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DIVINE MISSION An Edge Night for Holy Fire LEADER OVERVIEW Baptism is foreshadowed throughout the Old Testament and brought to fulfilment in Jesus Christ. He is our example and we are called to follow in His footsteps, to be baptized ourselves, and to share the great gift of Baptism with all nations (Matthew 28:19-20). This sacrament is the first Sacrament of Initiation and is rich in symbolism and filled with all the graces necessary to begin a Christian life. The nature of all sacraments is that they are visible signs of invisible realities. All of the physical elements of Baptism point to something on the spiritual level. The Sign of the Cross represents the redemption won for us on the cross, the Proclamation of the Word represents our enlightenment in truth and faith, and all of the exorcism prayers and oils represent liberation from sin and renouncing Satan. The water and immersion into it represent death with Christ and rising to new life, the Sacred Chrism represents the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the white garment reveals the new life of the faithful after being raised with Christ in Baptism, and the candle represents our call to be lights in the world and to share and spread the light of Christ. (CCC 1229-1243) Baptism can occur at any age and the normal ministers of the sacrament are the bishop and priest. Adults with proper formation in the teachings of the Catholic Church are brought into communion with the Church through Baptism. It is also common for infants to be baptized, in which case it is the duty and responsibility of the parents and godparents to nurture the child s faith and help him or her grow in understanding. (CCC 1246-1356) Jesus Christ paved a way for us to attain eternal life through His own Baptism and by giving the Church the Sacrament of Baptism. Through our Baptism we participate in His Death and are brought to new life - Baptism is necessary for salvation (CCC 1257). God has given us the sacraments to bring us to salvation and these are the most sure ways to do that. However, this does not mean that God is not able to work outside of the sacraments. There are different circumstances by which salvation can still be attained through the great mercy of God outside of the official form of Baptism. Baptism of desire occurs when one has the desire and intention of being baptized but dies before being able to attain it. Baptism by blood occurs when one is killed for his or her faith but has not been baptized yet. There are also circumstances in which people have no knowledge whatsoever of Jesus Christ but lived good lives, in which one could assume if they had known about Baptism and Christ they would have desired it. Children who die before they are baptized are entrusted to the mercy and love of God who cherishes children and we have great hope for their salvation. (CCC 1257-1261) In addition to the graces received for salvation, there are also other graces that are given through this sacrament. Original sin and all sins in one s life up to that point are forgiven, we are made new creations in Christ as sons and daughters of God and given the grace we need to live good and moral lives, and we become members of the family of the Church. During Baptism we also receive an indelible mark. We are sealed as belonging to Christ which is a seal for eternal life. Because of this indelible mark that cannot be forgotten or removed, Baptism can only occur once. (CCC 1262-1274) 1
DIVINE MISSION An Edge Night for Holy Fire EDGE NIGHT OVERVIEW GOAL The goal for this Edge Night is for the youth to understand the beauty behind the Sacrament of Baptism as well as understand what it means to call God Father. SUMMARY During the Gather, the youth will have the opportunity to complete a scavenger hunt of mission oriented tasks. The Proclaim will unpack the beauty, necessity, and effects of the Sacrament of Baptism. During the Break, the youth will move into their small groups to discuss the Proclaim as well as see the photos taken during the Gather activity. In the Send, the youth will be introduced to Eucharistic Adoration and have an opportunity to go to Adoration. MAIN IDEAS Each symbol and sign in the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism has a deep and profound meaning, helping us to discover the deeper realities of the sacrament. God bound salvation to Baptism; however, God can work outside of the Sacrament of Baptism. Through Baptism we receive freedom from sin, become an adopted child of God, are called to serve the Church, and are given the mission to help make disciples for Jesus Christ. ENVIRONMENT Create a sacred space at the front of the main meeting space with a table covered with a nice white table cloth. Place a Bible, opened to Matthew 6:5, on the table as well as a crucifix, candles, water (holy water), and olive oil (if possible the Sacred Chrism). Place a nice basket or bowl, which will be used during the Send, in front of the table. MEDIA Outside da Box: Holy Water (youtube.com) Life Teen Video Support: January 2013: The Lord s Prayer (lifeteen.com) Alive Again, Matt Maher, (Alive Again, 2009, Provident Label Group LLC) New Creation, Jackie Francois, (Divine Comedy, 2012, Spirit & Song) St. Lawrence Catholic Church: USCCB Adoration Video (youtube.com) Sophia Institute for Teachers: Sophia SketchPad: The Eucharist (youtube.com) 2
SCRIPTURE Matthew 6:5-15; John 3:5; Romans 8:14-17 CATECHISM 1229-1274, 2767-2772 Notes: 3
