spiritual Formation SAINTS & HOLY PEOPLE WAR ON THE FLOOR OBJECTIVE: In this session, teens will learn the importance and power of intercessory prayer, along with different ways to pray for their friends, family, and the world. SCRIPTURE REFERENCE: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1 CATECHISM REFERENCE: Since Abraham, intercession asking on behalf of another has been characteristic of a heart attuned to God s mercy. In the age of the Church, Christian intercession participates in Christ s, as an expression of the communion of saints. In intercession, he who prays looks not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others, even to the point of praying for those who do him harm. CCC 2635 (Also see paragraphs 211, 270, 1489, and 1781.) SESSION SNAPSHOT: Review the entire lesson plan in advance so you are prepared to lead and discuss comfortably. Gather necessary supplies and review any songs or video clips prior to your gathering. Adjust the suggested time allotments as necessary. Copyright 2013 Augustine Institute. All rights reserved. Saints & Holy People: War On The Floor 1
Time Section Section Overview 15 minutes Dig In Blindfolded teens enter a simple maze and learn the power of asking for help. 10 minutes Plant Seeds Read Matthew 7:7-8 and discuss the meaning of intercessory prayer. 25 minutes Sink Roots Teens discuss their experience with intercessory prayer. 10 minutes Live It! Teens ask God s help in discovering who in their lives need their intercessory prayer. They are challenged to use the Bear Fruit ideas to intercede for others this week. 5 minutes Take It to Prayer Direct students to the Teen Sheet for different ideas on how to intercede for their friends and families. Share testimony of how they have seen intercessory prayer work in their life or those lives around them. 5 minutes Bear Fruit Pray through the lists the teens made earlier. Copyright 2013 Augustine Institute. All rights reserved. Saints & Holy People: War On The Floor 2
Supplies Needed: Blindfolds (1 per person) A Catechism of the Catholic Church Rope (enough to create a large, rectangular maze ) Chairs, posts, poles, or cones A Bible Teen Sheets Pens or pencils Snacks (optional) Prepare in Advance If you have an additional space, (other than your regular meeting area) for the simple rectangular maze for the Dig In activity, create the maze in advance. This should be a place that teens can see as they arrive. Simply tie a rope around some chairs, cones, or other posts in one large rectangle. Text, tweet and/or update your group s Facebook page to remind the teens about the gathering. Use messages something like this prior to the session: Make I ll pray for you more than just a phrase. Join us @ [day, time] to make a difference in someone s life. Did you know delivering a knock-knock joke to Jesus is almost impossible? Find out why @ [day, time] Your friends and family need your help! Join us @ [day, time] to discover how to be a voice for them. Copyright 2013 Augustine Institute. All rights reserved. Saints & Holy People: War On The Floor 3
As teens arrive, offer snacks and drinks people tend to talk more freely and mingle more when they have some food in their hands or are gathered around a common table. DIG IN! Have all participants sit in the middle of where you intend to construct the maze. Blindfold all participants BEFORE you begin building the maze. Then construct, make a simple closed square using the rope and cones or chairs. Obviously this isn t really a maze, but the teens won t know that since they re blindfolded! Be sure that the rope is waist-high and easy for them to grab. After the maze is constructed, SAY: You are in a maze of rope and must find your way out. There IS a way out of the maze. Here are the rules: You cannot go over or under the rope to escape the maze. You also can t simply untie the rope. You must always have one hand on the rope. No one is allowed to ask questions during the activity. There IS a way out. If you need help, all you have to do is raise your hand and say, I need help. During the game, whenever a person asks for help, quietly take the blindfold off the person and lead them under the rope out of the maze. As teens leave the maze, have them shout that they are out. Periodically remind those still in the maze, If you need help, all you have to do is raise your hand and say, I need help. If some go for a long time without asking for help, ask them if they need help. If they refuse, let them continue. This can be a lesson in asking for help. Allow several minutes, and then gather the teens for discussion. Copyright 2013 Augustine Institute. All rights reserved. Saints & Holy People: War On The Floor 4
