Goal for the Life Night:
The goal of this LIFE night is for the teens to know our Church’s stance on war in the modern world. In addition, they should then be able to apply the Church’s teaching on war and peace to their own lives.
Life Night at a Glance:
For most of our teens war seems like a distant reality. They know that it is happening all over the world, but it only seems as real to them as a movie or TV show about war. Many probably are not even aware that the Church has a strong stance on the waging of war and in fact, the modern just war theory is a product of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. During this night the teens should come to a greater understanding of what the Church defines as a just war and what the Church defines as a great evil. In addition, they should come to some understanding of a just way to wage war. Finally, they should be given the opportunity to apply their global understanding of the Church’s teaching on war to those warring areas of their own lives. They should be encouraged as Catholics to promote peace always.