DIVINE MISSION An Edge Night for Holy Fire EDGE NIGHT OUTLINE GATHER Edge Night Introduction (5 min) Welcome the youth and begin in prayer. Introduce anyone who is new, recognize any birthdays, and ask about any big events happening this week. Give a brief overview of the topic using the following as an example: God gave the Church the magnificent gift of Baptism; it is through this sacrament that we receive salvation, giving us the possibility of living with God for all eternity. Through Baptism we receive forgiveness for our sins and become God s adopted children and members of the Church. As members of the Church, we also share in the mission to help all people know and respond to the love of God. Complete Your Mission Scavenger Hunt (20 min) To set up the activity, have a list of mission oriented tasks printed out for each small group. Speak with your Core Members (adult leaders) in advance to let them know that they will need to have a way to take pictures during the game, either with their smartphone or a digital camera. The following are some suggestions for the scavenger hunt. Customize or add any that work for your church and environment. Write a Thank You Note for our pastor and deliver it to him. Prayerfully sing Immaculate Mary in front a statue of Mary. Find the Baptismal Font and bless yourself in remembrance of your own Baptism. Find the parish food or clothing pantry and text your parents asking if your family can make a donation. Find the holy oils, which are used for Confirmation and other sacraments, and share with the group who your Confirmation Saint is and why. Find branches or anything from nature that is on the ground and make the largest cross you can. Spell Jesus with just your bodies and without using any other items. Split up the youth into their small groups and give each group the list of the missions they need to accomplish. Encourage them to be as creative as possible with whatever missions they are able to. Instruct them to capture a picture of each mission and to include the entire group in each picture. 4
When time is up, gather the groups back into the main meeting space. Have a Core Member (adult leader) ready to receive all the images and put them into a slideshow. Let the youth know that they will be able to watch a slideshow of all the images towards the end of the Edge Night. SUGGESTIONS Hand out prizes to the group(s) that were the fastest and most creative. STEP IT UP If your church is in a well-trafficked area, create missions that are more service oriented. Instead of just taking pictures of accomplished missions, give the youth the opportunity to create small video clips of them completing their missions. PROCLAIM Divine Mission Teaching (10 min) This teaching can be found on pages 8 to 10. BREAK Small Groups Questions (15 min) Break youth into their designated small groups and discuss the following questions: Do you remember anything from your Baptism or have you seen a video of it? What stood out to you? If not, have you ever witnessed a Baptism? What do you remember about it? When you think of a father, what virtues or qualities do you think of? Do you see God as your Heavenly Father? How? What are some practical ways that you are able to serve the Church? What can you do in your daily life to show God s love to those you know who don t have a relationship with Him? 8th Grade Adaptation Have the 8th Grade youth read and reflect on Romans 8:14-17 and use the following questions for discussion: What does it mean to you to be an adopted son or daughter of God? What does it mean to be led by the Spirit of God? Do you think that you live your life in this manner? 5
What do you think St. Paul means when he says that we are heirs of God? What good things do you believe God wants to give you? What type of suffering do you think St. Paul is talking about? Why do you think we need to suffer with Christ in order to be glorified with Him? Complete Your Mission Scavenger Hunt Slideshow (5 min) Gather the youth back into the main meeting space and show each group s pictures in a slideshow. If you made the scavenger hunt a contest, award prizes to the winning groups. SEND Transformation Story (5 min) Call up the designated Core Member (adult leader) or special guest to briefly share with the youth about how Christ has transformed his or her life. Adoration Introduction (5 min) After the testimony story use the following example to prepare the youth for Eucharistic Adoration: Through the gift of Baptism, we were given the gift of being able to call God, Father. When we pray the Our Father, we pray for the intentions that we hold in our own hearts, as well as the intentions of all the members of the Church (CCC 2767-2772). As Catholics we are also incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to come before the very presence of God to bring Him all our prayers in Eucharistic Adoration. During Adoration we come before Jesus Christ present in the consecrated host with an attitude of recognizing His greatness and love. The host is usually displayed in what is called a monstrance. A monstrance is a beautiful stand with a place in the center to put a consecrated host. This is a way to display and house God present in the Eucharist. A monstrance can be very ornate and decorative which is to reveal the beauty, honor, and majesty that are due to God. When we pray during Adoration, we come before God to bring Him our prayers and petitions and to be open to Him speaking to us. While it is true that we can pray anywhere, coming before God in Adoration gives us a quiet place free from distraction where we can focus on God and be physically in His presence. Eucharistic Adoration (10 min) Bring the youth into the church or the designated room for Adoration. Have your parish priest and music minister present to lead the youth in this brief time of prayer. Be sure to allow for times of praise and worship as well as silence. After the Eucharist has been reposed invite the priest to close the Edge Night by praying for the youth, all their intentions, and for the mission that God has given to each of them. Ask your priest to then lead the youth in the Lord s Prayer and impart on them a final blessing and sending forth. SUGGESTIONS If your youth have never been to adoration before or are not very familiar with it, consider playing one of the videos about Adoration or the Eucharist from the Media Suggestions 6
