EDIFIED TAKING CARE OF THE MIND

Transcription

1 GOAL EDIFIED TAKING CARE OF THE MIND LIFE NIGHT OVERVIEW The goal of Edified is to encourage teens to build up their minds in order to better know themselves and God. KEY CONCEPTS Our intellect is a gift that helps us come to know creation and, in doing so, learn about our Creator. We have a responsibility to form our conscience, and to foster lives that allow us to hear the voice of God. Interiority, deep focus and positive mental practices can make us more present and aware. ABOUT THIS LIFE NIGHT Edified begins with a trivia-based Gather game. The Proclaim breaks open the many purposes of the human mind, as well as ways to cultivate a strong interior life. For the Break, teens will get the chance to hear testimonies from parishioners about their experience of the gift of the human mind. The Send is an introduction to mental prayer through an Ignatian reflection on the healing of Bartimaeus. ENVIRONMENT Create a large brain with a web of neurons using glowin-the-dark string, grey poster board, and tacks. Cut the shape of a brain out of the poster board. Draw a maze like structure within the brain. Place tacks on the edges of the brain. Tie string to a tack on one side of the brain, connect and tie to a tack on the opposite side of the brain. Place in front of the main meeting space. Have teens enter with the lights off for full effect. MEDIA SUGGESTIONS KEY TERMS: Conscience Reason SCRIPTURE: Ecclesiastes 10:10 John 14:6 Romans 12:2 Colossians 3:2 CATECHISM: ilker yoldas: 3D Brain Visualization - How does the mind work? (youtube.com) TV Trivia: Disney Song Trivia 6 (youtube.com) SOCIAL MEDIA HASHTAGS: #LT_Edified AS YOU GET STARTED... For a more active Gather, make the game a relay race between teams. Not only do they have to get the right answer, they have to be the first to run to the front of the room with that correct answer. For a Gather for a small church, have the teens play in teams of two. 42 MORE THAN FLESH & BONES 43

2 To use screens and technology in the Break, instead of inviting parish members to the Life Night, film them giving their testimony in advance and show the video during the Break. LIFE NIGHT: EDIFIED HISPANIC INCULTURATION By Monica Harness Grandparents play an important role in Hispanic culture. They are the elders of the family and are respected for the wisdom that they offer. Often times, there are three generations that live in one household. Grandparents directly help in raising their grandchildren. Remind the teens how much they have learned from their grandparents and invite the teens to be intentional about sharing stories with their grandparents, and listening to their stories. Let them know that everything they are taught by both, their parents and grandparents, help in forming their conscience and who they grow up to be. Notes: GATHER Welcome and Opening Prayer (5 min) Begin the Life Night by gathering teens into the meeting space, welcoming them, and opening in prayer. Invite up any teens that are at the Life Night for the first time. If there are no new teens, randomly select two to three returning teens. Ask them to introduce themselves by saying their name and one fun fact about themselves. Have the group welcome them with snaps or claps. Trivia (20 min) Split the teens into teams of five to eight. Give each team a whiteboard and dry erase marker, or a pen and pad of paper. Instruct each team to come up with a name for themselves and write it down to keep track of their scores. Tell them they ll have 20 seconds to write their answer on their whiteboard or paper, then they must hold their answer up to be checked. Each correct answer is one point. Use the Trivia List found on the January 2018 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com under Life Support: January Keep the game moving quickly and have a Core Member or two check for correct answers in order to tally scores. The team with the most correct answers gets a small prize, like Smarties candy. PROCLAIM Edified Teaching (15 min) The Proclaim Outline and Proclaim Details can be found on pages 48 to MORE THAN FLESH & BONES 45

3 BREAK The Beauty of the Mind (20 min) Prior to the Life Night, find parishioners who have interesting personal stories on the themes covered in the Life Night (academics, medicine, science, philosophy, faith and reason, etc.) and ask them to give a testimony on how their area of expertise has led them closer to God. Consider the following professions: Theology teachers. They can share how they continue to discover Church teaching, what they do when they don t understand something, or difficult questions they ve been asked. Doctors, nurses, EMTs, or other medical professionals. They can talk about how they see the work of the Creator in the human body. Parishioners involved in researching or teaching natural sciences: geology, biology, ecology, etc. They can discuss the gift of creation and how they see the Creator in it, how they ve grappled with questions that make faith difficult, and why they think it s important to study natural sciences. College students who have to defend their faith in the classroom, or who are learning how academic pursuits help them get to know God. They can explain why knowledge and education are necessary, and why it s good to engage in school for God s glory. Priests or religious who know the importance of interiority, reflection, and self-examination. They can discuss their own prayer practices and why it s important to examine your conscience. Have two to five parishioners share a short, personal, engaging testimony about two to three minutes in length. They should include their name, current occupation, and a small explanation of their view of the human mind in light of the Creator. If needed, share with them the details of the Proclaim so they are able to unite the teaching with their own story. Have them stay to the end of the Life Night so teens can ask questions. SEND Ignatian Reflection on Bartimaeus (15 min) Allow the teens to spread out and find a comfortable place to sit. Encourage a prayerful atmosphere by dimming the lights and playing soft music that doesn t have lyrics. As you read the reflection, allow adequate time between questions for teens to pray. These long pauses are times for teens to compose the scene and dive into the reflection. Use the Ignatian Reflection on Bartimaeus Leader Guide, found on the January 2018 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com under Life Support: January 2018, to guide the teens through this prayer. Notes: 46 MORE THAN FLESH & BONES 47

