GOAL LIFE NIGHT OVERVIEW LIFE IN THE VINE THE GIFTS AND FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT The goal of this Life Night is to explain the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit and invite the teens to abide in Christ and the life of the Holy Spirit. KEY CONCEPTS The prophet Isaiah listed seven gifts that would belong to Jesus, which are now shared with Jesus s people; wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and the fear of the Lord. Those who live by the Spirit produce the fruits of the Spirit. The tradition of the Church and St. Paul in Galatians lists twelve: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity. The more we renounce ourselves and abide in Christ, the more we live by the Spirit and bear fruit. ABOUT THIS LIFE NIGHT This Life Night begins with a fun and interactive Gather game modeled after the popular phone app, Fruit Ninja. The Proclaim defines and explains the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit and discusses our call to a life in the vine of Christ. The Break gives teens an opportunity to apply what they learned in the Proclaim by calling out which gift and/or fruit of the Holy Spirit a character in a TV show or movie is displaying or lacking. The Life Night ends with the opportunity for the teens to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and consider which gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit they need the most at this present moment. ENVIRONMENT Set up the clothesline timeline and galvanized metal buckets with clothespins from the previous Life Night and be ready to add to it during the Proclaim. Invite teens to take a closer look when they have free time. Have a picture of the Holy Spirit together with Jesus available to be hung. This is to be hung after the picture of the Baptism of Jesus and before the picture of Pentecost in the New Testament section. Have a picture of St. Jose Luis Sanchez del Rio, St. Maria Goretti, and St. Isaac Jogues available to be hung in the Saints section. These are to be hung in chronological order on the timeline as they are mentioned in the Proclaim. For a larger youth group, project these images as they are being hung. KEY TERMS: Gifts of the Holy Spirit Fruits of the Holy Spirit SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 11:2-3 John 15:5-7 Galatians 5:22-25 CATECHISM: 736-737 1316 1830-1832 MEDIA SUGGESTIONS Fruit Ninja: Official Fruit Ninja Trailer (youtube.com) mattmahermusic: Matt Maher - Abide With Me - Live from #YouTubeNashvilleSessions (youtube.com) SOCIAL MEDIA HASHTAGS: #LT_LifeintheVine #ComeHolySpirit 24 VITAL 25
AS YOU GET STARTED... For an additional element in the environment, use construction and butcher paper to create a vineyard around the room with grapes or different fruits hanging from it. Bring in additional greenery by adding trees, plants, and bushes. These can be real or made from construction paper. Provide fruit or fruit snacks as food. For an alternate Gather, play Fruit Basket. Arrange a large circle of folding chairs, one chair less than the number playing. Assign each person in the group a fruit or have the teens choose their own type of fruit. Make sure there are multiples of the same fruit. Then, have one person stand in the middle and everyone else sit in the chairs. The person in the middle will call out a type of fruit (they have the option of calling more than one type of fruit) and then the caller in the middle and anyone with that fruit name has to run to an open chair (the chair must be at least two seats away from them). The person left standing in the middle is the next caller. The caller also has the option of shouting fruit basket and everyone has to get up and find a new seat. For an upfront Gather, ask for volunteers and blindfold them. Tell them they are going to be taste-testing different unusual fruits and it s their job to name what fruit they are eating. Choose normal fruits (apple and bananas) and mix them with unusual fruit like pitaya, carambola, kiwano, noni, and rambutan. If teens are unable to participate in Reconciliation during the Life Night, hand out a flyer with the schedule of Reconciliation at your parish. HISPANIC INCULTURATION By Esme de la Rosa Many Hispanic adults received their sacraments without adequate catechesis. The gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit are known but not fully understood by adults and therefore not passed down to the children. To really make this foundational and essential information having meaning and application, share personal stories of how you have seen the gifts at work in your life, or share how the gifts were at work in the lives of saints who are well known in Hispanic culture like; San Juan Diego, San Antonio de Padua, El Senor Santiago, Santo Domingo, San Pedro, San Juan, and la Virgen Maria. Notes: 26 VITAL 27
