Open Wide the Doors of Faith to Do Good on Earth

Transcription

1 Pray and give generously World Mission Sunday The Society for the Propagation of the Faith a Pontifical Mission Society 2013 Open Wide the Doors of Faith to Do Good on Earth Prepare Your Doorway Overview This minute catechetical session prepares young people for the celebration of World Mission Sunday (October 20, 2013) by using the metaphor of a door as a gateway to faith. It encourages young people to see themselves as a living doorway of faith in the world. The session helps prepare young people to offer their own witness of faith in order to answer Christ s call to be His disciples His missionaries in our world. Session at a Glance A. Welcome and Warm Up: Knock! Knock! Jokes (5 minutes) B. Opening Prayer C. What s On Your Door? (20-25 minutes) D. Giving Witness (20-25 minutes) E. Closing Prayer: Opening the Door to Lectio Divina (15-20 minutes) Materials Needed n Two sheets of blank paper per person n Pens and markers n Bible n Copy of Resource 1: Knock! Knock Jokes - cut up into individual slips, one per person n Copy of Resource 2: Opening the Door to Lectio Divina one per person A. Welcome and Warm Up: Knock! Knock! Jokes (5 minutes) Welcome everyone to the session and distribute the Knock! Knock! jokes and the slips you prepared from Resource 1. Invite the students to take turns telling the jokes to the group. See if anyone has a Knock! Knock! joke to add.

2 Ask if anyone remembers Jesus mentioning knocking on doors? In Matthew 7:7, Jesus says: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you. Explain that today s session will focus on how doors and doorways lead us from one place to another. Connect this to the fact that World Mission Sunday is being celebrated on October 20, 2013 the Church s universal celebration of the call to each of us who are baptized to help open the doors of faith to others and to do good on earth (the theme of World Mission Sunday this year). Today we begin exploring what that means for us and how God invites us to be doorways of faith for our neighbor next door and half a world away. B. Opening Prayer (from Catholic Household Blessings & Prayers,. USCCB, 2007). Let us begin our session (+) in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lord God, Set our hearts ablaze with a desire to live our faith fully and share it freely with others. May we be eager to share our faith and transform our nation and, with missionary dedication, the whole world. We pray that the fire of Jesus enkindled in us by God s Spirit may lead more and more people in our land to become disciples formed in the image of Christ our Savior. We make this prayer (+) in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. C. What s On Your Door? (20 minutes) 1. Share some of the humorous signs listed below that have been seen on the doors of various businesses. (Note: you may print these out as actual signs and display them after you state the type of business where the sign was found): n A pizza shop door: 7 Days without Pizza Makes One Weak. n A tire store door: Invite Us to Your Next Blowout. n An optometrist office door: If You Don t See What You Are Looking for, You ve Come to the Right Place! n A podiatrists office: Time Wounds All Heels. n A muffler shop door: No Appointment Necessary. We Hear You Coming. n A veterinarian door: Be Back in 5 Minutes Sit! Stay! n A maternity room door: Push! Push! Push! 2. Distribute a blank sheet of paper and a marker to each person with the following instructions: Leader: As these examples indicate, signs on doors help those using the door know what s inside or where the door will lead them. All of us are actually living doors, with the potential to lead others somewhere if they enter our lives. Let s look at a couple of living doorways and the signs that might be displayed on them. n Ask the students to think about who they are - their personality, gifts and interests. What sign would they display on the living doorway that frames their personality? What message do you give to those who meet you? Examples include: Under Construction, Open 24/7, Visit me Online at, Out to Lunch, No Trespassing, Out Running: Back after 10 miles, etc.

