Announcing:
Saint Mary's Press winner for the week of July 11, 2011!

Congratulations to Susan Hagarty!

Susan will receive a copy of Breakthrough! The Bible for Young Catholics, a $20.95 value.

As the title suggests, Breakthrough! The Bible for Young Catholics highlights what happens throughout salvation history between God and humanity. God breaks through and connects with human history, thereby establishing a relationship with humanity.
Using the Good News translation, Breakthrough! The Bible for Young Catholics was created for young people leaving childhood and entering adolescence. Its ten special features were created to help make the Bible easier for young people to read and understand.

They will learn about the great people of the Bible, and will see how God has been breaking through in human history and connecting with humanity for thousands of years. Most important, they will discover, in the Bible, how God's messages to key people of faith have meaning for life today.

Breakthrough! The Bible for Young Catholics
ISBN: 978-0-88489-862-7, paper, 1,968 pages

What Were They Thinking?

Have you ever had a moment when working with young people where you stopped and asked yourself, “What were they thinking?” In this week’s Servant Leader, I would like to give you a little glimpse into “what teenagers are thinking” in relation to school. A few years ago, Saint Mary’s Press published a book titled What I Wish I Had Known About Becoming a Teenager: Wisdom and Advice from Teens in High School. The book is a collection of reflections by high school students addressing a variety of topics. In this week’s Servant Leader, I have included several of the reflections from this book that address school. Believe it or not, the start of the school year is right around the corner. I hope these reflections provide you with a little insight into the concerns of your youth as they approach the start of another school year. I pray that you are having a peaceful summer and, as always, I pray that God will continue to bless you and your ministry.

Peace,
Steven McGlaun

Now that I am a teenager, I feel the pressure bearing down on me like a giant weight on my shoulders, making it hard to see what is really important in life. This pressure makes me want to strive for perfect grades and to be the perfect teen for my parents, but that is an impossible goal. Life is not worth much if you are not loving your neighbors and loving God’s creation. God didn’t put us here to work, work, work and then die. He put us here to take care of each other. Yes, that involves work, but it involves seeing him in his people too, something that blindly working will not allow you to do.

Lizzy Pugh

My biggest worry about becoming a teenager was going to high school. I was scared to go to a new school and meet new kids. I found out that it was not as bad as I thought it would be. There were other kids like me that were scared to go to a new school and meet new friends, so we all fitted in nicely. I wish I had known that high school was not as bad as people say it is. My experience so far in my school has been fun and I have enjoyed it.

Chris Siebel

Dear God,
The world is a crazy, fast-paced place for a teenager like me. I am just seventeen, and already people are expecting me to know what I’m going to do for the rest of my life. I have barely decided what I’m going to do next week, let alone the rest of my life. Even though I am expected to be responsible like an adult, I am still apprehensive and intimidated by our very critical society. There is a lot of pressure to not mess things up, but for me, sometimes that pressure makes me mess up even more. I want to succeed in making a life and career for myself, and I feel that if I don’t get all A’s on my tests and quizzes and a high score on the ACT, my dreams of someday becoming a doctor will be ruined. Lord, please help teenagers, like myself, not become stressed out by the pressures to succeed. Help us realize that everything happens for a reason, and that if we are truly passionate about something, we will be able to accomplish our goals and aspirations.

Alison Opitz

As much as it pains me to say it, I think I do feel more pressure to succeed as a teenager. It might be that there isn’t more pressure being applied, but you start to pick up on it more. Once in high school, I think you become cognizant of all the pressure that you didn’t necessarily pick up on in middle school. Your parents have always wanted you to do well, but now in high school, it seems more important because it will help determine what college you go to. Everything seems more important in high school because it acts as a major determining factor in where you are going to go to college, which essentially sets you up for your life.

I think you as a student also become another source of the pressure that you realize when you hit high school. You start to feel the stress and pressure to succeed. While fueled by teachers and parents, it ultimately comes down to you, the student. You have to decide what’s important.

So while becoming a teenager is tough, the pressure you feel increases mainly because you notice it more. You have to decide what is worth it and what isn’t worth it. Don’t put added pressure on if it’s not necessary, and don’t stress out on the little, trivial pieces. Decide what’s worth your attention and your time, and do those things well.