What was the secret to getting out of the maze? Did you find this activity to be difficult? Why or why not? Why did some of you say you didn t need help even when you realized you couldn t escape on your own? Why are we sometimes afraid to ask for help? Give some examples of other areas of your life where this is true. Allow 10 minutes for discussion. This activity reminds us there are times we can t do things on our own and that we need the help of God and others. Today we ll talk about helping those around us through intercessory prayer. We ll talk about what that means and how we do it. Before we get started, let s pray. PRAY: Gracious God, we thank You for Your faithfulness and attention to our need. Help us to always be mindful of Your love and generosity so that we may have the courage and trust to turn to You in our need. Amen. Be aware of the teens dispositions during the exercise. If they are getting visibly frustrated that they can t find a way out, it may be a good idea to end the game to avoid their being in a bad mood for the session! Copyright 2013 Augustine Institute. All rights reserved. Saints & Holy People: War On The Floor 5
PLANT SEEDS SAY: As we dive into intercessory prayer, let s look at this passage from the Gospel of Matthew. Ask a teen to read Matthew 7:7-8. Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8 We are blessed to know the truth that our Savior has promised us an open door when we knock, but many people either don t know the faithfulness of God or have forgotten this truth. We have a great opportunity to stand in the gap and intercede for those in our lives who need our help, prayers, and most of all God s love. You may not be familiar with the term intercessory prayer, but if you pray regularly, I can almost guarantee that you ve prayed this way. How would you describe intercessory prayer? What is it? Allow one or two minutes for their teens to share. To put it simply, the Catechism tells us that intercession consists in asking on behalf of another (CCC 2647). We have probably been doing this since we were little, but when we were young we probably didn t fully understand the significance of what our prayers were doing both for those we were praying for and for ourselves. When we intercede for our friends, family, or even enemies, we are praying as Jesus prayed! Interceding for others is so important in our Christian life because it allows us to become more like Jesus! Copyright 2013 Augustine Institute. All rights reserved. Saints & Holy People: War On The Floor 6
SINK ROOTS Ask one of the teens to read Genesis 18:20-33 aloud. SAY: Abraham is very bold with God in his interceding for others and shows us how we are to pray: with boldness and perseverance. Which is more difficult for you: to pray with boldness or perseverance? What makes it hard to be bold in our prayer? Why do you think we sometimes fade or fizzle out on our prayers for others? What are some ideas on how to ensure perseverance in prayer? Allow 10 or 15 minutes for sharing. Then have a teen read CCC 2635 from the Teen Sheet: Since Abraham, intercession asking on behalf of another has been characteristic of a heart attuned to God s mercy. In the age of the Church, Christian intercession participates in Christ s, as an expression of the communion of saints. In intercession, he who prays looks not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others, even to the point of praying for those who do him harm. CCC 2635 That s a hard one, isn t it praying for those that do us harm? Intercessory prayer has been a crucial part of our relationship with God from the beginning. He longs to hear our desires and needs, and although He doesn t always answer them like we might want or as quickly as we expect, He always answers them in the way that is best! So let s open up this conversation to share any testimonies or stories that we ve experienced or heard that glorify how God answers intercessory prayers. Allow five minutes of story sharing. Copyright 2013 Augustine Institute. All rights reserved. Saints & Holy People: War On The Floor 7
LIVE IT! A background of quiet Christian music or chant will help set a prayerful environment and keep everyone focused. Direct teens attention to the Live It section on their Teen Sheets. In the first column of the Prayer Intentions chart, have them write everyone they pray for on a continual basis, such as a sick relative, parents, and best friends. In the second column, have teens list others in their lives who might need prayer those who they don t normally pray for, such as a friend going through a breakup, former friends, teachers and others who work in their school buildings, people who have hurt them, people who are in jail, etc. Allow teens four to five minutes to create their lists. Then have teens form pairs to discuss the following questions: Who are some people you added to your second list those who could use your prayers, but who you may not have considered? Were there any people you placed on your lists that surprised you? Why or why not? Allow three minutes for discussion, then continue. SAY: As we wrap up, I want to invite you to not only be praying for those intentions on the lists you just made, but also for each other. Take a few minutes and pray with each other about a personal intention or desire you each have on your heart. Before closing, direct the teens attention to the Take It to Prayer and Bear Fruit sections on their Teen Sheets, for stories of saints and different ways to offer up intercessory prayers for those around them during the coming week and beyond.when teens are finished writing, review the Take It to Prayer and Bear Fruit ideas on the Teen Sheets together. Challenge teens to use these ideas to live out what they learned this week. Copyright 2013 Augustine Institute. All rights reserved. Saints & Holy People: War On The Floor 8