3 n Invite the students to create their personality sign and be prepared to share it and the meaning behind it with the group. Note: The leader should do this and begin the sharing to show how it is done. n After all have shared, invite them to turn their paper over and consider a second doorway they each possess their own relationship with God. Ask them to come up with a sign for the door that opens up to their life of faith. What would it say to others? What information would it offer to those who see the living doorway that is their relationship with God and the Church and their call to be missionaries? n Give them a few moments to create their sign of faith. If needed, offer some examples, such as: Faith at Work, Heading toward Heaven, At Your Service, Looking for Answers, Confirmation in Process, etc.. Or they can draw an illustration as their door sign, but should be prepared to describe what it means to them. n When done, invite the group to display their signs one at a time and describe why they created the sign they did and what it tells others about who they are as a person of faith and, in light of the coming celebration of World Mission Sunday, who they are as a missionary by their Baptism. 3. Leader Comments: Doors mark a passageway or transition from one experience to another. This passage can be exciting, horrifying or anxiety-producing depending upon what is on the other side. We encounter numerous doors in our lives. We pass through some doors eagerly (think favorite restaurant or movie theater) and approach others with caution (think principal s or dentist s office). Yet many times a day, we pass through doorways that lead us to new experiences and opportunities. Jesus and His followers knew this very well and the image of a door is often used to help indicate an entry point to faith: n Knock and the door will be opened for you. (Matthew 7:7a) n Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. (Luke 13:24) n They called the church together and related all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith for the Gentiles. (Acts: 14:27) n Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking: if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. (Revelation 3:20) As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are invited to be doorways to the Good News of our faith. But to do that, we must be ready to share with others what we believe, why we believe it and what difference it makes to us. We often refer to this as giving witness, and it serves as one of the most powerful ways to share our faith with others. Giving witness does not mean overwhelming others with all that we know about our faith. And it does not mean using faith to pass judgment on others. Nor should we water down our faith to be something that it isn t. Rather, giving witness is a sharing from one s heart what we hold onto deeply and what helps guide and sustain us through good times and bad. Most of us need some practice giving witness to our faith.

4 D. Giving Witness (20 minutes) 1. Post or write the following sentences so everyone can see them. Give everyone a blank sheet of paper and ask them to take five minutes to complete the unfinished sentences. Let them know their responses should be short and from the heart (as in a news sound bite ). They should be able to share their thoughts without reading from their paper. n I first encountered Jesus Christ when I n My faith is important to me because n I try to live my Catholic faith by 2. After a few minutes, divide the young people into small groups of 3 or 4 to take turns sharing their faith witness. If the group is small enough and time allows, it can be done with the whole group. When everyone has spoken, ask: n Using a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being very easy and 10 being very hard), offer a rating for how it felt to give witness to your faith? n Why were the ratings what they were? What would it take to move from a high rating to a low one? n What makes you want to hear more about a person s faith? What turns you off? n Can you recall a time when you were able to stand up for your faith among others who might not have believed what you do? E. Closing Prayer: Opening the Door to Lectio Divina (15 minutes) Leader Notes: Select three different readers who will be able to proclaim the Scripture aloud (it might be helpful if you are one of the readers to set an example). If the group size is larger than 10-12, you may divide them into smaller groups of 6-8 for their responses, especially after the third reading. 1. Distribute Resource 2: Opening the Door to Lectio Divina, and a pen or pencil and paper. Explain the Lectio Divina process in these or similar words: This prayer experience is based on an ancient Catholic prayer style developed by early century monastics called lectio divina or divine reading. Lectio divina invites us to open our minds and hearts to Scripture as we contemplate God s will for us. The lectio divina process uses a formula of reading a Scripture passage three separate times. After each reading, the listener is asked to go deeper with the words from Scripture, reflecting in a different manner each time on the meaning of the passage. We will use an adapted lectio divina process that uses the following three steps: 1. First Reading Reflect on one word that speaks to you from the reading. 2. Second Reading Reflect on one phrase that speaks to you from the reading. 3. Third Reading Reflect on what God is saying to you based on this reading.

5 After each step, you will be invited to first jot down your response inside the doorway image you have before sharing it aloud with the group. The reading we will be using is the second reading from October 20, World Mission Sunday. In this reading, St. Paul is writing to a young disciple named Timothy. He encourages and reminds him of his faith and how to use it to help bring the Good News of Jesus to others. 2. Reading 1: Invite a participant to proclaim 2 Timothy 3:14-4:2 slowly and prayerfully to the group. When done, invite students to write down in their doorway image the one word (and only one word) that stood out to them. After a moment, invite each person to go around the circle and share that word with the group without any explanation or discussion. 3. Reading 2: Invite a different participant to proclaim 2 Timothy 3:14-4:2 slowly and prayerfully to the group. Then ask students to write down in their doorway image the phrase or sentence that speaks to them the most. They should be prepared to read it aloud to the group without explanation. 4. Reading 3: Invite a different participant to proclaim 2 Timothy 3:14-4:2 slowly and prayerfully to the group. Ask the participants to open themselves to what God asks each of them to do through this reading. When the reading is finished, pause for a minute as you invite them to write their reflection inside the doorway image. Then invite them to share these reflections in small groups of Conclude the session with the following prayer for Missions (from Catholic Household Blessings & Prayers. USCCB, 2007: page 370). God of mercy and compassion, You who have called us Your children, we remember our brothers and sisters around the world who need our help, our love and, most especially, our prayers. Send Your loving Spirit upon us to help us be better missionaries so that the Good News of Your Son will spread to the ends of the earth. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