GATHER LIFE NIGHT: LIFE IN THE VINE Welcome and Prayer (5 min) Gather the teens into the main meeting space. Welcome them to the Life Night and begin in prayer. Fruit Ninja (15 min) Instruct the teens to get into their small groups with a Core Member in each group. Give each Core Member a pool noodle or plastic play sword and a basket of plastic fruit. Each teen has thirty seconds to hit as many pieces of fruit as possible that the Core Member throws across their line of sight. Assign a scorekeeper to keep tallies of each successful hit. The winning teens are then invited to the front of the main meeting space for a final round. The winner of the final round wins a prize. PROCLAIM Life in the Vine Teaching (15 min) The Proclaim Outline and Details can be found on pages 32 to 39. BREAK Movie Clips (20 min) The teens stay seated and a Core Member comes to the front of the room to lead a game. The Core Member explains that they are going to show a clip from a TV show or movie and the teens get to shout out which gift or fruit of the Holy Spirit the character is displaying or lacking. Take a moment at the end of the clip for the teens to explain why they suggested the gift or fruit they did. Consider using the following clips and adding clips of your own: Displaying Fortitude Cinematic Multiverse: Sharon Carter s Funeral Speech Scene [HD] Captain America: Civil War (youtube.com) Lacking Self Control Angel Mason Altamirano: Kylo Ren Temper Tantrum and Kylo Ren Temper Tantrum (2) (youtube.com) Displaying Fear of the Lord Jose A: Evan Almighty - God shows Evan his original design (youtube.com) Lacking Patience Best Movie Scene: Zootopia Movie 2016 - Funny Sloth Scene (youtube.com) Lacking Goodness Movieclips Coming Soon: Cinderella Movie CLIP - Cinderella (2015) - Lily James, Cate Blanchett Movie HD (youtube.com) SEND Reconciliation and Reflection on the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit (30 min) Transition into the Send using the following: As easy as it is to point out the faults in others, we must focus on calling ourselves out of our own sinfulness. We must strive to abide with Jesus, living a life attached to the vine, and bearing good fruit. So many times we detach ourselves from the vine with our own sin resulting in bad fruit. We have the opportunity to be restored to life in the vine of Christ in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. When we 28 VITAL 29
are restored in the vine and in a state of grace, the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit work fully within us and help us avoid sin. Instruct the teens to pick up an Examination of Conscience and a Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit Handout found in the Life Teen May 2017 USB or online at LifeTeen.com under Life Support: May 2017. After teens receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, instruct them to go to the chapel to do penance and pray with the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit Handout. Ask your parish priest(s) in advance to administer the Sacrament of Reconciliation. If you have a large youth group, consider asking them to stay past the normal end time of the Life Night or invite neighboring priests or retired priests to join in hearing confessions. Notes: 30 VITAL 31
KEY TERMS LIFE IN THE VINE PROCLAIM OUTLINE Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Permanent dispositions that make us docile to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Fruits of the Holy Spirit: The perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us. They are a result of living in the Holy Spirit. TEACHING POINTS GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT We may not be real life fruit ninjas, but with the Holy Spirit we can bear much fruit. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are tools that help us to live a holy life and choose holy actions despite difficulties. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are the results or effects of living in a relationship with the Holy Spirit. The prophet Isaiah listed seven gifts that would belong to Jesus and are now shared with the followers of Jesus. These gifts sustain our moral life, and are permanent dispositions which make man docile in following the promptings of the Holy Spirit (CCC 1830-1831). Wisdom is the ability to see God s plan and to have faith in Him in all things. Understanding is the ability to comprehend the truths of God. Counsel is the ability to discern good and evil and make good choices. Fortitude is having the courage and the strength to suffer for our faith and face persecution. Knowledge is having a deeper ability to see things as God sees them. Piety helps us understand who we are in relation to God. It leads us to humble prayer. Fear of the Lord is having a fear of separating ourselves from Him and being in awe of God and who He is. Share stories about when you have realized that specific gifts of the Holy Spirit were at work in your life. FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Jesus in the Gospel of John said, I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. Those who live in the vine of Christ, produce fruit, specifically the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Saint Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, describes the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity. The saints give us real life examples of what abiding in the vine of Christ and bearing fruit looks like. 32 VITAL 33
Share stories about saints displaying specific fruits of the Holy Spirit. LIVING BY THE SPIRIT The more we renounce ourselves, the more we live by the Spirit and bear fruit. The Holy Spirit is vital to the Christian life. He gives us gifts and fruits that bring us life. We are called to renounce ourselves and live a life grafted into the vine of Christ. Notes: 34 VITAL 35
