org November 21, 2006 |
The movie makes use of a dramatic devise known as foreshadowing. This occurs when we see a scene that has implications for later in the story, or, in this case, later in the Gospels. What’s examples of this did you see? (ex. Mary washing Joseph's feet; Joseph expressing anger over merchants in the Temple courtyard; a roadside crucifixion, the gift offering of myrrh "for his sacrifice.") |
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godisnowhere Catholic Review November 7, 2006 |
 The University of North Carolina
has published the results of its own National
Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR) in the book
Soul
Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of
American Teenagers.
In it, the authors
describe what appears to be a major
transformation of faith in the U.S., away from
the substance of historical religious traditions
and toward a new and quite different faith the
authors call "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism."
This secular faith professes a general
confession to a “whatever” God by individually
“doing good” within a relativistic society
without specific adhesion to a centuries-old
creed or community. |
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Does
the World Need Superman? |
Does the world need a savior? |
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No Program is an
Island, unpublished, May 11,
2006 |
Every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main, if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less. These are all issues which we must face in collaboration with one another. To attempt to “go it alone” both diminishes our likelihood of success as well as the requirement of collaboration that comes with being Catholic. For one field related to adolescent catechesis to “go it alone” makes all our efforts the lesser. |
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Virtuous Reality, Catholic Review, March 16,
2006 |
It would be negligent for a mother or father to
not properly equip our young people for the real
world out there. As parents, we must now also
prepare them for all the potential risks and
snares found online. Our own technological
illiteracy will not serve as a valid
justification to disregard these important life
skills for our children.Young people must recognize that they have the support of their parents in pursuing a “virtuous reality” in the “virtual reality” of the Internet. How can this be achieved? |
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True Love Waits —
Abstinence Education for Young People
NFCYM, January 17, 2006
a |
The Catholic Church places a high value on sexual intimacy and holds everyone to a high moral and spiritual standard in using God’s gift of sexuality. The church’s “purpose is not to make us nervous, to quench love with cautiousness, or to stifle spontaneity but to help us to be open and free.” It recognizes that sexual intercourse is a passionate, joyful, holy, and reconciling celebration of the person. |
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The Real Thing at
Christmastime Catholic
Review, December 22, 2005 |
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Signs Along the Road Archdiocese of Baltimore
Youth and Young Adult Compass November, 2005 |
For the early disciples,
entering into the Conspiracy of Christ was not a
mainstream choice. It was an outsider’s choice,
distinguishing one from the conventional
culture.
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The State of
Adolescent Catechesis: Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities, and Threats by Paul
Henderson NFCYM.org November, 2005
b |
Within the ministerial fields (religious educators, school faculties, and youth ministers) a common vision of discipleship is emerging rooted in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The General Directory for Catechesis (1997) emphasizes discipleship when it states “the definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch, but also in community and intimacy, with Jesus Christ.” (GDC, 80). The bishops emphasize discipleship in the National Directory for Catechesis (2005), Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us: A Pastoral Plan for the Adult Faith Formation in the United States (1999), the apostolic exhortation on the laity, Christifideles Laici(1990), and [their] own reflections in Called and Gifted for the Third
Millennium(1995) [where they] envision a
laity who are living witnesses [disciples] to
Christ: well-formed in faith, enthusiastic,
capable of leadership in the Church and in
society, filled with compassion, and working for
justice.” (Hearts, 30). Renewing
the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth
Ministry (1997), identifies a goal of
ministry to and with and for youth “to empower
young people to live as disciples of Jesus
Christ in our world today.” |
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Adolescent Catechesis and the National Directory
for Catechesis: It's About Discipleship
by Dan Mulhall NFCYM.org November, 2005
a |
Quoting Catechesi Tradendae, the NDC notes that catechesis is: “the totality of the Church’s efforts to make disciples, to help men believe that Jesus is the Son of God so that believing they might have life in his name, and to educate and instruct them in this life, thus building up the body of Christ. (CT 1-2, see NDC page 6) Adolescent catechesis, then, describes our efforts to make American teenagers into disciples who believe in Jesus, who know what he taught, and who have been integrated into the faith life of the parish community and that of the wider Church. | |||
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The NDC: Right Living, Right Believing:
Discipleship—Right Time NFCYM Connections
e-newsletter April 21, 2005 |
 A
consistent vision regarding adolescent
catechesis has emerged over the past decades.
Signs of this vision are found in the teachings
of Pope John Paul II with young people. Through
his many encounters with young people,
especially during the World Youth Day events, he
called young people towards discipleship based
on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In
his visit to St. Louis, he told young people,
“Each of you has a special mission in life, and
you are each called to be a disciple of Christ.”