6 Resource 1: Knock! Knock! Jokes Cut these up into individual strips and distribute one per person. If you need more jokes or different ones, search online or visit the lolriot website at: Cash. Cash who? No thanks, but I would like a peanut instead! Doris. Doris who? Doris locked, that s why I m knocking! Agatha. Agatha who? Agatha toothache. Do you have an athpirin? Honey bee. Honey bee who? Honey bee a dear and get me a soda! Toby Toby who? Toby or not to be. That is the question. Cows go. Cows go who? No, cows go moo! Owls. Owls who? Yes, yes they do. Oink oink. Oink oink who? Make up your mind, are you a pig or an owl?! Little old lady. Little old lady who? Hey, I didn t know you could yodel! Kent Kent who? Kent you tell by my voice? To. To who? You mean To whom Tank. Tank who? You re welcome! Yeah. Yeah who? Easy there cowboy! Nana. Nana who? Nana your business. Isabel. Isabel who? Isabel working? I had to knock. Somebody too short to ring the doorbell. Knock knock? Who s there? Me. Me who? No, seriously, it s just me. I am telling a knock knock joke. Boo! Boo who? Don t cry, but we re all out of knock, knock jokes.

7 Resource 2: Opening the Door to Lectio Divina But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching. 2 Timothy 3:14-4:2 The One Word The One Phrase What God Speaks to Me

8 Pray and give generously World Mission Sunday The Society for the Propagation of the Faith a Pontifical Mission Society 2013 Open Wide the Doors of Faith to Do Good on Earth Celebrate Our World Mission For me, prayer is a movement of the heart; it is a simple glance toward Heaven; it is a cry of gratitude and love in times of trial as well as in times of joy; finally, it is something great, supernatural, which expands my soul and unites me to Jesus. St. Thérèse of Lisieux, patroness of the Missions Overview This minute prayer experience is built around the celebration of World Mission Sunday (October 20, 2013). It highlights St. Thérèse of Lisieux, patroness of the Missions, as a model of faith for opening wide the doors of faith to do good on earth. A. Opening Prayer Let us begin our prayer (+) in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lord God, Set our hearts ablaze with a desire to live our faith fully and share it freely with others. May we be eager to share our faith and transform our nation and, with missionary dedication, the whole world. We pray that the fire of Jesus enkindled in us by God s Spirit may lead more and more people in our world to become disciples formed in the image of Christ our Savior. We make this prayer (+) in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. B. Scripture Reading: Luke 18:1-8 a. Proclaim Luke 18:1-8 and provide the following reflections. b. This is the Gospel reading for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, World Mission Sunday. c. The parable speaks of the need to be persistent in our prayer. It demonstrates how faith can sustain us over the long haul, especially when we may not think God hears our prayers.