TEACHING LIFE IN THE VINE PROCLAIM DETAILS We may not be real life fruit ninjas, but with the Holy Spirit we can bear much fruit. John 15:8 The Holy Spirit is a person and by having a relationship with Him we are blessed with the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are tools that help us to live a holy life and choose holy actions despite difficulties. The Fruits of the Holy Spirit are the results or effects of living in a relationship with the Holy Spirit. THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT The prophet Isaiah listed seven gifts that would belong to the Anointed One, Jesus, and are now shared with the Anointed One s people, the Church. And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. Isaiah 11:2-3 These gifts sustain our moral life, and are permanent dispositions which make man docile in following the promptings of the Holy Spirit. CCC 1830-1831 Wisdom is the ability to see God s plan and to have faith in Him in all things. Understanding is the ability to comprehend the truths of God. Counsel is the ability to discern good and evil and make good choices. Fortitude is having the courage and the strength to suffer for our faith and face persecution. Knowledge is having a deeper ability to see things as God sees them. Piety helps us understand who we are in relation to God. It leads us to humble prayer. Fear of the Lord is having a fear of separating ourselves from Him and being in awe of God and who He is. Jesus possessed these gifts perfectly. When Jesus was lost as a child, He was found in the temple area sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone was amazed at His understanding. When His parents showed anxiety and asked Him what He was doing, He displayed wisdom by responding, Didn t you know that I must be in my Father s house? Luke 2:41-52 When Jesus encountered the Samaritan woman at the well, without having met her, He had knowledge of her sins, and wisdom in how to lead her to a life of freedom. John 4:5-42 When Jesus was experiencing great agony in the garden, He possessed fear of the Lord, a desire to do God s will, even when it was causing Him intense anxiety and pain. Matthew 26:36-46 If you ve been baptized, you have these same gifts. If you ve been confirmed, these gifts have been strengthened in you. CCC 1316 With the gift of wisdom, we are able to see our realities the way God sees them. We no longer judge according to our passing whims, but as God would. We may be heartbroken over a recent break up, but with wisdom, we realize our former significant other didn t intend our good and we are better off without him or her. 36 VITAL 37
With the gift of fear of the Lord, you can be in awe and wonder at God. Think of the times you have been surrounded by beauty and you took longer choosing an Instragram filter for your picture than you did in awe of the world around you? The gift of fear of the Lord helps us to step out of our egotistical world and discover God around us. The gift of counsel helps us make important decisions and helps us advise others on important decisions. Has someone ever come to you for advice and you didn t know what to say? This is when you should ask for and follow the prompting of the gift of counsel. Have you ever been listening to a homily or reading the Bible and really wanted to understand, but still struggled? Ask for the gift of understanding. Share moments when you have realized that specific gifts of the Holy Spirit were at work in your life. We may not see these gifts active in our lives because we haven t truly committed ourselves to life in the vine of Christ. Jesus said, I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5-6 THE FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Those who live in the vine of Christ, produce fruit, specifically the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Saint Paul in his letter to the Galatians, describes the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity. CCC 1832 These fruits are evidence of life in the Holy Spirit. When we live in the Holy Spirit we become more gentle, more patient, etc The saints give us examples of what abiding in the Holy Spirit and bearing fruit looks like. Saint José Luis Sanchez del Rio had a deep life of prayer and devotion that led him to sacrifice his entire life to defend the Catholic faith. Even when he was faced with death, he took joy in the prospect of heaven. Imagine the self-control and faithfulness he possessed to make such a sacrifice. Saint Maria Goretti died a martyr for chastity. She refused the advances of a man, because she deeply valued not only her own purity, but his as well. She suffered a very painful death after being stabbed nearly fourteen times, yet still forgave her killer before she died. Not only was she chaste, but good and generous. When we go to Mass every Sunday, we display faithfulness. When we make time for silence and prayer or give up sweets or listening to music in the car, we display self-control. When we listen to a friend complain about matters that we think are trivial, we show patience and goodness. When times are tough, we can ask for and be joyful. When we are moved to help a homeless person, friend, or family member who is sick or in need, or donate money instead of buying our morning latte, we practice charity. Share about when you have realized a fruit(s) of the Holy Spirit was at work in your life. We are reminded, by this power of the spirit, God s children can bear much fruit. He who has grafted us onto the true vine will make us bear the fruit of the Spirit:... the more we renounce ourselves, the more we walk by the Spirit. CCC 736 The Holy Spirit is vital to the Christian life. He gives us gifts and fruits that bring us life. We are called to renounce our lives and breathe in the life of the Spirit, a life grafted into the vine of Christ. 38 VITAL 39
CORE TEAM OVERVIEW LIFE IN THE VINE: The Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit GOAL: The goal of this Life Night is to explain the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit and invite the teens to abide in Christ and the life of the Holy Spirit. GATHER (20 MIN): Welcome and Prayer : Fruit Ninja : PROCLAIM (15 MIN): Life in the Vine Teaching: BREAK (20 MIN): Movie Clips: SEND (30 MIN): Reconciliation and Reflection on the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit: Notes: 40 VITAL 41