Lent Teen Retreat 2022

Saturday was a full day teen lent retreat. Beautiful. We have wonderful teenagers more than 40 attending. After a 20 minute presentation (which contained hints to most of the jeopardy questions) we gave out prizes for the best answers. A lot of fun!

Theme: Be Holy as I am Holy.

Summary of my presentation

Define Fast: discussion.

Fast has many meanings but today I will focus on the one I think you need to hear more distinctly than the others.

1. Fast – go rapidly. Yes, but not a Lent concept really.
2. Fast – refrain from unholy things and actions. This is the most common use of the word but I propose the least valuable. Yes, we must AVOID sin and we should work at not doing them but this is the over worked concept of fasting. We’ll have confession later today.
3. Fast – recognize the natural and supernatural good in our life and share them with others.

The third one is my focus today.

Starting with the question: Which describes God better?

1. God is not evil.
2. God is good.

I hope you picked number 2. We can train ourselves to consider the holiness of God (mercy and lovingkindness) and by extension the holiness in us as well. The potential of holiness is the focus not the existence of privation. We know we are sinners. We should know we are called to be like God – Holy.

Skit

Altitude and Attitude – short skit on pilot conversing with control tower. Attitude is the slope of rise or decline in flight-speak. Had some fun with air traffic control asking the pilot who declared an in-flight emergency, “what is your attitude?”

“Well, I’m grumpy a lot. And a little scared”

Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving

An integrated approach. A cell phone is not inherently evil. Actually it is quite naturally good. If your little sister likes the song “ABC 123 Why don’t you dance with me?”

• In prayer you discovered the natural good.
• In fasting you share with her the YouTube video of the song, and dance with her.
• In almsgiving you take the natural and super natural good you have and be Holy.

Bam!

The Virtues within You

Cardinal Virtues

• Prudence
• Justice
• Fortitude
• Temperance

Theological Virtues

• Faith – corresponds to the 1st commandment.
• Hope – corresponds to the 2nd commandment.
• Charity – corresponds to the 3rd commandment.

List of well defined Holiness Activities.

Of Corporal Kindness

1. to feed the hungry,
2. to give drink to the thirsty,
3. to clothe the naked,
4. to give shelter to travelers,
5. to visit the sick,
6. to visit the imprisoned,
7. and to bury the dead.

Of Spiritual Kindness

1. To instruct the ignorant.
2. To counsel the doubtful.
3. To admonish the sinners.
4. To bear patiently those who wrong us.
5. To forgive offenses.
6. To comfort the afflicted.
7. To pray for the living and the dead.

Six Choices Jesus Asks Us to Consider

1. Love be not an enemy.
2. Bless be not cursed or be cursing.
3. Pray rather than strike.
4. Give rather than hoard.
5. Do rather than abase.
6. Be rather than judge.

Being Holy is easier than being evil.

Peace be with you,

Deacon Gerry