9 d. St. Thérèse of Lisieux saw prayer as a simple movement of the heart that could turn any thought, gesture or action, however small, into a way to acknowledge God s presence in every moment. Her little ways found the blessings and love of God in the ordinary moments of our everyday lives. e. She serves as a wonderful model for our World Mission Sunday theme: Open Wide the Doors of Faith to Do Good on Earth. In fact, St. Thérèse said, I will spend my heaven doing good on earth. f. St. Thérèse is a model for how we are to live and share our faith with others. C. The Missionary Life of St. Thérèse of Lisieux Leader Note: Present the following highlights from the life of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. If time allows, you may show a two-part autobiography (18 minutes total) of St. Thérèse that can be found online at: n Born Thérèse Martin on January 2, 1873, she was baptized Marie Frances Thérèse at Notre Dame Church two days later. n She wished to embrace the contemplative life as her sisters Pauline and Marie had done in the Carmel of Lisieux, but was too young to do so. On a visit to Italy, during an audience granted to the pilgrims from Lisieux, she boldly asked the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIII, for permission to enter the convent early, at the age of fifteen. Her request was granted. n Professing final vows as a Carmelite on September 8, 1890, she took the religious name Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. n Thérèse dreamed of being a missionary, but her poor health prevented her from ever leaving the convent in France. She did, however, dedicate her prayers and sufferings to the Lord for the Missions, and missionaries; she even corresponded with two missionary priests. n Thérèse died on September 30, 1897, after a long struggle with tuberculosis; she was only 24. Her last words: My God, I love You! n Her spirituality, detailed in her autobiography, Story of a Soul, is centered on love love for God and for the Church. Charity gave me the key to my vocation, she wrote. My vocation is love! n In Story of a Soul, Thérèse reveals also her missionary heart her love for the Missions. Papa rewarded me by giving me a pretty little coin worth four sous, she wrote about her childhood. I placed it in a box It was from this box that I drew my offerings on the big feasts when there were special collections for the Propagation of the Faith. In fact, in speaking with her the Sisters at the convent a few months before her death, Thérèse asked that instead of purchasing flowers after her death, the money should be contributed to the Missions to baptize and support girls who were found abandoned. n Thérèse even wrote to two missionary priests, telling one: I shall be truly happy to work with you for the salvation of souls. I wanted to be [a missionary] through love and penance n Thérèse was canonized in 1925; two years later, Pope Pius XI declared St. Thérèse patroness of all missionaries and of all the Missions, equal to St. Francis Xavier as patron. n On World Mission Sunday 1997, now Blessed John Paul II declared St. Thérèse a doctor of the Church, noting that the insights of her faith expressed in her writings are so vast and profound that they deserve a place among the great spiritual masters.

10 D. Video Reflection: 1. Contemplate your own relationship with God. Allow this video reflection to help you focus on how God is asking you to open wider the door of faith so you can do good works on earth to be the Lord s missionary, as St. Thérèse, through love and sacrifice. 2. Show the six-minute YouTube video found at: It uses the music of the Pachelbel Canon and a prayer attributed to St. Thérèse along with beautiful art and images. It provides young people with a meditative reflection on being the person God created them to be. E. Faith Sharing: Invite people to get into small groups of 3 or 4 and share their thoughts on the following questions: a. St. Thérèse invites us to be exactly who God created each of us to be. What does that mean for you at this point in your life? b. St. Thérèse once said that Love proves itself by deeds, so how am I to show my love? Great deeds are forbidden me. The only way I can prove my love is by scattering flowers and these flowers are every little sacrifice, every glance and word, and the doing of the least actions for love. In what ways is God asking you to do good works today and in the week ahead? How will your good works reach your mission family, modeling your missionary witness on that of St. Thérèse herself? F. Closing Prayer: (from the Mass for the Evangelization of Peoples ) O God, You have willed that Your Church be the sacrament of salvation for all nations, so that Christ s saving work may continue to the end of the ages; stir up, we pray, the hearts of Your faithful and grant that they may feel a more urgent call to work for the salvation of every creature, so that from all the peoples on earth one family and one people of Your own may arise and increase. And let us together pray, + Our Father who are in heaven + Hail Mary, full of grace + Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit + St. Francis Xavier pray for us + St. Thérèse of Lisieux pray for us. In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

11 Pray and give generously World Mission Sunday The Society for the Propagation of the Faith a Pontifical Mission Society 2013 Open Wide the Doors of Faith to Do Good on Earth World Mission Sunday: Ad Gentes Overview This session serves as a prayerful conclusion and summary to World Mission Sunday. It is designed to offer young people a prayerful understanding of why the Church engages in missionary efforts ad gentes ( to the nations ) and how they can be a part of that effort all year round, and not just in Mission Month (October) or on World Mission Sunday. A. Opening Prayer Let us begin our prayer (+) in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lord God, Set our hearts ablaze with a desire to live our faith fully and share it freely with others. May we be eager to share our faith and transform our nation and, with missionary dedication, the whole world. We pray that the fire of Jesus enkindled in us by God s Spirit may lead more and more people in our land to become disciples formed in the image of Christ our Savior. We make this prayer (+) in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. B. Scripture Reading and Reflection: Proclaim Matthew 28: Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20).