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DIVINE MISSION An Edge Night for Holy Fire TEACHING GUIDE GETTING STARTED To cover the basic information follow along and craft the talk based off of the bullet points. If your youth are ready to take it deeper, start incorporating a few of the Going Deeper call out boxes (like the one below) by picking the ones your youth would relate to the most. GOING DEEPER Check inside these boxes for tips and ideas on how to take your youth a little deeper with the Proclaim. SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM Through the Sacrament of Baptism, God draws us deeper to Himself, helping to satisfy our desire for God. Baptism is the foundational sacrament for the whole Christian life, opening the doors to the fullness of what Christ has to offer through His Church. (CCC 1213) Ask the youth to respond: Have you been to a Baptism in the Catholic Church? What do you remember happening during the celebration? Everything that takes place during a baptismal celebration helps to remind us that there is something much deeper taking place than just what we are able to see with our eyes. All of the physical signs and symbols are used with specific intent and have a spiritual meaning, helping us to attentively participate in the baptismal celebration. (CCC 1234-1243) GOING DEEPER Walk through the baptismal ceremony and describe what each element represents as outlined in the Catechism. Emphasize the importance of the Trinitarian formula of Baptism for a valid Baptism. (CCC 1236-1243) Project an image of an infant and an adult being baptized. Baptism is a pure gift to us from God and is not given to us because of anything that we have accomplished. Therefore, anyone, no matter how young or old, who has never been baptized is able to come and receive the sacrament. (CCC 1246-1250) Tell a story about the greatest gift you ever received as a kid and how the gift of Baptism is far better than it and why. Whether an adult or an infant, Baptism is meant to be starting point for our faith journey in the Church. Throughout our entire lives we are called to always be learning about our faith and deepening our relationship with Christ; it is the responsibility of our parents and our godparents to help us on this journey. (CCC 1253-55). 8
GOING DEEPER Discuss with your youth that in dire circumstances, when having a bishop, a priest, or a deacon baptize a person is impossible, anyone is able to baptize as long as the correct intention is there. In case of necessity, anyone, even a non-baptized person, with the required intention, can baptize, by using the Trinitarian baptismal formula. The intention required is to will to do what the Church does when she baptizes. The Church finds the reason for this possibility in the universal saving will of God and the necessity of Baptism for salvation (CCC 1256). EFFECTS OF BAPTISM The Lord has given the Church the gift of Baptism to bring about our salvation, which is why it is so important for us to share this Good News with as many people as we can. Ask the youth to respond: Why is salvation called Good News?? Why does salvation matter? Why should you share the Good News with others? Although God has bound salvation to Baptism, God is able to work outside of the Sacrament of Baptism. (CCC 1257) GOING DEEPER Explain to the youth the different types of non-sacramental baptisms such as Baptism of blood and Baptism of desire. Also discuss the Church s stance on Baptism for someone who dies never having known about Jesus or Baptism. (CCC 1258-1261) Along with receiving salvation, there are four primary graces or effects that God freely gives to us through the Sacrament of Baptism. Through Baptism, God forgives all sin, both original and personal sin. Even though we will not receive any punishment for these sins, we still have to deal with the effects of sin, such as suffering, illness, and death, as well as the desire to sin. (CCC 1263-64) Not only do we receive forgiveness of sin, we also become adopted sons and daughters of God, giving us the ability to call God, Father. Our old selves die in the waters of Baptism, and we rise as new creatures with Jesus Christ, enabling us to believe, hope, and love God, as well as live a good and moral life, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, (CCC 1265-66) GOING DEEPER Show the video Holy Water from the Media Suggestions and ask the youth share why we bless ourselves with Holy Water. In Baptism, we become members of the Church, which means that we are called to serve one another as well as obey our Church leaders, such as our priest, bishops, and the Pope. Through our membership in the Church, we are able to enjoy receiving the sacraments and being nourished by the Word of God. We also receive God s command to participate in bringing the love of Christ to those who don t know His love for them. (CCC 1267-70) Through Baptism, we are sealed with an indelible or permanent spiritual mark, which means that we belong to Christ, and no sin can erase this mark. Because this mark can never be erased, Baptism can only be received once. (CCC 1272-1274) 9
BAPTISM IN OUR DAILY LIVES The Sacrament of Baptism is a beautiful gift from God. Maybe you were baptized many years ago or maybe you were brought into the Church recently, but no matter when you received these wonderful graces, they still have a powerful impact in your daily life. Through Baptism, you have become an adopted son or daughter of God. Our heavenly Father is perfect. He will never abandon you, hate you, or ignore you. He loves you unconditionally. When you are having a difficult day- if school doesn t go so well, if your friends leave you out, or if you are having trouble with your family- know that your Heavenly Father is there for you. He wants to send His Spirit to comfort and guide you throughout your whole life, but especially when life gets tough. Share a story about a time that you knew God was present in the midst of hardships. God not only desires for us to know how much He loves us, He wants the world to know of His love. Just like the lit candle that you received at your Baptism, God wants you to shine His light everywhere you go each day. This means that whether you are at school, on the field, in the supermarket, or at home, you are called to love just as God loves you. (John 13:34-35) Give the youth the challenge to do one random act of kindness each day for someone at school. Notes: 10
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