Why do people object to youth ministry?

[Deo_Gratias42]

1. Never even heard of the 9 Levels of Prayer.

That’s a major problem. No one can advance in holiness and sanctify their interior life if they don’t know the different levels of prayer, as they are what lead us to unity with God.

catholic-church.org/grace/growing/9grades/9grades.htmhttp://www.catholic-church.org/grace/growing/9grades/9grades.htm

These kids can handle the first two grades. The first is your basic vocal prayers (ie: Mass, the Divine Office, the Rosary [which is also meditative], etc). The second is meditation. You can teach children simple meditation exercises. Have them meditate on Jesus’ Passion, or something such as the Nativity. Have them close their eyes, and imagine that they are there, and what it must be like to be there, and what the bystanders are thinking, or something. Obviously it’s not going to be mind-shattering revelations, but it helps to teach them to lift their mind and heart to God, and to get into the habit of meditating. It’s like Confession. Most little kids don’t commit mortal sins, but they still have first confession before first communion to get them in the habit of going to confession before receiving communion.

 

[JackVk]

That’s a major problem. No one can advance in holiness and sanctify their interior life if they don’t know the different levels of prayer, as they are what lead us to unity with God.

catholic-church.org/grace/growing/9grades/9grades.htmhttp://www.catholic-church.org/grace/growing/9grades/9grades.htm

These kids can handle the first two grades. The first is your basic vocal prayers (ie: Mass, the Divine Office, the Rosary [which is also meditative], etc). The second is meditation. You can teach children simple meditation exercises. Have them meditate on Jesus’ Passion, or something such as the Nativity. Have them close their eyes, and imagine that they are there, and what it must be like to be there, and what the bystanders are thinking, or something. Obviously it’s not going to be mind-shattering revelations, but it helps to teach them to lift their mind and heart to God, and to get into the habit of meditating. It’s like Confession. Most little kids don’t commit mortal sins, but they still have first confession before first communion to get them in the habit of going to confession before receiving communion.

Link’s not working.

 

[Edward_H]

So then what is your idea of evangelization. Seriously Edward H i’d like to know. If you don’t want to have some evangelical like group what do you do? Does that include college ministry. Than in that case a wonderful group like FOCUS shouldn’t exist because its founder has said he intended it to be a Catholic version of Campus Crusade for Christ.

Is it also wrong for the Newman Group I joined with or any other youth group to have fun and sing songs or play games or are we just supposed to be joyless and dour and not have fun. It’s not like were suggesting doing this at mass. I’m not saying you are not joyful in your faith, but sometimes it seems as if some traditional catholics are just too joyless. You don’t have to be heretical to be a joyful catholic do you.

My understanding of Evangelization is really friendship. You can’t evangelize someone you don’t know. So evangelization is personal, building off friendship. Parents should provide more formation rather than having it relegated to CCD/Youth Ministry, dropping their kids off at the curb. Much more is needed by parents.

 

[Edward_H]

Joy comes from a deep interior life. It’s not patched on in fake happy moments so that the kids feel good for 3 minutes.

 

[WingsOfEagles]

So then what is your idea of evangelization. Seriously Edward H i’d like to know. If you don’t want to have some evangelical like group what do you do? Does that include college ministry. Than in that case a wonderful group like FOCUS shouldn’t exist because its founder has said he intended it to be a Catholic version of Campus Crusade for Christ.

Is it also wrong for the Newman Group I joined with or any other youth group to have fun and sing songs or play games or are we just supposed to be joyless and dour and not have fun. It’s not like were suggesting doing this at mass. I’m not saying you are not joyful in your faith, but sometimes it seems as if some traditional catholics are just too joyless. You don’t have to be heretical to be a joyful catholic do you.

Amen.

There was a reason so many people between 40-60 left the Parish; faith formation was a joke. I found that the current Youth Ministry I went through was balanced, they didn’t bore us to death by memorizing the Catechism, but we certainly dove into what our faith taught with zeal. That didn’t mean we had some weird Mass with drums, but we certainly enjoyed each others company. Being Catholic doesn’t mean you never do anything fun. What’s wrong with a bunch of Catholic kids going on a camping trip where they read the Bible/say a Rosary, and go to Mass together? Nothing. By the time I got to college, we did read the Catechism more and get into more serious elements of the faith, but h.s. put those building blocks in place. If I hadn’t had the h.s. experience first, the college one would not have gotten through to me. “Ain’t no party like a Catholic party 'cuz a Catholic party don’t stop.” Real faith is in all aspects of your life.

 

[Deo_Gratias42]

Link’s not working.

Try that. It works for me.
catholic-church.org/grace/growing/9grades/9grades.htm

 

[JackVk]

That’s a major problem. No one can advance in holiness and sanctify their interior life if they don’t know the different levels of prayer, as they are what lead us to unity with God.

I will have you know that I have a very strong interior life. I’m not trying to brag here, but I go to Mass and say the rosary daily (I wear the brown scapular). I pray by journaling every day (I write down my thoughts, stop, meditate, and then record what I feel the Holy Spirit is speaking to my heart). Now, that’s no excuse for complacency, because I know I can always go deeper.

 

[irishOntarian]

As a sixteen year old I prefer a more traditional approach to liturgical practice. I think it’s a mistake to think that because kids like rock and rap music, they will necessarily like it in a church. Perhaps more kids than you think would appreciate the solemnity of a high mass. However, I’m certainly not against youth ministry, I just want to encourage you to meet the kids where they’re at.