4 EDIFIED PROCLAIM OUTLINE All of the knowledge we gain from our classes and studies point us back to the origin of life itself: our Creator, God. We desire to know more about the finite world so that we can, ultimately, learn infinite truths. KEY TERMS Conscience: The interior voice of the human being, within whose heart the inner law of God is inscribed. Reason: Our intellect, ability to think, understand, process, and form judgments. TEACHING POINTS KNOW-IT-ALL Tell a funny story about a time when your lack of knowledge created a problem. While we use our mind to solve problems and learn more, the most important thing we can do with our minds is get to know God. REASONS WE CAN REASON Reason gives us the ability to learn what is true and what is false, search for factual answers, create theories about the world, and try to verify them. Most of all, though, we can recognize the voice of God and choose to live according to God s Word. Our conscience is also an important tool we have in distinguishing right from wrong, so it s important that we form our conscience. Project and read CCC We have a duty to seek out ways to edify our conscience so that we can make decisions. Scripture, guidance from the Church and others, and our formal education can reveal truth and train us to think critically. FAITH AND REASON Project this quote: Faith asks that its object be understood with the help of reason; and at the summit of its searching, reason acknowledges that it cannot do without what faith presents. St. John Paul II, Fides et Ratio We don t have to decide between faith OR reason; they are compatible. INTERIORITY Self-examination and interiority are reflective tools meant to help us listen more closely to our conscience and become present to the world around us. Processing your day through journaling can help you reflect on your life. Most people in our culture don t need to practice multitasking; we need to practice focusing. (Stop talking. Let the silence settle for about 30 seconds.) How many of you became uncomfortable with that silence? Technology often steals our focus. Reading books, creating art or music, or just going through your day with less screen time can give your brain a break from the constant, flashy changes. Practicing intentional focus can transform the way we think. RENEWAL OF THE MIND Project and read Romans 12:2. Taking a moment to calm your mind in times of stress, shame, or worry can give you clarity and renewal. 48 MORE THAN FLESH & BONES 49

5 If difficulties like depression, anxiety, or eating disorders are hurting you, know that those are not your fault. It is a great idea to bring them to light in order to find healing. If serious, consider seeing a professional counselor. BACK TO GOD Because God created us, every aspect of our being is meant to lead us back to Him. Whether that s through the edification of our conscience, the renewal of our mental health, or the pursuit of knowledge, we are all called to engage our minds and grow closer in relationship with God. Notes: 50 MORE THAN FLESH & BONES 51

6 TEACHING KNOW-IT-ALL EDIFIED PROCLAIM DETAILS Some of us may know more than others, but let s be honest, nobody knows everything. There is always more to learn. Tell a funny story about a time when your lack of knowledge created a problem. Maybe you forgot the directions on a road trip and wound up somewhere unknown, or were asked a question you didn t know the answer to; any story that is engaging and elaborates on the idea of not knowing everything. Sometimes we have a lot more learning to do, but our mind is not just for solving our problems, like (mention the story just told). The most important thing we can do with our mind is get to know God. Thanks to intellect, we can learn what is true and what is false. Unlike other creatures, we can ask questions, choose between two goods, and search for factual answers. We can create theories about the world and try to verify them. Most of all, though, we can recognize the voice of God, learn what is good and what is evil, and choose to live according to God s Word. Only humans are capable of this, and it gives us a special place amongst all of creation. CCC , Colossians 3:2 These abilities are most fully and perfectly utilized when they are put to the purpose for which God intended them. When this happens, we become the best version of ourselves. Our Father gives us gifts, like any good father would; in gratitude for those gifts, we should try to use them as they were created to be used. CCC , Ecclesiastes 10:10 REASONS WE CAN REASON God gave us our minds so that we can listen to our conscience and build it up. Some people call their conscience the little voice inside their head. When we were kids, that little voice spoke clearly about right and wrong, and our conscience didn t have to work very hard: don t hit your brother, be nice to your classmates, don t lie to your parents. As we get older, however, our choices become more complex, and having a well-formed conscience becomes more important. God gave us the power of our intellect so that we can figure out what is good and true. The Catechism says: CCC 1777 Project and read the phrase: Conscience is a judgment of reason whereby the human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act that he is going to perform, is in the process of performing, or has already completed. CCC 1778 The Catechism s definition can be a little complicated, so let s break it down. Essentially, your conscience uses your ability to reason to take in facts from the world, to think through information you ve seen or read or heard. With that understanding, you look at a past, present, or future action, and you can understand the morality of that action, whether it is good or evil. CCC 1778, Isaiah 30:21 This is an awesome gift because it helps us know what is the best path to take in order to properly love God and neighbor. We have a duty to seek out ways to edify our conscience so that we can make those complicated decisions. The most important method of forming our conscience is through reading Scripture. Our conscience can be formed by seeking the wisdom of those in authority and learning Church teaching. Even participating fully in school isn t just about getting good grades and learning to do calculus. Our classes help strengthen our mind, giving us the ability to think critically and work through problems. Reading a challenging book, writing a historical 52 MORE THAN FLESH & BONES 53

