Benedict XVI, Address to students December 15, 2011

What does Christmas mean to me? Is it really important for my life, for the building up of society? There are many persons in our time… who ask whether we are to expect something or someone; whether we must look for another messiah, another god; if it is worthwhile to entrust ourselves to that Child whom we find in the manger between Mary and Joseph on Christmas night…

We do not need a generic, indefinite god, but the living and true God, who opens the horizon of man’s future to the prospect of a firm and sure hope, a hope that is rich with eternity and that permits us to face the present in all its aspects with courage…

God is not far from man, but has descended and has become flesh (John 1:14), that man might understand where to find the solid foundation of all things, the fulfillment of his deepest longings: in Christ (cf. post-synodal apostolic exhortation “Verbum Domini,” 10). Patience is the virtue of those who entrust themselves to this presence in history, who do not let themselves be overcome by the temptation of placing all hope in the immediate, in the purely horizontal perspective, in technically perfect projects, but which are far from the deepest of realities, that which gives the human person the highest dignity: the transcendent dimension, being a creature in the image and likeness of God, carrying in the heart the desire of ascending to him.

Are we as leaders of Catholic teen ministries opening the horizon for teenagers to the prospect of a firm and sure hope? May God Bless all our efforts to help teens have hope, a hope in Christ! Merry Christmas to you and your teens!

1.) Little Drummer Boy – For that teen that you have playing excellent liturgical drums at Mass each week.

2.) Silent Night – for those times when you simply bring the teens in front of the Blessed Sacrament in silence.

3.) Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow – for those of you planning ski trips to ski resorts in North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia where there is no guarantee of snowfall this year.

4.) What Child is This – for those moments when you have so many Edge middle school kids coming that you can’t remember them or their name.

5.) I’ll Be Home For Christmas – for the spouses of workaholic youth leaders assuring them that you will be home for Christmas, at least a couple of hours.

6.) Breath of Heaven – How you hope your breath smells after staying up at an all night Jingle Jam Lock In at your parish.

7.) It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – The feeling of unity you have with the core team after going on retreat or a training conference together.

8.) O Come All Ye Faithful – for those youth leaders who stick their necks out each week during announcements at Teen Mass and invite teens to come to Life Night.

9.) Grown Up Christmas List – for those youth leaders wanting the parents of teens to be more supportive.

10.) It Came Upon A Midnight Clear – for that moment that you realize that your budget is due tomorrow and you haven’t started it yet.

From our entire Life Teen staff to you and your family – Have a great Christmas!

Other than illegal hits to the head and questionable calls by referees, the most controversial part of the NFL season is a phenomenon called “Tebowing”. Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow openly proclaims his faith in interviews, post game press conferences, in coffee shops or wherever he is. After touchdowns and during particularly tense moments of games he drops to one knee, putting his fist to his forehead in what looks like a power prayer stance that people have given the nick name – “Tebowing”. The reaction to “Tebowing” has been polarizing with some people applauding him and some people openly tweeting and publicly ridiculing Tim Tebow for being so open with his faith. Here is link to a new website of people who are imitating Tim Tebow in his power prayer stance. http://tebowing.com/

The question I ask is – Are you Tebowing? You see if we are serious about our faith and are not afraid to live it outwardly, we should not be surprised that in some settings we are openly mocked or criticized. It’s one thing to only hang with the people who we think “get it”, and an entirely different thing to openly live our faith in all settings and yes, even encountering resistance for our expressions of faith.

One great thing about our Catholic faith is that there are some built in “Tebowing” poses we can make that show our faith openly. Here is a short list:

1. Saying Grace before all meals we eat in a public place, no matter who is there or how awkward we feel about doing it.
2. Carrying a Rosary with us all day long.
3. Wearing a Crucifix around our neck.
4. Making a sign of the cross whenever we pass a Catholic Church acknowledging the real presence in the tabernacle inside.
5. Carrying Holy Water with us for blessing things that we feel called to bless. Like hotel rooms, ill children, a car we are making a trip in and lots of other places we feel like need the blessing.
6. Wearing a smile and a Catholic T-shirt out publicly on everyday errands.
7. Praying a Rosary for life outside an abortion clinic.

What are the ways that you openly let others know of your faith?

