Youth Minister's Reflections

3 March 2022: This Sunday we hear the Gospel story of Jesus being tempted by the devil. Jesus gives responses to the devil which we can use when we are tempted in our daily lives. Let us be encouraged this Lent to continually love God and neighbour in hopeful waiting for Easter.

22 February 2022: In this week's Gospel Jesus speaks to us about how to live the life of a disciple. Ultimately, what we bear as fruit in our spiritual lives is determined by where our heart lies. If we rely on Jesus and let our hearts rest in Him then we will bear good fruits.

16 February 2022: This week Jesus calls us to go above and beyond what would be expected of us. We are called to love with the same love that He loves us with. When we love like this we can transform our lives and the lives of those around us.

10 February 2022: This week we take a brief look at all our Sunday readings. From them we can come to the conclusion that God wants us to trust in Him. That when we trust in the Lord we receive blessings. Ultimately our hope and trust should be in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

2 February 2022: In this Sunday's Gospel Jesus calls Simon Peter, James, and John to come and follow Him. He tells them that they will be fishers of people. This call to evangelize and to share Christ with others is also our call today. How can we go out and share Jesus with others in our lives?

28 January 2022: This Sunday we get a reading from St. Paul. Here he writes to the Corinthians about the virtue of love. Paul reminds us that love is what we need to base our lives on. We can have all the talent in the world, but without love we are nothing. Where do we find this love Paul speak about? We find this love in God, Who is love.

19 Jan 2022: This week we look primarily at the second reading. Here St. Paul reminds us that we are all members of the mystical body of Christ, the Church. We all have different talents and roles within the Church that contributes to the whole community.

10 January 2022: This Sunday we have the Gospel reading that depicts the Wedding at Cana. Here we have Mary, the mother of Jesus, ask Him to perform His first miracle. She tells the servants to do whatever He tells them. This is the same thing that Mary tells us. She constantly points us to Christ and tells us to do whatever He tells us. St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians reminds us that we each have gifts from the Holy Spirit to better glorify God in our lives. We're call to use these gifts to build the Kingdom of God on Earth. How do we do this? We do whatever Jesus tells us to do. What is Jesus asking you to do this week to build up the Kingdom of God on Earth?

4 January 2022: This Sunday we hear from the Gospel of Luke about the Baptism of the Lord. This is a good week to remind ourselves of our Baptismal call to mission. Through our baptism we are made sons and daughters of God. As brothers and sisters of Christ we are called to the same mission as Christ.

22 December 2021: This week we look at the readings for Christmas. This is the time we remember Our Lord's birth. In the Gospel of Luke we see the announcement of the angels to the shepherds bringing the good news to them. We are called to be like these angels and bring the good news of the Gospel to everyone in our lives. As the first chapter of the Gospel of John reminds us, the Word of God was made flesh in the Person of Jesus Christ. Come let us adore Him.

13 December 2021: This week we look at the Gospel reading from the 4th Sunday of Advent. Here we see Mary visiting her cousin, Elizabeth. We hear some of the words of the Hail Mary spoken by Elizabeth this Sunday. We'll be looking at the words of the Hail Mary and how they connect to Scripture. We also will look at how Mary is the Ark of the New Covenant.

7 December 2021: This week St. John the Baptist tells his followers ways to change their lives for the better. Many are told to give more of what they have, while others are told not to cheat or manipulate others for their own needs. John tells them this in the context of his baptism. He reminds his listeners that someone greater than him is coming. He is speaking of Jesus. Jesus brings us an even better baptism than John's. We too can listen to John's words and apply them to our lives. How can we give me? Are we taking advantage of other people in our lives? How can we become better versions of ourselves? These are questions we can ask ourselves to prepare our hearts for the Lord this Christmas.

29 November 2021: This Sunday we meet St. John the Baptist. He is going out into the wilderness to proclaim the coming of Jesus. We also hear the names of other leaders in the world. This situates the Gospel in a real time and place. It's great to remember that Jesus came to our world and entered into history for us.

22 November 2021: This Sunday we start a whole new liturgical year in the Church. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus reminds us of the coming of the Son of Man at the end of time. He wants us to be prepared for His coming at the end of time. We can take our time this Advent to work on preparing our hearts for the coming of Jesus. Let's remember to make and keep Jesus at the centre of our lives and King of our hearts.

15 November 2021: This Sunday is the Feast of Christ, King of the Universe. We acknowledge that Christ is King. We celebrate His centrality in our lives this Sunday. This is a great opportunity to take an honest look and ask if Jesus is truly the centre of our lives. So let's take this week to make the commitment to place Jesus at the centre of our lives.

8 November 2021: We're reminded this Sunday that Jesus will return at the end of time. We must prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus. Whether it be the end of our Earthly lives or the end of time itself. We must ask Jesus to help us love others as He loves us. The upcoming season of Advent is a great time for us to prepare our hearts for the Lord.

2 November 2021: This week we are looking at the Gospel. Jesus points us towards a widow with no money. She gives all that she has to God at the temple. Jesus reminds us that we need to be like this widow and give all that we have to God. Jesus reminds us that if we give out of abundance that we aren't making the same sacrifice. How can we invest time or finances with the Church in ways that call us to make a sacrifice of ourselves?

25 October 2021: In this week's Gospel Jesus tells us the two greatest commandments; to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbours as ourselves. We have to love God and love our neighbours. What does this mean? Watch and find out more.

18 October 2021: This week Jesus heals a blind man named Bartimaeus. This healing miracle is prompted by Bartimaeus praying and calling out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" We too can call out to Jesus with these same words. When we do we're asking Jesus to have mercy on us. When we pray this prayer, The Jesus Prayer, throughout the day we get to know Jesus more and He works more throughout our daily lives.

27 September 2021: This week's Gospel Jesus teaches us about God's plan for marriage. His plan for marriage ultimately reflects His plan for us. Marriage between man and woman helps show us, in a little way, how Christ is married to the Church. Christ will never leave His Church.