 

[teenphilo1]

My understanding of Evangelization is really friendship. You can’t evangelize someone you don’t know. So evangelization is personal, building off friendship. Parents should provide more formation rather than having it relegated to CCD/Youth Ministry, dropping their kids off at the curb. Much more is needed by parents.

Not neccisarily. Although that is a fantastic method, It wasn’t really used that much in the NT, and look how it turned out.

 

[Deo_Gratias42]

Joy comes from a deep interior life. It’s not patched on in fake happy moments so that the kids feel good for 3 minutes.

Amen! Some of my most joyful moments are when I fall into some type of contemplation during low Mass and get lost in the moment of bliss!

 

[teenphilo1]

as a sixteen year old i prefer a more traditional approach to liturgical practice. I think it’s a mistake to think that because kids like rock and rap music, they will necessarily like it in a church. Perhaps more kids than you think would appreciate the solemnity of a high mass. However, i’m certainly not against youth ministry, i just want to encourage you to meet the kids where they’re at.

amen my brethren!!! Amen!!

 

[JackVk]

Try that. It works for me.
catholic-church.org/grace/growing/9grades/9grades.htm

Thank you very much. I’m no mystic, but I seem to be familiar with the concepts described. I’ve just never heard of the 9 Levels as St. Teresa puts them.

 

[yukonbrad]

As a sixteen year old I prefer a more traditional approach to liturgical practice. I think it’s a mistake to think that because kids like rock and rap music, they will necessarily like it in a church. Perhaps more kids than you think would appreciate the solemnity of a high mass. However, I’m certainly not against youth ministry, I just want to encourage you to meet the kids where they’re at.

Combemere eh - home to Madona House.

 

[WingsOfEagles]

As a sixteen year old I prefer a more traditional approach to liturgical practice. I think it’s a mistake to think that because kids like rock and rap music, they will necessarily like it in a church. Perhaps more kids than you think would appreciate the solemnity of a high mass. However, I’m certainly not against youth ministry, I just want to encourage you to meet the kids where they’re at.

I don’t think we were discussing the Youth Masses as much. I do think that gets carried away sometimes. However, I think many of the retreats with workshops are wonderful experiences. Sure, there are some feel-good hippie moments, but Jesus was about love among other things. I’ve never gone to a retreat that stated anything contrary to Catholic doctrine.

 

[Edward_H]

Not neccisarily. Although that is a fantastic method, It wasn’t really used that much in the NT, and look how it turned out.

Think though, how Jesus must have brought people closer to God as he grew up…30 years that we know little about.

Didn’t God give us an imagination so that we could use it to learn about Him. So think how he must have played and worked. Think how hospitable he was, how welcoming, how cheerful and sincere. Think how the other kids must have been attracted to Jesus, and wanted to go over to His house.

Holy Friendship.

 

[JackVk]

As a sixteen year old I prefer a more traditional approach to liturgical practice. I think it’s a mistake to think that because kids like rock and rap music, they will necessarily like it in a church. Perhaps more kids than you think would appreciate the solemnity of a high mass. However, I’m certainly not against youth ministry, I just want to encourage you to meet the kids where they’re at.

I’m totally with you. I’ve never been to a Latin Mass before (the only parish in my archdiocese that does it is too far), but I go to a parish with very traditional liturgy. And guitar and drum Masses do kinda upset me (but say, if I’m on a retreat or vacation, I’ll take what I can get). I really hope I’m not coming off as a modernist here. I experience great joy while deep in prayer.

And I feel the older high schoolers, being more mature, are starting to establish interior lives. Speaking of which, we’ve had a priest who is a member of the Apostles of the Interior Life, a fairly new order which focuses on spiritual direction for young people (another priest called them the “saint-makers” ).

 

[WingsOfEagles]

Think though, how Jesus must have brought people closer to God as he grew up…30 years that we know little about.

Didn’t God give us an imagination so that we could use it to learn about Him. So think how he must have played and worked. Think how hospitable he was, how welcoming, how cheerful and sincere. Think how the other kids must have been attracted to Jesus, and wanted to go over to His house.

Holy Friendship.

Well, yes, but couldn’t we argue that some of those “hippie feel good moments” you object to are ways that youth ministers have found to make teens feel Christ’s love? When I’ve been at retreats in the past, there are workshops that delve into the faith, but that is mixed with some fun moments. I see nothing wrong with that. You can’t go to a 48 hour Mass.

 

[Edward_H]

Well, yes, but couldn’t we argue that some of those “hippie feel good moments” you object to are ways that youth ministers have found to make teens feel Christ’s love? When I’ve been at retreats in the past, there are workshops that delve into the faith, but that is mixed with some fun moments. I see nothing wrong with that. You can’t go to a 48 hour Mass.

No. We shouldn’t encourage our children to think that love is really a feeling or anemotion. Love is not a feeling it’s an act of the will. This doesn’t mean that the life of love is dour, but love comes first…sometimes God gives a feeling and sometimes not. We shouldn’t love for the feeling we sometimes get.

 

[JackVk]

No. We shouldn’t encourage our children to think that love is really a feeling or anemotion. Love is not a feeling it’s an act of the will. This doesn’t mean that the life of love is dour, but love comes first…sometimes God gives a feeling and sometimes not. We shouldn’t love for the feeling we sometimes get.

I agree with you here. We try to reinforce this, that while there may be good feelings, love is more than that. I believe we are coming toward an agreement?

 

[Edward_H]

I agree with you here. We try to reinforce this, that while there may be good feelings, love is more than that. I believe we are coming toward an agreement?

Yes!