Elizabeth Green

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Back-to-School Blessing: A Prayer Service for the Beginning of the School Year
From Holiday and Seasonal Ideas for Ministry with Young Teens

Back-to-School Blessing
A Prayer Service for the
Beginning of the School Year

Overview
This blessing ceremony celebrates the beginning of school and helps the young people welcome a new school year. It is ideal to use for the first meeting of a group in a new school year.

Suggested Time
10 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the group

Group Size
The ideal size for this activity is a group of ten to thirty.

Special Considerations
Some of the young people in your group may be starting in a new school this year. As with any change in life, they may experience a wide variety of feelings, such as excitement, nervousness, and fear. Be sure to pay attention to their anxieties and help them to focus on the positive aspects of a new school and school year.

Materials Needed
- a backpack
- items that represent mind learning, such as school supplies, textbooks, a calculator, a globe, and musical instruments
- items that represent body learning, such as sports equipment, dance or gymnastics supplies, and physical education attire
- items that represent spirit learning, such as a book of prayers, a religious symbol or icon, a flower, a flyer for a service project, and a journal
- a pillar candle and matches
- a Bible
- a clear bowl of water
- a small branch from an evergreen tree
- new pens or pencils, one for each person

Procedure
Preparation. Before the young people arrive, establish a prayer space with a backpack; items that represent mind-learning, body learning, and spirit learning; a pillar candle; a Bible; a clear bowl of water; a small branch from an evergreen tree; and a new pen or pencil for each person.

1. Gather the young people in the prayer space. Make a comment about the gift of new beginnings as the school year opens. Acknowledge the participants’ anxieties, particularly if some of them are starting classes at a new school. Tell them that together they will begin a new school year with a blessing.

2. Invite the young people to observe in silence the items in the prayer space that can be considered tools for school. Point out that some of the items are for “mind learning”—things like textbooks, a calculator, a globe, and musical instruments. Other items are for “body learning”; sports equipment and dance supplies fall into this category. The last category is “spirit learning”; it includes items like a religious icon and a personal journal.

3. Light a pillar candle. Then read 1 Tim. 4:12–16. Return the Bible to the prayer space and pick up a bowl of water. Dip an evergreen branch in the bowl and sprinkle the items in the prayer space. As you do so, say the following prayer:
O God, we ask your blessing on these symbols of a new year. May they help us to learn, and to enjoy and to share the special talents that you have given to us. We ask this in the name of Jesus, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

4. Ask the young people to move toward you one by one, with their hands in front of them, palms up. As each person reaches you, dip your thumb in the water and make the sign of the cross on her or his forehead, palms, shoulders, and feet as you say, “[Name of young person], use your mind and body this school year to learn, to serve, and to grow.” Then give the person a pen or pencil before the person returns to her or his place.

5. To conclude the blessing service, make a few comments as follows, in your own words:

- Remind the young people that they represent the Christian community in their school, and that they should offer hospitality to others. Encourage them to look for and befriend younger and new students.

- Note how important it is for all young people to feel like they are wanted and that they belong to the school community. Challenge the participants to include all fellow students in social gatherings, reach out to people at lunchtime, and pay attention to people who seem to be alone a lot.

- Tell them that the beginning of a new school year means a chance to start anew. Challenge them to establish good study habits right from the start, especially if that has been a problem in previous years. Encourage them to work at staying focused so that they can succeed academically and know that they are doing their best.

Alternate Procedure
If you have extra time, allow the young people to express their feelings about beginning a new school year.

Consider putting all the mind, body, and spirit items in the backpack when you set up the prayer space. In step 2 ask the young people to take turns removing one item at a time and explaining what it represents and how it can help a person develop brain learning, body learning, or spirit learning. Note that many of the items can address more than one type of learning.

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 17, 2011
Matthew 13:24-33


Opening Prayer
Jesus, you have sown the good seed of the word of God among us. Help us to draw from this source of goodness and to be a positive influence in the world. Perhaps we will never understand why good and evil exist side by side, but you have shown us how we can spread the Good News of the Gospel and become an instrument of God's goodness. Amen.