2. The internet goes down and you can’t show the youtube video you planned to show at the Life Night. Big Deal? or No Big Deal?

3. After Mass a teen introduces you to their parent who had been away from the Church for the past 10 years. Big Deal? or No Big Deal?

4. You get called out by the Church’s janitor in a staff meeting for not putting the chairs back in the right closet after Bible Study. Big Deal? or No Big Deal?

5.   Three teens this year have approached you about becoming Catholic and they all just entered the RCIA at your parish. Big Deal? or No Big Deal?

6. The bus broke down on your way to your mission trip, delaying your arrival by 2 hours. Big Deal? or No Big Deal?

7. A teen comes up to you after a time of Eucharistic Adoration on your retreat and tells you for the first time they believe in God. Big Deal? or No Big Deal?

8. The retreat t-shirts come in printed on the wrong color shirt. Big Deal? or No Big Deal?

9. A teen tells you they are struggling with an eating disorder. Big Deal? or No Big Deal?

10. Your announcement doesn’t get printed in the parish bulletin. Big Deal? or No Big Deal?

11. One of your teens is asked to give their testimony at all Masses next weekend. Big Deal? or No Big Deal?

One of the ways to get side tracked in ministry is when we become confused what is a big deal and what is not. If we get distracted by the no big deals and turn them into big deals, we risk losing our peace.

So what is a big deal for you? What is no big deal for you? Being able to discern can make a huge difference in how you approach ministry at your parish.

(Answer Key – All the odd numbered examples are “Big Deals” – the even numbered are most likely “No Big Deals”)

I asked what he meant and he replied: “Most people think they are Superman and ignore that there is something that renders them to be weak and defenseless.” He went on to explain, “the more responsibility you are given, the more you start to think that you are invincible and the more you ignore that thing that takes away all your strength. The key to success is identifying that thing that is within you and avoid going there.”

Of course I started thinking about how this concept of discovering our kryptonite might apply to youth leaders. While being successful in business is very different from being effective in ministry, the concept did strike a note in me. In our own way as leaders of youth, we are given a lot of unearned respect just because we stand up and tell people we are being called to work with teens. This doesn’t mean it is not deserved; respect just gets thrown on us quicker than we can really earn it by nature of our titles.  If you have ever had to follow a youth leader at a parish who lost that respect, you know how hard it can be to gain back that initial respect.

So I started thinking about what forms of kryptonite are out there for youth leaders and came up with this list of things that rob us of our joy:

1. Pride - we are so afraid to look bad that we lead by trying to look good and be accepted, rather than by making radical moves others might not understand all focused on reaching the souls of teens.

2. Laziness - we talk ourselves into the “I’ve done enough and I deserve a break today” mentality, instead of asking God if there is anything else He needs us to do that day. We justify our loaf times because we have stocked up in our minds all these good works that can “buy” us time off.

3. Hypocrisy - we live two lives. The one we proclaim and want people to see versus the hidden life that is nothing like what we proclaim.

4. Overcommitment - this is often tied to pride, but in some cases we simply don’t prioritize. We begin to take on the posture that we are the savior and if we don’t add on one more thing to ministry, no one will step up and do it. This makes the assumption that God could move only through us to accomplish this and discounts God’s ability to move in another.

5. Perpetual Doing - We avoid staying “prayed up,” justifying it by staying so busy that we don’t have time to pray. This eventually leads to our counting our sacrifices, feeling unappreciated, alone, and isolated, and leads to burnout in ministry. Prayer and Sacraments are not optional for those of us who work with teens.

So do you know what your kryptonite is? Are you avoiding it at all costs?

- do the Knights of Columbus accuse the teens of taking all their left over ketchup packets from last year’s Parish picnic?

- is the key to the closet in the Parish Hall now attached to a Hockey stick because you as youth leader forgot to put it back at 11 o’clock one Sunday night after a 14 hour day?

- do the volunteers no longer invite the teens to help stuff parish bulletins ever since “the incident” of 2009?

- are you asked to cram 75 teens into a cry room to meet because the Parish Arts and Crafts Bazaar Committee wont change their meeting room?

- do the teens only get called to serve when there are 6000 cans of food that need to be moved out of the Parish food pantry?

