A Life Night on Faithful Citizenship

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "A Life Night on Faithful Citizenship"

Kory Gregory
5 years ago
Views:

1 - Life Night - Pray the Vote SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT 21 S

2 Pray the Vote LIFE NIGHT OUTLINE Goal The goal for this night is to inform teens on the need for involvement in public life. This night will give teens practical ways to integrate their faith into public life and making decisions on important issues. About the Night As the elections get closer, it is important that teens know they have a role in public life starting now, not just when they reach voting age. This night begins with a mock debate and election of a teen representative to the Core. Two teens will debate why they would make the best representative. The rest of the group will have an opportunity to cast their votes and decide. The teaching focuses on the need to be involved in public life as well as looks at four central issues that faithful Catholic citizens should be especially involved with: dignity of the human person, dignity of family life, social justice, and solidarity. After the teaching, the teens will break up into small groups to discuss faith and its involvement in public life. The night will close with a time or prayer for those involved in public life and central issues our world is facing today. In a document called Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have called all the faithful to participation in public life. The bishops have also created a useful website to help planning and teaching this specific issue Be sure to utilize these two great tools when planning for this night. A copy of the bishop s document can be downloaded from While this night is geared towards parishes in the United States and the election process there, it can be adapted to address faithful citizenship in other countries as well. Environment The environment for this night will resemble a debate hall. Divide the room in half. On one half of the room have one candidate s campaign signs. The signs can be made out of poster board and makers. The styles of campaign signs should reflect the positions of the candidates. One side should be a more conservative and straightforward while the other side should be more colorful and upbeat and teen friendly. In the front of the room have two podiums and a large ballot box with paper and pens. Each side of the stage should be decorated with the appropriate signs and slogans of the candidates. GATHER 20 Minutes During the gather, two teens will be running for Teen Representative of the youth group. As the teens gather into the room the campaign teams made up of Core members should bombard the teens with information on their candidate trying to get their vote. The teams should reflect the campaign styles of their candidate conservative and straight-laced or loud and unruly. The teams should wear matching t-shirts made with iron-on designs or matching suits. Welcome & Introductions (5 min) The youth minister gathers the group together and welcomes everyone to the Life Night. He/she introduces any teens at Life Night for the first time. Candidate Debate (10 min) The youth minister should explain that the Core decided to elect a teen representative to be an advocate for giving the group a voice in decisions made in the youth ministry program. The Core picked the two candidates and it is up to the rest of the group to vote in the best person for position. The youth minister should introduce the two candidates and bring them up. One of the candidates should be dressed in normal clothes while the other more professional. Each candidate should have five minutes to debate why he/she should be the teen representative. Have one focus on how he/she is obviously more with the teens and can help plan more social nights and other superficial things. The other teen should focus on how he/she can help the teens grow spiritually in ways that would actually be helpful. If one teen is older than the other, the older teen can use that to his/her advantage as well. Casting the Votes (5 min) Once the candidates have made their arguments, give the teens an opportunity to vote. Have the Core pass out a slip of paper to each teen and have the teens come forward to write the name of the candidate they wish to elect on the slip of paper and place it in the ballot box. Have a Core member count the votes and reveal the winner at the end of the night. HT SPOTLIGHT 22 SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIG

3 CATECHISM REFERENCES: CCC CCC SCRIPTURES: Matthew 6:24-34 Matthew 25:31-46 Philippians 2:6-11 James 2: Proclaim 15 Minutes Start the teaching by asking a few teens what were some of the arguments, issues, or promises that stood out to make them vote or not vote for a particular candidate. Below is a basic teaching outline for the night. Be sure that the person giving the teaching is well prepared and can help the teens understand the importance of faithful citizenship, rather than just his or her political opinions. A. A Call to Public Life If you ve turned on the news lately, you ve probably noticed all the election coverage. This candidate was here. That candidate said this about the other one. You probably can t watch more than 20 minutes of TV without seeing an advertisement trying to get you to vote one way or the other. You re probably sick of hearing conversation after conversation about who the best candidate is and why. For many of us, we are pretty apathetic about the elections and what s going on. We adopt the attitude that when I can vote or when I am an adult, then I ll care about what s going on in the political world. To be a good citizen means to be an active, contributing member in a community that promotes the common good for all. As Catholic-Christians we are not only called to be citizens, but faithful citizens. We are called to be involved in public life. Faith has a role to play in public life. It should never be separated. Faith should inform and be our guide when we are looking at and deciding on issues and candidates. In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation. This obligation is rooted in our baptismal commitment to follow Jesus Christ and to bear Christian witness in all we do. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us, It is necessary that all participate, each according to his position and role, in promoting the common good. This obligation is inherent in the dignity of the human person... as far as possible citizens should take an active part in public life ( ). Unfortunately, politics in our country often can be a contest of powerful interests, partisan attacks, sound bites, and media hype. The Church calls for a different kind of political engagement: one shaped by the moral convictions of well-formed consciences and focused on the dignity of every human being, the pursuit of the common good, and the protection of the weak and the vulnerable. The Catholic call to faithful citizenship affirms the importance of political participation and insists that public service is a worthy vocation. As Catholics, we should be guided more by our moral convictions than by our attachment to a political party or interest group. When necessary, our participation should help transform the party to which we belong; we should not let the party transform us in such a way that we neglect or deny fundamental moral truths. We are called to bring together our principles and our political choices, our values and our votes, to help build a better world (Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility, USCCB paragraph 14). Jesus did not keep his ministry separate or quiet. His mission, given to him by the Father, was done in public. He brought it to the public officials and challenged their beliefs and laws. We are called to do the same. Our faith should not just be reserved for Sunday. We must live it out everyday and in all aspects of life most especially in public life. We have a responsibility to bring our faith into our citizenship and promote laws and people that uphold truth and dignity of all human life. B. Important Issues The USCCB has outlined important issues that we as citizens should be aware of and knowledgeable about in a document called Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility. These four specific areas that the bishops have asked us to pay special attention to: -- Defense and Dignity of all human life -- Dignity of the Family -- Social Justice -- Solidarity SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT 23 S

4 Pray the Vote LIFE NIGHT OUTLINE 1. Defense and Dignity of all human life a. As faithful citizens, we must promote and fight for laws and candidates that will protect all human life from conception to natural death. We believe that all human persons are good because each is made in God s image and likeness who is perfect goodness and love. Because our dignity is rooted in our identity, we must protect even the weakest human lives including the unborn, elderly and terminally ill. Protecting human dignity is the foundation for a moral vision for a society. It is the central issue we must fight for. Some of the laws and policies that directly deal with human dignity include: Abortion, stem-cell research, cloning, death penalty and euthanasia. b. Each of these issues destroys the dignity of a person. These laws allow man to say when life starts and who lives and dies a right only proper to the Creator. We must be involved in learning about these issues and fighting to make them illegal. 2. Dignity of the Family a. Like protecting the dignity of all human life, we care called to be advocates for the protection of families. The family is the heart of center of any society. When the family structures in a society begin to fall apart, the society will begin to fail. A few issues surrounding the family are: Marriage/homosexual Marriage, contraception, education and the role of media 3. Social Justice a. Social justice issues are rooted, like all of these issues, in the dignity of the human person. Laws and policies under social justice should be assessed by whether or not they uphold the dignity of the human person. Some of these issues we need to be involved with are: Just wages/fair pay, discrimination, private property, income tax, social security, affordable and accessible healthcare, immigration and environmental issues. 4. Solidarity a. We are all a part of one human family. As faithful citizens we must promote laws and policies that strive toward peace and justice for all human life even outside our own country. Some issues surrounding global solidarity are: alleviating global poverty, religious freedom, just wars and promoting peace. c. No Perfect Candidate 1. More likely than not we will never have perfect candidate to support. In such a case, what should we do? a. Pray: We must first turn to prayer and ask for God s wisdom and guidance. We must also pray for a faithful, Catholic person to rise up. We must also pray for the current candidates and a change of heart and beliefs. b. Take a closer look. When there is no obvious choice, we must take a closer look at the candidates beliefs. Do they support the dignity of all human life especially the unborn? Do they promote the protection of the family? Are they seeking to promote peace? Are they working to alleviate poverty? Finding out where they stand on these issues will help make an informed decision. c. Never Too Young to Get Involved! 1. Some of you are excited about getting involved in public life and the community. Some of you may not be interested in politics or government. Some of you may be overwhelmed with the call to be involved in public life. You might feel ill-equipped to understand the issues at hand. Don t be discouraged. 2. Here are a few ways to get involved and educated: a. Read: Read up on what the Church teaches on the popular issues like abortion, war and immigration. b. Ask: Ask your parents and teachers to explain an issue when you don t understand them c. Do your homework: Read on your own about what each candidate believes and is working toward. The Internet is a great tool for this if you can find an unbiased website. d. Vote: For those of you who are 18 and over, it is your civil and Christian responsibility to vote. This the most important way we can be involved in public life. e. Pray: Pray for all elected officials that have the power to make laws. Pray that laws passed would always uphold the dignity of the human person. 3. You must remember that your voice matters even as teenagers. It is your responsibility now, and as you grow into adulthood, to be a faithful citizen and get involved in public life. HT SPOTLIGHT 24 SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIG

