Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano | Some Thoughts From a Traveler on the Road of Life

This action scene from an Indian movie is so overe the top, so bad, so poorly acted, that it just made me laugh outloud. Enjoy it's badness!

Blessed Is the Man

Are You Most or Some?

Let's stop being afraid of those blank canvases that stare us down and scare the hell out of us.......and let's create.

A Mary Poppins Re-do

Can You Believe This??? Oh My...

1)  What do the 6th – 8th grade guys who attend there think of the name of their school? Do ANY of them think it’s funny, or are they all in horror?
2)  Has anyone ever seriously considered changing the name?
3)  Are there any remaining school board members from when the school’s name was originally approved? If so, they should be kicked off, immediately.
4)  Is anyone else seriously tempted to order a t-shirt or sweatshirt?

Do Your Teens Have Potty Mouths on Facebook and MySpace?

Facebook (and its wild cousin, MySpace) can be such a great way to connect with kids. Its easy, they love it...what could be better? Well, consider this. You are perusing along, checking out your kids' sites. Oh, what a fun picture of some of the girls in the youth group. And there, under a funny joke of the day, is a very sweet testimony of what God has been teaching one of the guys from the group. A quick click and there is another youth kid with a cute...oh, wait..."yikes!"

So what do you do? What do you do when you find your very sweet youth kids swearing online, lying, and sharing pictures of all sorts of things you'd rather not see? Do you put on your police hat and call their parents? Do you quick sign them up for rehab? Or do you quick turn off the computer and hope no one saw you looking?

If you have used Facebook or MySpace to connect with your kids, you have undoubtedly run into the dilemma. What used to be hidden from parents and parent-like adults is now hanging out there for all the world to see. Unfortunately, you as a youth worker may be the only adult looking. So what do you do when you find something on a youth kid's site that represents some cruddy choices?

To begin with, there are a few things you should probably keep in mind. First, even though we all know these social networking sites are very public, they don't feel very public to our kids. In fact, they feel very private. While it may be accurate to say "well of course I showed your parents because, after all, the site is a public space", I'm not sure this really takes into account your student's perspective. Approaching online postings with the same type of sensitivity you would if you found a student's personal diary will ensure you aren't sacrificing a relationship to make a point about public space. Second, remember, if you decide to be a policeman, you may end up being a lonely law enforcement officer. Yes, parents may love you, but catching and reporting offenses won't do a lot to help you connect with the real issues kids are dealing with. And if that wasn't enough, you could spend your entire ministry time just patroling your kids' sites. Lying is part of the MySpace/Facebook culture and there's plenty of it out there. It could keep you quite busy--for a while that is. A few run-ins and it won't take long for kids to start blocking you from their sites.

So maybe we should just turn off the computer and hope it will go away? Well, maybe not. Chances are pretty good that your kids know you are out there looking. Sometimes they may actually put things on their sites because they hope you will see it. In fact, you may be one of the only people in their lives who is willing to talk to them about what is important to them.

So, what to do. The first thing I would suggest is think through your response. There are a lot of implications to what you do, so think and pray through it. Second, keep it measured. As one dad who has dealt with a lot of tough things with his kids told me, "you can't freak out about the little stuff if you want them to come to you about the big stuff" . Pick and choose which things are important. Third, don't confront someone online. Online text can come across pretty stark and harsh. Take the opportunity to talk with the student face to face. Fourth, use the problem as an opportunity to open a conversation with your student. Ask questions instead of demand answers. Tell your student what you saw and ask what is going on in their lives. A great opening to an excellent conversation may be awaiting a Facebook "yikes!" Finally, if your student is listed as one of your friends and links to your Facebook or MySpace page, you need to let them know, after an open conversation, that if their site doesn't change, you can no longer have them as your Facebook friend. You will still be their friend in real life, but because you are using your site to bring other kids closer to Christ, you just can't have those kinds of links to your site. It's amazing how important those connections are to the kids you work with and how quickly you will see change. It just may be the first time your kids are challenged to think through how connected their online and real-life personas really are.

As frustrating as it is to come across kids' crud online, it is all part of the deal. The cool thing is that these Facebook "Yikes!" may just provide the real-life relational openings you have been looking for.

What We Do In Secret

This morning one of my readings was Matthew 6. Three times these words caught my attention:

Teresa's Bookmark

Words found inserted into the prayer book that Teresa of Avila was reading at the time of her death. It's known as "Teresa's Bookmark".

Apologizing Well

Apologizing has become somewhat of a lost art, don't you think? And to a large degree it's understandable because no one likes to admit failure - it's humiliating and when done well, there's no room for pride to stick around. Which is why it's so hard to do! Yet.....you know this as well as I do...apologizing well is one of the most powerful gestures we could ever show another human being.

8 Reasons to God to Mass

The great Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, when conducting a retreat for teenagers, once gave a talk on the meaning of the Mass. He said, "If you don't get anything out of Mass, it's because you don't bring the right expectations to it." The Mass is not entertainment, he said. It is worship of the God who made us and saves us. It is an opportunity to praise God and thank Him for all that He has done for us.

If we have a correct understanding of Mass, Bishop Sheen said, it will become more meaningful for us. We will want to go to Mass. We will understand why the Mass is God's precious gift to us, and we wouldn't think of refusing that gift. Here are eight reasons to go to Mass:

1. The Command of God.

The Third of the Ten Commandments given to Moses by God is, "Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day" (Exodus 20:8).