- do parishioners avoid you after Mass for fear of being recruited to your Edge Core Team?

- does the Parish secretary walk by exhaling deeply enough to launch a kite because “the teens” are being too loud in the Youth Ministry office?

All of the above are Parishnormal Activities or what would be mostly normal for many parishes. The tougher question is are there “not so” Parishnormal Activities taking place at your parish as well?

Here’s a quick list of some “not so” Parishnormal Activities:

- do most teens attend Mass regularly on Sunday?

- is there no doubt that the parish is youth friendly?

- are teens showing up for reconciliation regularly and not just on youth retreats?

- do teens randomly show up to pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament?

- is it a regular sight for people to see the youth minister attending daily Mass?

- does your pastor know at least 10 teens by name?

- does your parish staff regularly pray for teens and all parishioners?

- is there a core team of at least one core team member to every 8 teens you have attending?

- is it normal for your priest to stop by to chat about the exciting things happening in youth ministry with the youth leader?

- are there past or present teens who have entered or are praying about entering the seminary or joining religious life?

- are some teens parents being transformed and getting back involved in the Catholic faith?

- is a “Glory Story” about how God is moving in the life of one of your teens or core members shared often?

- do you see teens involved in leadership roles and serving on mission trips and local outreaches?

There will be plenty of Parishnormal Activity. In my experience it is the “not so” Parishnormal Activity that is making the most impact these days.What are you experiencing more of at your parish – the Parishnormal Activity or the “not so” Parishnormal Activity? The answer will let you know if you are on track.

You know her – the lady who organizes the rosary prayer group at your parish. She appears mild, meek and quite harmless. Only thing is, she and her comrades of the before “Daily Mass Rosary Crew” are prayer warriors and in reality are a big part the glue that holds many parishes together these days. I get asked about starting Life Teen or EDGE in a parish and what is the first step? My first response is to talk to Gladys or whatever that persons name is at your parish who heads up the Rosary group and get them offering up youth ministry at your parish in intercessory prayer. They will take on the charge of interceding for your efforts with conviction. Prayer works and the more people we get praying – the better.

Here’s what Gladys needs to know:

1. Your name and your mission – Let her know who you are and then let her know what is going on in the lives of teens and why we do what we do in Catholic youth ministry. Let her know that when a teen encounters Christ it changes everything – their family, friends, school, the parish and possibly the world in amazing ways!

2. What to pray – Ask her to specifically to get the Rosary group praying for youth ministry at your parish. If there are specific teens, adults or upcoming events – ask her to get people praying for them.

3. Let her know you are praying as well – People want to be part of a movement, so let her know that you and others are praying for the cause of youth ministry at your parish.

So who’s the Gladys at your parish and have you talked to her lately?

By the way, our motivation for becoming a better youth leader should not be to impress or be accepted by the parish staff or to merely keep a job, it should always remain about reaching souls. On the other hand, it just might be a factor in others wanting to be involved in helping you reach out to teens in your parish, staff included.

Here are 8 ways you can become a better youth leader:

1. Take an annual personal retreat just for your own spiritual growth. I went on a 5 day silent retreat a few years ago and it was one of the best experiences spiritually I have had in my life. You won’t be able to lead young people to a deep spiritual place, unless you are already there. We never outgrow or become too important to take retreats. Pope Benedict still attends an annual retreat!

2. Attend at least one youth ministry training conference or event opportunity that your not in charge of every year. Every time I have attended a youth ministry training conference it has given me inspiration and practical ideas that have made me a better youth leader. (Of course, I’m partial to Life Teen training events and camps, but if you can’t make one of ours, make it somewhere to get ongoing training) Put this in your parish budget and invite some of your core to attend as well. I consistently see youth leaders who attend trainings regularly staying in ministry longer and are doing some amazing ministry by the way. If you can, pursue an advanced degree or certificate in youth ministry.

3. Train others to be a better youth leader. They say the best catechetical formation thing a teen can do is to teach a vacation Bible school group. The teen needs to learn the content to be effective. The same principle applies to youth leaders, if you are training others in youth ministry it requires you to be at the top of your game and that makes you better. Plan regular trainings for your teens and core in youth ministry leadership. This also helps keep you accountable to follow through on practicing what you teach.