The General Directory for Catechesis echoes this
emphasis on discipleship when it states, “the
definitive aim of catechesis is to put people
not only in touch, but also in community and
intimacy, with Jesus Christ.” (GDC, 80) |
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A New Morning
Realized: Visions for Adolescent Catechesis and
Discipleship <unpublished manuscript> March
24, 2005 |
Our model for a disciple-making culture is found within the traits of the Master, within the pedagogy of Jesus in “receiving others, especially the poor, the little ones and sinners, as persons loved and sought out by God; the undiluted proclamation of the Kingdom of God as the good news of the truth and the consolation of the Father, a kind of delicate and strong love which liberates from evil and promotes life, a pressing invitation to a manner of living sustained by faith on God, by hope in the Kingdom and by charity to one’s neighbor, the use of interpersonal communication, such as word, silence, metaphor, image, example, and many diverse signs as was the case with the biblical prophets.” (GDC 140) | |||
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On the Sins of Youth and Execution
Catholic
Review, March 17, 2005 |
 How
much does society foster maturity and social
responsibility in young people? There is support
for irresponsible antics such as those of Paris
Hilton and Nicole Ritchie. |
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The Old Man and the See: The
Spirituality of Stick-to-itiveness Youthworker, Web-Only Article
Nov./Dec, 2004 |
 It’s the discipline of
stick-to-itiveness which makes this spirituality
into something which aspires for the
extraordinary." Maybe Dory says it best in
Finding Nemo, "Just keep swimming, swimming,
swimming."
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Spider Man Spins Vocation Lesson Catholic
Review, July 29, 2004 |
 There is an inherent challenge for today’s young
disciples within the movie. A heroic secret
identity is actually not an identity at all.
Sometimes what we imagine for ourselves is so
much less than what God has graced us into
becoming. |
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The Dust from Our Feet:
Finding Peace amidst Transition
Youthworker Web-Only Article (July/August 2004) |
 The world is filled
with those who remain disconnected by rudeness,
selfishness, temper, and hurt. Our world needs
bridges. As messengers of the Gospel, we’re to
be bridges built with the spirit, faith, and
peace of the Lord. |
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An
Easter Reflection (2004) for
DisciplesNow.com |
Easter and Jesus’ resurrection remind us that
the story, our story, can not end merely in
shame, sin, suffering, or death. In the words of
Saint Augustine, " We are an Easter people and
Alleluia is our song." |
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Boundaries: Respect in Relationships
Youth Update (September 2003) |
 Violating
boundaries is a problem for exactly this
reason—God made you as a human being. "In the
beginning," you are reminded, "God created man
in his image, in the divine image he created
him; male and female he created them." You are
created in the image and likeness of a wonderful
Creator who knows that you are good. Because of
this, you have immeasurable value. |
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Young Women are from Venus Youthworker
(May/June 2003) |
Equality. Worth. Dignity. Life. Holiness. These
are the foundations of forming young disciples
around right relationships. Young people are
likely to be more concerned about the emotional
impact of a breakup than about something so
trivial as condom breakage. |
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Faith: What a Rush Youthworker (Nov/Dec 2002) |
If our ministry
is about recreating our own
nostalgia, then we've likely completely missed
its mark. It may be working for us, but it
probably isn't working for very many others. "If
I speak in the tongues of mortals and angels,
but don't have love, I am a noisy gong or a
clanging cymbal" |
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The Next Great Generation? Who are these
Millennials? for Crossroads. (2001) |
We must begin to state our confidence in the
healing potential young people can bring to our
Church and to our society. I look to my own
three millennial children and imagine their
gifts and the potential of their peers in
leadership in a Church that will continue to
encourage lay leadership and vocations. |
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Contributed a chapter on
Ministering to Teenagers in Dating Relationships
to Group Publishing's Reaching Kids Most
Youth Ministries Miss. (2000) |
 Effective ministry with
young people who are in dating relationships
works at encouraging young people to recognize
that their own "hearts burning" experiences are
mere hints of the love that God has for them |
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It
Ain't Over, guest editorial for the
Catholic Review |
We cannot continue to speak as if (sexual intimacy) means nothing. Our songs, our movies and other stories all talk of the meaning of love and touch. We must begin to add spiritual values to it also. | |||
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Don't
let your daughters become princesses, guest
editorial for the Catholic Review
(September 17, 1997) |
Mother Teresa live out the model of another lifestyle. It was the model of the Beatitudes taught by Jesus. She strove to remain poor in spirit, able to mourn, meek, hungry and thirsty for righteousness, merciful, and pure of heart. She knew the truth of the words of St. Thomas Aquinas, "God alone satisfies." I hope my daughters find there there is more to life than being a graceful princess. I pray that they will grow into grace-filled blessed women. | |||
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A
re-evaluation of what Valentine's Day means,
guest editorial for the Catholic Review
(February 14, 1996) |
Not much has to change. The roses can stay, but the poetic image moves from the ephemeral red passion of the petals to the strength of growth and nourishment of the ling stems. Of course, Hallmark and its emulators need to return to the drawing board to respond to the holidays' new paradigm. | |||
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In
reality, maybe our generation does not how it
feels, guest column for the Cedar Rapids
Gazette (April 9, 1995) |
It seems today's children are taking up the available role as definers of reality. With minimal and parochial experiences, they speak to universal conditions. They find violence in their neighborhoods, schools, and media. Violence is the norm, their norm. Do we accept violence as our norm? | |||
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Why
use these pictures of young people?, letter
to the editor for the Cedar Rapids
Gazette (February 21, 1995) |
 It
would be interesting to see the Gazette follow
up on either of these stories to see if young
people experienced any consequence beyond
having their faces and names in the newspaper.
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*** a. Scott
contributed to the process and development of
this article. |
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Discipleship
is about the conversion to the conspiracy,
declaring that your heart was burning, changing
the course of your life, and making courageous
choices.