CLOSING PRAYER Close with a communal prayer that gives everyone a chance to pray for those intentions on the lists they made earlier in the session. PRAY: Father, we thank You for always hearing us and knowing our hearts. We thank You for the example of Abraham and ask for that same boldness and perseverance to intercede for others and become more like You. We offer up these intentions now. After each petition, we ll all respond, Lord, hear our prayer. Allow teens to speak an intention or two. Explain that if the intention is one that requires discretion, they should offer up a personal intention or a special intention. Lead with an intention from your own list. Then let others take turns, continuing around the circle or randomly. Allow a natural silence to indicate that all the intentions have been spoken. For all those intentions spoken and those we hold in the silence of our hearts, we pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer. Text, tweet and/or update your group as a reminder throughout the week. 3:00! Remember Jesus sorrowful Passion. Let s say the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for each other! Copyright 2013 Augustine Institute. All rights reserved. Saints & Holy People: War On The Floor 9
Teen Sheet WAR ON THE FLOOR This session is designed to help you discover the importance and power of intercessory prayer. As you participate in this study, use these points to guide you. Add your own notes, observations, or questions in the space below each point. If images or symbols come to mind, include them as a way to help you process and remember the key takeaways from this lesson. Which is more difficult for you: to pray with boldness or perseverance? What makes it hard to be bold in our prayer? Copyright 2013 Augustine Institute. All rights reserved. Saints & Holy People: War On The Floor 1
Why do you think we sometimes fade or fizzle out on our prayers for others? What are some ideas on how to ensure perseverance in prayer? Q 2 : Quotes and Questions Since Abraham, intercession asking on behalf of another has been characteristic of a heart attuned to God s mercy. In the age of the Church, Christian intercession participates in Christ s, as an expression of the communion of saints. In intercession, he who prays looks not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others, even to the point of praying for those who do him harm. CCC 2635 Copyright 2013 Augustine Institute. All rights reserved. Saints & Holy People: War On The Floor 2
PRAYER INTENTIONS Those you pray for regularly: Those in your life who need prayer: Q 2 : Quotes and Questions Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6 (RSV) Copyright 2013 Augustine Institute. All rights reserved. Saints & Holy People: War On The Floor 3
As you embrace praying for others, here are some traditional prayers for those in need: For the Forgotten Soul: O Lord God Almighty, I beseech Thee by the Precious Body and Blood of Thy divine Son Jesus, which He Himself on the night before His Passion gave as meat and drink to His beloved Apostles and bequeathed to His Holy Church to be the perpetual Sacrifice and life-giving nourishment of His faithful people, deliver the souls in purgatory, but most of all, that soul which was most devoted to this Mystery of infinite love, in order that it may praise Thee therefore, together with Thy Divine Son and the Holy Spirit in Thy glory for ever. Amen. Watch O Lord St. Augustine Watch, O Lord, with those who wake, or watch, or weep tonight, and give Your angels and saints charge over those who sleep. Tend Your sick ones, O Lord Christ. Rest Your weary ones. Bless Your dying ones. Soothe Your suffering ones. Pity Your afflicted ones. Shield Your joyous ones, and all for Your love s sake. Amen. Q 2 : Quotes and Questions A Christian fellowship lives and exists by the intercession of its members for one another, or it collapses. I can no longer condemn or hate a brother for whom I pray, no matter how much trouble he causes me. His face, that hitherto may have been strange and intolerable to me, is transformed in intercession into the countenance of a brother for whom Christ died, the face of a forgiven sinner. Dietrich Bonhoeffer Copyright 2013 Augustine Institute. All rights reserved. Saints & Holy People: War On The Floor 4