7 essay, working through a geometry problem these are all ways of practicing critical thinking, which is necessary for making moral decisions. CCC Learning also helps you come to know God. That might sound crazy, especially if you aren t taking a theology or religion class, but it s true. Those core classes - math, history, science, language and literature - are all intended to help you know the world around you. You explore creation. You dive into human nature and the order of the world. All of this knowledge points us back to the origin of life itself: our Creator, God. CCC FAITH AND REASON Saint John Paul II, in an encyclical called Fides et Ratio or Faith and Reason, affirms that our desire for knowledge about the world points to the desire to discover the ultimate truth of existence. Project this quote: Faith asks that its object be understood with the help of reason; and at the summit of its searching, reason acknowledges that it cannot do without what faith presents. St. John Paul II, Fides et Ratio The beauty of our faith is that it s not either/or; it s both/and. We don t have to decide between faith OR reason. They are compatible. Read the above quote. We seek out knowledge to confirm what we believe in faith, and we recognize that knowledge has its limits when learning about an infinite and mysterious God. CCC 40, 42; John 14:6 INTERIORITY Interiority is a quality that allows us to reflect on our actions, thoughts, and feelings. It means looking at the things you ve done or haven t done, and understanding the causes and effects of those decisions. CCC 1779, Romans 12:2 There are some steps you can take to lead a more present and reflective life. Start a habit of processing your day. Keeping a journal to document your prayer, feelings, and experiences can help you keep track of what s happening, and give you a chance to better understand your actions and reactions. Most people in our culture don t need to practice multitasking; we need to practice focusing. At this moment, stop talking. Let the silence settle for about 30 seconds. How many of you became uncomfortable with that silence? With all the constantly-changing, flashy, and colorful things happening in our day and age, it s important that we train our brains to become comfortable with intense focus and times of silence, rather than shallowly engaging with the world through an excess of noise and stimulation. Reading books, creating art or music, or just going through your day with less screen time can give your brain a break from the constant, flashy changes. Practicing intentional focus can transform the way we think. RENEWAL OF THE MIND Project and Read Romans 12:2. A lot of people struggle with negative or spiraling thoughts. Taking a moment to calm your mind in times of stress, shame, or worry can give you clarity and renewal. If you start to get worked up or nervous about something, close your eyes and breathe deeply, then pinpoint what s actually bothering you. Likewise, if you find that you often criticize yourself or get caught up in small mistakes, try replacing that negative selftalk with positive phrases. Repeat to yourself that you are loved, good, and valuable. It s also important to know that, like our bodies, our minds sometimes need the care of a professional. You are worth that help. Stress, worry, loneliness, and feelings of unworthiness can happen to anyone, but if any of these feelings last for an 54 MORE THAN FLESH & BONES 55

8 unusual amount of time, or start to interfere with your day-today activities, bring them up to a trusted adult. God created us to live full and free lives, and if difficulties like depression, anxiety, or eating disorders are hurting you, know that they are not your fault. It is a great idea to bring them to light in order to find healing. BACK TO GOD Because God created us, every aspect of our being is meant to lead us back to Him. Whether that s through the edification of our conscience, the renewal of our mental health, or the pursuit of knowledge, we are all called to engage our minds and grow closer in relationship with God. Notes: EDIFIED: Taking Care of the Mind CORE TEAM OVERVIEW GOAL: The goal of Edified is to encourage teens to build up their minds in order to better know themselves and God. GATHER (25 MIN): Welcome and Opening Prayer: Trivia: PROCLAIM (15 MIN): Edified Teaching : BREAK (20 MIN): The Beauty of the Mind : SEND (15 MIN): Ignatian Reflection on Bartimaeus : Notes: 56 MORE THAN FLESH & BONES 57