12 Reflection: n This reading from the very end of the Gospel of St. Matthew is known as the Great Commission. It profoundly and concisely charges each one of us who have been baptized with our primary mission: to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to all nations! n The very word mission means to send. Whether we send our prayers, our resources or our very selves, each is essential for the Church to continue her missionary efforts to all nations on earth. n On World Mission Sunday, the Church throughout the world publicly renews her fundamental commitment to the missionary movement (Teaching the Spirit of Mission Ad Gentes: Continuing Pentecost Today: A Statement of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, June 2005). n So what does this missionary movement look like to others? Prayerfully consider these three stories from the Missions. Reader 1: Once Home to the Holy Family Fleeing the wrath of Herod after that first Christmas, Mary, Joseph and the Infant Jesus made a journey into the African nation of Egypt in search of safety the first missionaries to Africa. Seeking hope and peace, children here find both and an abundance of God s love, through the service of missionaries today, priests, religious and lay people their work and witness to Jesus supported by your prayers and sacrifices through the Missionary Childhood Association. In the past two decades, thousands have left their war-torn homeland of Sudan, in search of a safe and better life for their families in Egypt. Estimates put the number of Sudanese who have fled to Egypt between 750,000 and four million. Many have found help and hope at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Alexandria thanks to support from the Missionary Childhood Association. Here, families receive assistance with providing food and education for their children. Just this past May, because of your prayers and help, MCA sent $7,000 to Sacred Heart Catholic Church to help provide for schooling for almost 100 refugee children from Sudan. Reader 2: Child Trafficking Human trafficking remains a threat worldwide, especially to the poor. This means taking someone against their will and transporting them into the control of others for purposes of exploitation or abuse. According to one report, in parts of West Africa, the Mekong region in East Asia, and some countries in Central and South America, the majority of persons trafficked are children. The U.S. Department of State says that 80 percent of those trafficked worldwide are women and girls. The Good Shepherd Sisters operate a center for girls in Chiang Rai in northern Thailand. It is their fourth such location. These Thai Sisters opened their first center in Bangkok in In all, more than 450 girls have been helped. Many were rescued from human trafficking and slavery.

13 Your prayers and help through the Missionary Childhood Association support these Sisters and reach the lost ones they rescue. Last year, MCA provided $7,000 to this Youth Center in Chiang Rai, for everything from food and clothing, to medical care and school fees. Reader 3: A Life Saver for Children Last year s opening of St. Kizito School in Francistown on the East Coast of Botswana is a dream come true for the people in that African village. The local Bishop there, Frank Atese Nubuasah, explained that up until now, children had to attend Catholic schools in South Africa and Zimbabwe. St. Kizito gives parents an option for a good education for their children that is also close to home! Your prayers and donations to the Missionary Childhood Association helped build St. Kizito School. And support sent earlier this year provided for the drilling of a bore hole for water. Now all 300 students can freely drink safe water. The new source of clean water will also enable students to do some gardening. They will grow enough fruits and vegetables for their meals, and to sell some to local villagers to raise money for their school fees! C. General Intercessions: Leader: As we consider this and other work done throughout the world, let us take a few moments to offer our prayerful intercessions on behalf of our mission to evangelize all nations Please respond to each prayer with, Lord, Hear Our Prayer: n For those who do not yet know Christ, that their hearts may be touched by the Good News and saving grace He brings to us all, we pray to the Lord n For those who work to bring the Good News of Christ to others, that they be strengthened in their pastoral zeal and commitment to show the human face of His love and presence to all, we pray to the Lord n For the Church, that her efforts to sustain the missionary work to all nations be fortified by the prayers and sacrifices of all who are baptized, we pray to the Lord n Please offer your own prayers for the missionary work of the Church and those to whom we reach out in Christ s name Leader: God of all nations, we thank You for the gift of faith. Help us each to do our part to open wide the doors of faith in order that these efforts may produce much good on earth. We ask this through Your Son, Jesus Christ, Redeemer of the world.

14 Leader: And let us together pray, + Our Father who are in heaven + Hail Mary, full of grace + Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit + St. Francis Xavier pray for us + St. Thérèse of Lisieux pray for us. C. Closing Prayer: (From Catholic Household Blessings & Prayers. USCCB, 2007: page 370). God of mercy and compassion, You who have called us Your children, we remember our brothers and sisters around the world who need our help, our love and, most especially, our prayers. Send Your loving Spirit upon us to help us be better missionaries so that the Good News of your Son will spread to the ends of the earth. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.