Holiness
We really thought Abby needed a playmate! At least, God did! By the beginning of the new Millennium, Jan was pregnant! It is a girl!!! Elizabeth was born October second two thousand. I realized later that the name Betty is a nickname for people named Elizabeth. Because Betty Crocker would be a great nickname for Lizzy. She loves to cook and bake. She is a natural in the kitchen. She is very creative in her baking and loves to make family member's birthday cakes. Her creativity doesn't end in the the kitchen but extends to sewing. She has made many dresses and other pieces of clothing for herself and her sisters. Her creativity doesn't end there, but extends to hair and nails. Her sisters love Lizzy's ability to be creative with their hair and nails. Being a senior in high school she is starting to think about college and using that creative design.
Lizzy is a hugger. I probably get a half dozen hugs from her a day. She has always been a person to offer support to others. She is a very kind person. You can sit back and watch her with younger children. They love her and she loves taking care of them. At any large group home school event or American Heritage Girl event or parish event, you will see Lizzy with one or more children in tow. She will make a great mother some day. My wife has often heard another parent say "I wish I had a Lizzy at home." Lizzy is a server. Before or after meetings/events, you will see Lizzy helping setup or cleanup. For me, when I think of holiness in a young person these are the qualities that I am looking for in those youth: a kind loving person and a servant. This is Lizzy.
She is a hard worker and conscientious student. She has been home schooled her entire life. Many home schooled students struggle in high school because the classes are hard and you have to be self motivated to get your class work done. In high school, she has had to do many online classes and she has done exceeding well. She is very observant. At home, we call her "Inventory Control". On any given day, she typically knows what we have and don't have in food. If you are looking for something that you have misplaced, you could ask her if she has seen it. Most of the time she knows where it is.
Here are 4 tips for growing in holiness inspired by St. Thérèse:
1. Just keep trying to become a saint.
“The good God does not demand more from you than good will…Soon, won over by your useless efforts, He will come down Himself and, taking you in His arms, He will carry you up.”
2. Don’t know how to love people? Begin by loving.
“I must seek out…the company of sisters who are the least agreeable to me…I want to be friendly to everybody to give joy to Jesus.”
3. Prayer doesn’t have to be complicated.
“For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.”.
4. Focus on loving God, not on your faults.
"We have merely to love Him, without looking at ourselves, without examining our faults too much.”
In 2000, Holy Angels was assigned a new pastor. Msgr Kobbeman decided it was time to leave after many months of a horrible campaign against him. The new pastor was Msgr Heinz who was a former youth minister. He didn't support the Lifeteen model, so I had to find a different model as our base. I wanted to find one that taught the basics of the faith and encouraged our young people to be holy. I found the model developed by two youth ministers in Wisconsin called The Dead Theologian's Society. Its motto was "Dead to the World and Alive in Christ". Dead Theologians Society is a Catholic apostolate for high school age teens and college age young adults. Through the Saints of yesterday, the Dead Theologians Society inspires the youth of today to become the saints of tomorrow. A special charism of the Dead Theologians Society is to pray for the release of the Souls in Purgatory. Its motto is, “Dead to the World, alive in Christ!” is inspired by Romans 6:11 where St. Paul tells us to be dead to sin but alive in Christ Jesus. The strategy was to study the lives and teaching of the saints. The goal was to incorporate their example into the teen's lives. Tiffany and Matthew Guthrie were the perfect leaders to lead it.
The teens learned the lives of the Saints (who are only dead by the world’s standards and are certainly alive with Jesus in Heaven!), their heroic virtue and listened to their inspirational writings. Through the examples of the Saints, young people were catechized and developed positive role models of holiness. In addition, members made use of prayers, devotions and sacramentals such as, Eucharistic Adoration, the Rosary, the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. After a period of time the teens could be inducted into the Society. The induction included being hooded with a black hoodie that had the monstrance and motto on the right front pocket.
In working in youth ministry for twenty seven years, I met many great young people. When I think of holiness one of the people I think of is Andrew Peters. As a teen, he was full of movement. As he grew up, he became a great servant. I would dare to say a saint. In 2014, at the age of 31, he died of brain cancer. He packed a lot in to a few short years. He attended 3 world youth days in Rome, Germany, and Canada. In Rome, he volunteered and he danced in the opening ceremonies in front of a half million young people and St John Paul II. Oh yeah, he broke my rib! One night we are hanging out in the drop in center. Andrew is playing a video game and losing. You know me. I have to say something! Andrew gets up and comes charging at me like a rhino. He was a beefy big person! He goes to tackle me and puts his shoulder right into my ribs! THUD! He broke them!! Needless to say, I never let him forget it. Years later I would tease him. I would rub my ribs and say "You know I think they still hurt!". He was an active member in the Cursillo movement and was a very proud Knight of Columbus 4th degree. For years, Andrew served me and the teens. Even after I left Holy Angels, Andrew continued to do whatever was needed to be done.