4. Read - Scripture, the Catechism, Papal Encyclicals, Renewing the Vision, your Bishops Blog, your diocesan Newsletter, Life Teen Spotlights, Youth Ministry Blogs, Newspapers and books on spiritual growth and leadership. When we read, we normally improve as youth leaders.

5. Meet with other youth leaders locally - Take some time to listen to what others are doing in youth ministry. Life Teen 2:42 meetings and diocesan youth leader gatherings are great built in ways to meet with other youth leaders. I recommend getting a couple of youth leaders from your area to meet once a month over a cup of coffee to talk and share the journey of youth ministry with.

6. Foster solid relationships with priests and religious sisters - I am always inspired after spending time with priests and religious sisters. Plan time with your clergy aside from meetings where you are needing something from them for the ministry. Some of my best friends are priests, I treasure these relationships. The example of sacrifice from priests and religious always inspires me and gives perspective for my ministry.

7. Study youth culture – Find out about the culture of teens in your area. Talk to school principals and teachers, parents and most importantly teens to find out what issues or trends they see. Of course there are great websites like CPYU.org out there that give us information about trends so we won’t be shocked when we talk to teens. You will grow as a youth leader the more relevant you can gear the youth ministry at your parish to the current and always changing teen culture.

8. Have a life outside of youth ministry - Have date nights with your spouse weekly, have friends outside of your core team, take vacations and try to take a day off each week to recharge your batteries for the amazing battle of being a youth leader today!

What are you doing to become a better youth leader?

I don’t endorse this game or trend, all I know is that the description parallels what I see Catholic youth leaders doing everyday for teenagers. I can tell you this – it’s not a game at all for them.  They lay it all out and put themselves in awkward spots, like hanging out at High School lunchrooms, plays, sporting events and spending time with teenagers in spots where most adults don’t fear tread for fear of being rejected by teens. While these youth leaders and core members might not be physically laying down, they and their families are laying their lives down in pursuit of teens souls. Recently watching the thousands of youth leaders at World Youth Day in Madrid, endure nights sleeping on mats in a gym with 100 degree plus heat, walk countless miles to the prayer vigil and Mass and endure packed subways to spend time with teens – in other words, putting themselves in awkward situations and places – in my mind planking in the name of Catholic youth ministry.

The most profound display of Catholic planking I have ever witnessed is when one of our Core team members was ordained a priest by the Archbishop and planked (Layed Prostrate) before the Altar and gave his life to Christ and His Church. Thank you priests and deacons for setting the ultimate example of an extreme plank for all of us in ministry.

How’s your planking? Are you laying it all down for teens souls and putting yourself in awkward, uncomfortable and unexpected places to reach the young Church?

Life Teen has a big event planned as a part of World Youth Day. Over the past few months we’ve been working with the WYD organizing committee in Madrid to coordinate what will arguably be the biggest XLT of the year at World Youth Day! Our event is the evening of August 18th, immediately following Pope Benedict the 16th’s official opening to World Youth Day.

What, you can’t be there? Well – we’ve got you covered. We are taking our media team over to Madrid to not only take some awesome pics, but to video the events as they happen. With St. Claire’s intercession and a strong internet connection, we will be posting video daily to LifeTeen.com.

If you are coming to WYD 2011 Madrid we will be hanging out at our booth in the Vocations area – it’s located at the vocations fair in “El Parque Retiro.” We’re open Tuesday, August 16 – Saturday August 20 from 10: 00AM – 10:00PM (except Saturday when it closes at 3:00PM and during our event on Thursday night.)

Here are the details of the Life Teen event:

What: Life Teen XLT Event @ World Youth Day Madrid 2011

When: Thursday, August 18, 2011 9:30PM to 11:30PM

Where: Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Parroquia Nuestra Señora Guadalupe) - Calle de Puerto Rico, 1, 28016 Madrid, Spain

Who: Randy Raus, President of Life Teen; Fr. John Montejano, Priest of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles; Joan Root, Eastern and International Director, Life Teen; Josh Blakesley, Catholic Musician; and many more Life Teen staff members.

Why: Life Teen is a family and it is good for families to gather and pray. We are honored to be part of WYD 2011 Madrid!