5 BREAK - 25 minutes Small Group Discussion (25 min) Divide the teens up into small groups. If possible, have no more than six teens per Core member. Discuss the following questions. Do you believe that faith and politics can co-exist? Why or why not? What are some ways that you can be stay informed on today s political issues? How does your own faith influence your perspectives about various issues?* Do you feel your voice matters? Why or why not?* How do you think society and politics would change if all Catholics became committed to being faithful citizens?* How can you be involved in public life even now as a teenager? *Question taken from Optional Large Group Q&A Invite someone from the community that serves in a public office who has integrated his or her faith into their office. He or she should share his or her story and why it is important to him or her to integrate faith into public life. At the end, give the teens an opportunity to ask questions. SEND - 17 minutes Gather and Recap (5 min) Gather everyone back together from small groups. Set the room with an environment of prayer by turning down the lights and having soft music playing in the background. If possible, invite the music minister to be a part of the Send. Recap the night by reminding the teens that their faith must play a role in every aspect of their lives especially public life. There is a vital need for faithful, Catholic citizens to elect officials that will fight for the dignity of all human life from conception to natural death, for justice and peace and the poor. As the faithful, it is our job to give those without a voice an opportunity to be heard. Lord, Here Our Prayer (10 min) One way we can all be involved in public life is to pray for those already elected into office. Before the night, pick six teens to help lead the prayer time. Give each teen one part of the prayer to read. Between each prayer the music minister should play the chorus of the song Give Us Clean Hands by Charlie Hall. Below are six sample prayers. They youth minister should open in prayer before the petitions begin. 1. Lord, you are God and you alone do we serve. By our Baptism we are all given a task and mission to glorify you in all we do and say. We pray for all elected officials that they would promote and pass laws that uphold the dignity of all human life from conception to natural death. We pray for their leadership that they would guide and lead our country in a way that would give glory to God. 2. Lord, as your disciples, you have been given us a command to serve the nations. We pray for an uprising of faithful, Catholic leaders in public life that will bring the Good News and truth of Jesus into a culture that tries to separate them. 3. Lord, you alone are the author of life. Only you decide when life starts and ends. We pray for an end to abortion, stem-cell research, cloning, contraception, euthanasia and the death penalty in our country. We pray for all expecting mothers, the unborn and all those who are suffering with terminal illness. 4. Lord, you are the Prince of Peace. We pray for an end to all war and violence and terrorism and discrimination in our world. We pray for a time of peace and rest to all nations suffering the effects of long standing civil wars. 5. Lord, you ate with the poor and sinners of society and have called us to do the same. We pray for the poor and marginalized in country and around the world that do not have a voice. We pray for an end to world hunger and poverty. We pray for nations affected by AIDS and other deadly diseases. SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT 25 S

6 Pray the Vote LIFE NIGHT OUTLINE We pray that our world would become one human family united as God s children. -- We pray to the Lord. 6. Lord, you have called each of us by our Baptism to bring all people we meet to you. You have called us to an active faith. We pray for each person present, that we would answer the call to faithful citizenship. We pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on our lives that He would guide us in serving our country and all your people by becoming involved in public life. -- We pray to the Lord. Closing Prayer (2 min) The youth minister should close in prayer invoking the intercession of St. Thomas More, patron saint of politicians. Close the night with the Hail Mary and Ave Maria. During the announcements, announce the winner of the mock election. HT SPOTLIGHT 26 SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIG

Marriage. Embryonic Stem-Cell Research

Marriage. Embryonic Stem-Cell Research Marriage Embryonic Stem-Cell Research 1 The following excerpts come from the United States Council of Catholic Bishops Faithful Citizenship document http://www.usccb.org/faithfulcitizenship/fcstatement.pdf