Lizzy is a hugger. I probably get a half dozen hugs from her a day. She has always been a person to offer support to others. She is a very kind person. You can sit back and watch her with younger children. They love her and she loves taking care of them. At any large group home school event or American Heritage Girl event or parish event, you will see Lizzy with one or more children in tow. She will make a great mother some day. My wife has often heard another parent say "I wish I had a Lizzy at home." Lizzy is a server. Before or after meetings/events, you will see Lizzy helping setup or cleanup. For me, when I think of holiness in a young person these are the qualities that I am looking for in those youth: a kind loving person and a servant. This is Lizzy.
She is a hard worker and conscientious student. She has been home schooled her entire life. Many home schooled students struggle in high school because the classes are hard and you have to be self motivated to get your class work done. In high school, she has had to do many online classes and she has done exceeding well. She is very observant. At home, we call her "Inventory Control". On any given day, she typically knows what we have and don't have in food. If you are looking for something that you have misplaced, you could ask her if she has seen it. Most of the time she knows where it is.
Here are 4 tips for growing in holiness inspired by St. Thérèse:
1. Just keep trying to become a saint.
“The good God does not demand more from you than good will…Soon, won over by your useless efforts, He will come down Himself and, taking you in His arms, He will carry you up.”
2. Don’t know how to love people? Begin by loving.
“I must seek out…the company of sisters who are the least agreeable to me…I want to be friendly to everybody to give joy to Jesus.”
3. Prayer doesn’t have to be complicated.
“For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.”.
4. Focus on loving God, not on your faults.
"We have merely to love Him, without looking at ourselves, without examining our faults too much.”
In 2000, Holy Angels was assigned a new pastor. Msgr Kobbeman decided it was time to leave after many months of a horrible campaign against him. The new pastor was Msgr Heinz who was a former youth minister. He didn't support the Lifeteen model, so I had to find a different model as our base. I wanted to find one that taught the basics of the faith and encouraged our young people to be holy. I found the model developed by two youth ministers in Wisconsin called The Dead Theologian's Society. Its motto was "Dead to the World and Alive in Christ". Dead Theologians Society is a Catholic apostolate for high school age teens and college age young adults. Through the Saints of yesterday, the Dead Theologians Society inspires the youth of today to become the saints of tomorrow. A special charism of the Dead Theologians Society is to pray for the release of the Souls in Purgatory. Its motto is, “Dead to the World, alive in Christ!” is inspired by Romans 6:11 where St. Paul tells us to be dead to sin but alive in Christ Jesus. The strategy was to study the lives and teaching of the saints. The goal was to incorporate their example into the teen's lives. Tiffany and Matthew Guthrie were the perfect leaders to lead it.
The teens learned the lives of the Saints (who are only dead by the world’s standards and are certainly alive with Jesus in Heaven!), their heroic virtue and listened to their inspirational writings. Through the examples of the Saints, young people were catechized and developed positive role models of holiness. In addition, members made use of prayers, devotions and sacramentals such as, Eucharistic Adoration, the Rosary, the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. After a period of time the teens could be inducted into the Society. The induction included being hooded with a black hoodie that had the monstrance and motto on the right front pocket.
In working in youth ministry for twenty seven years, I met many great young people. When I think of holiness one of the people I think of is Andrew Peters. As a teen, he was full of movement. As he grew up, he became a great servant. I would dare to say a saint. In 2014, at the age of 31, he died of brain cancer. He packed a lot in to a few short years. He attended 3 world youth days in Rome, Germany, and Canada. In Rome, he volunteered and he danced in the opening ceremonies in front of a half million young people and St John Paul II. Oh yeah, he broke my rib! One night we are hanging out in the drop in center. Andrew is playing a video game and losing. You know me. I have to say something! Andrew gets up and comes charging at me like a rhino. He was a beefy big person! He goes to tackle me and puts his shoulder right into my ribs! THUD! He broke them!! Needless to say, I never let him forget it. Years later I would tease him. I would rub my ribs and say "You know I think they still hurt!". He was an active member in the Cursillo movement and was a very proud Knight of Columbus 4th degree. For years, Andrew served me and the teens. Even after I left Holy Angels, Andrew continued to do whatever was needed to be done.
Comments
Post a Comment