2. The Command of Christ.

Why should we keep the Sabbath holy by going to Mass? The Mass was instituted at the Last Supper by Jesus before his Crucifixion. The Last Supper was the first Mass.

When the hour came, he [Jesus] took his place at the table with the apostles . . . Then he took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which will be given for you. Do this in memory of me" (Luke 22:14,19).

When we celebrate the Mass, we repeat the Last Supper, as Jesus commanded us to do. In doing this, we remember and re-present his great act of love for us on the Cross — taking our sins upon himself so that we, if we follow his commandments, can live with him forever in heaven.

3. The Command of the Church.

The Church teaches that we must fulfill the command of Jesus ("Do this in memory of me") by attending Sunday Mass (or the Vigil Mass the night before). The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994, pp. 493-94) explains that Mass attendance on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation is the first of the six Commandments of the Church. These Commandments of the Church also require receiving Communion at least once a year during the Easter season, confessing any mortal sin as a preparation for Communion, and observing the prescribed days of fasting and abstinence. These Commandments spell out the minimal responsibilities of a Catholic. To fail to fulfill them through our own fault, the Church teaches, is a serious sin.

4. The Church speaks with the authority of Jesus.

Why should we obey these teachings of the Church? Where does the Church get its authority? From Jesus. In Matthew 16:18-19, Jesus made Peter the head of his Church — the first Pope. He gave Peter and the Church "the keys to the kingdom of heaven":

I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

The Church's authority in faith and morals is absolute because Christ's authority is absolute.

5. What we do at Mass.

The Mass is first of all a sacrifice — the perfect sacrifice, created by Jesus. Through the priest we offer Jesus, Body and Blood, to the Father, just as Jesus offered Himself to the Father on the Cross. In an unbloody way, we repeat — make present — Christ's death and Resurrection. Through this memorial of Jesus, we offer God our praise, sorrow for our sins, and deepest thanks.

The Mass is also a meal. At the Consecration, the bread and wine, through the power of the Holy Spirit, become the Body and Blood of Christ. Not a mere symbol, but Jesus's real flesh and real blood, under the appearance of bread and wine. When we receive Holy Communion, we receive Jesus Himself. He is real food for our soul. He said this very plainly: I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. (John 6:55-56).

What are the benefits of Holy Communion? It strengthens our union with Jesus; He lives within us in a special way. It cleanses us from venial sins. (Mortal sins require forgiveness in Confession.) It gives us grace to avoid sin in the future. It increases our love of God and neighbor.

6. Why do we have to worship with other people?

God made us social beings. He wants us to come together in community to worship Him. Jesus said, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I" (Matthew 18:20).

7. What are the consequences for others if we stop going to Mass?

James Stenson points out:

Our ancestors risked persecution, even death, to be able to take part in Mass. When you have children someday, they will need the graces and strength that come from the Mass. If you fail to pass it on because of your own indifference, you will do the gravest injustice to them and to God. You have the power to snuff out, in one generation, the faith that has sustained your family for generations. This is an enormous responsibility. You will have to answer to God for it.

8. The benefits of Mass.

If we give God a chance, He will help us experience the tremendous benefits of the Mass and the Eucharist. James Stenson writes:

Be patient. Bring an attitude of prayer and thanksgiving to Mass, and you will reap great spiritual riches: consolation, confidence, peace, deep happiness, and spiritual strength for the challenges of life.

Mother Teresa once wrote: "Jesus is my God/ Jesus is my Spouse/ Jesus is my Life/ Jesus is my Everything. Because of this, I am never afraid." Mother Teresa went to Mass every day. If we love the Mass as she did, we, too, will live in Jesus and he in us, and will we never be afraid.

Love Your Enemies

One of the hardest things to do in life is to love your enemies. This little video I found just slayed me. Watch!

Here are the Top 10 WORST ICE BREAKERS QUESTIONS EVER:

10) Share the worst sin you’ve ever committed.

09) If you were God, who would you punish first?

08) Which person in this group do you think needs to find Jesus the most?

07) What parishioners do you wish would find a different church, and why?

06) If you could erase any verse out of the Bible, which one would it be?

05) Share the juiciest piece of gossip you know so we can pray about it.

04) If you could have anything from your neighbor’s house, what would it be?

03) What’s your favorite of The 10 Commandments to break?

02) If you could change anything about your spouse, what would it be?

01) If you could commit any sin and get away with it, what would it be?

The Gay Kid and Me

Today one of my kids told me that he is gay. My response? I gave him a hug... I was so overwhelmed that he would let me so deep into his life - that he entrusted me with his biggest secret... that he trusted me...

After a few moments of awkward silence and some tears - from both of us - he said, "I thought Catholics hated gays."

I said, "That's funny, I thought Christians were supposed to love. I thought that was our first commandment."

He said, "Well, I thought God hated gays."

And I said, "That's really funny, because I thought God was love."

And then he asked me the big one. He said, "Do you think I will go to hell for being a gay?"

I opened up my mouth and this is what came out, "No, of course you won't go to hell for being gay." And I thought to myself, "Oh my God, I'm turning into a liberal! What am I going to tell this kid now?"

Then I said to him, "No, you won't go to hell for being gay, any more than I would go to hell for being a liar or a hypocrite. Nobody goes to hell because of what they do. We go to hell because we reject the grace that God so longs to give to us, regardless of what we do."

I hope my words comforted him. I hope Jesus liked my words.

Somedays it is hard to a Youth Minister.

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Some Thoughts From a Traveler on the Road of Life

This is So Bad...