The Story of St. Monica St. Monica lived in the fourth century in North Africa. She was born into a Christian family but forced to marry a pagan when she was a young lady. Though her husband had a violent temper, through St. Monica s prayers and patience her husband converted to Catholicism in 370 A.D. Monica had three children: Augustine, Navigius, and Perpetua. Navigius and Perpetua quickly became Christian, following the example of their mother, and later both entered religious life. Augustine, on the other hand, was much harder to turn from his pagan lifestyle. For seventeen years Monica prayed and cried for her son Augustine to come to know the Lord. One priest comforted her by saying, It is not possible that the son of so many tears should perish. She never lost hope and never gave up. Finally, in 387 A.D., St. Ambrose baptized Augustine; Augustine went on to become a bishop and one of the greatest theologians in the history of the Church. We celebrate the feast of St. Monica on August 27; and on August 28 we celebrate her son and doctor of the Church, St. Augustine. May St. Monica s example of prayer and intercession be an example of the power of how our prayers can change lives. Copyright 2013 Augustine Institute. All rights reserved. Saints & Holy People: War On The Floor 5
As you begin to make a commitment to pray for others with boldness and perseverance, try these ideas to help you along the way: Write It Down: Far too often we will throw out the phrase, I m praying for you, or make the promise that we will pray for someone (with the best intentions to truly remember them in our prayers),but when the business of life steals our attention we forget to offer up their intention. Writing down names and intentions on a piece of paper you keep in your Bible or in a journal is a great way to stay faithful to our commitment to pray for those around us. Pray WITH People: Take your intercessory prayer one step further. When talking to a friend or family member and an intention or grace is needed in their life, don t just pray for them later in the day; ask to pray with them in the moment. This is another way to ensure you won t forget to pray for them and to be a witness of the love of Christ. Make a Sacrifice: We can do more than just speak others intentions to God. We can actively offer up a good deed, a fast, or our time for those we are praying for. Here are some ideas: Give up meat for one day. Attend an extra Mass throughout the week and offer their intention. Put a small cross or religious item in your pocket; as you grab it each day, you ll remember to pray for them. Light a candle for their intention in church. Give up your favorite snack or drink for a day, week, or month. Copyright 2013 Augustine Institute. All rights reserved. Saints & Holy People: War On The Floor 6
parent sheet WAR ON THE FLOOR Parents, we invite you to use this overview to continue the conversation that we started this week with your teen. And we encourage you to respond to the questions as well, so your teen can see that God is working through you also. What We re Talking About Intercessory prayer has an important ring to it. Most of us probably grew up praying for those we love, those around us: parents, siblings, or pets. Most of us probably didn t realize that those simple prayers we prayed as children were intercessory prayers. In this lesson, teens looked at the importance of intercessory prayer in their own lives and for those they love. We discussed different ways to intercede for those who need our prayers. Our intercessions don t need to be a grocery list of people or intentions to pray for, but rather an intentional attuning of our heart to God s (CCC 2635) through sacrifice, penance, offerings, and prayer. Your teen should be able to confidently turn to God to intercede for family, friends, and even enemies in the trust and knowledge that their prayers are being answered in the way that brings God the most glory. Make the Connection Here are some conversation starters for this week. Remember to share your perspectives as well. How have you seen God answer your or a friend s intercessions for someone in need? Is there anyone you re praying for that I can intercede for, with you? What is one intention that I can pray for you? (This session might be a great platform to start a nightly or weekly family prayer time where the family gathers together to pray for each other and friends in need.) Q 2 : Quotes and Questions Have confidence in prayer. It is the unfailing power which God has given us. By means of it you will obtain the salvation of the dear souls whom God has given you and all your loved ones. Ask and you shall receive, Our Lord said. Be yourself with the good Lord. St. Peter Julian Eymard Copyright 2013 Augustine Institute. All rights reserved. Saints & Holy People: War On The Floor