Context Connection
This Sunday's Gospel is another parable that involves a farmer and the sowing of seeds. The landowner takes great care to sow good seed: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field" (13:24). However, by the cover of night, an enemy comes and sows weeds in the same field. The landowner is surprised to discover that weeds are growing among his good seed. In the story there is no reaction to the claim that "an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat" (13:25). It is rather a statement of fact. At the time of Jesus it was common for families to feud with other families. Sometimes one family would even sabotage the crops of the family they were feuding with in order to decrease productivity.

Now that the landowner has discovered the weeds he has to make some decisions. He knows that the seed he purchased and used to plant the field was good, so he does not have to confront the person who sold him the wheat. The servants advise him to immediately pull out the weeds, avenging the action of his enemy who planted the weeds and thus correcting the wrong. In a surprising response, the landowner says, "No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest" (13:29-30). On the surface it seems that the landowner admits defeat. But appearances can be deceiving. In reality the landowner is a shrewd man and a wise farmer. From his experience he knows that the wheat is strong enough to compete with the weeds for nourishment and water and that it will grow to maturity. Therefore, at harvest he not only gathers the grain into his barn but also gathers the weeds as an unexpected source of fuel.

Jesus's audience realizes that his story is not a lesson in agriculture but a lesson in understanding the Kingdom of heaven. One lesson is that the landowner refuses to take revenge on his enemy. In a society more familiar with "an eye for an eye" rather than reconciliation, the landowner's victory in the end--despite what seems like a passive response--is powerful. It is worthwhile to reflect on the confidence the landowner has that the wheat will survive the effects of the weeds. Placing one's trust in goodness is greater than placing one's trust in the fear of wickedness. Could this be a powerful weapon against rampant and senseless violence?

Another lesson is that God's Kingdom on earth has already arrived and that goodness and evil coexist. The story of the wheat and the weeds illustrates that all people have not accepted the teachings of Jesus, but that Jesus's word is good and nothing can change that fact. From the landowner we learn the virtues of tolerance and patience. Just as the landowner asked his servants not to pull out the weeds for fear of destroying the good wheat, God asks believers to restrain from forcibly rooting out what may, from our limited experience, seem to be evil. God has reserved judgment until the harvest time--the final judgment. The disciples can find comfort in knowing that they have received the good seed of the word of God. Through this revelation the disciples have the awesome ability to influence others and bring about salvation--regardless of the extreme conditions in which they live.

Tradition Connection
The Church is made up of many different kinds of people, but all are on the way to holiness. Another way to say this is that the church is a gathering of sinners who are caught up in the salvation of Jesus because of the cross and who, together, are helping one another to become holy:

"Christ, 'holy, innocent, and undefiled,' knew nothing of sin, but came only to expiate the sins of the people. The Church, however, clasping sinners to her bosom, at once holy and always in need of purification, follows constantly the path of penance and renewal."1 All members of the Church, including her ministers, must acknowledge that they are sinners.2 In everyone, the weeds of sin will still be mixed with the good wheat of the Gospel until the end of time.3 Hence the Church gathers sinners already caught up in Christ's salvation but still on the way to holiness:
"The Church is therefore holy, though having sinners in her midst, because she herself has no other life but the life of grace. If they live her life, her members are sanctified; if they move away from her life, they fall into sins and disorders that prevent the radiation of her sanctity. This is why she suffers and does penance for those offenses, of which she has the power to free her children through the blood of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit."4 (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 827)
Therefore we acknowledge the existence of sin in our world and in ourselves for all are in the process of journeying toward perfection. It is a process of becoming in which good and evil exist simultaneously within each of us. The option of choosing good or evil always exists because God created humans and angels as creatures with intellects and free will; sometimes our choices, however, do not lead to perfection. In light of the revelation of God's word, we call this sin:

Angels and men, as intelligent and free creatures, have to journey toward their ultimate destinies by their free choice and preferential love. They can therefore go astray. Indeed, they have sinned. Thus has moral evil, incommensurably more harmful than physical evil, entered the world. God is in no way, directly or indirectly, the cause of moral evil.5 He permits it, however, because he respects the freedom of his creatures and, mysteriously, knows how to derive good from it:
"For almighty God . . ., because he is supremely good, would never allow any evil whatsoever to exist in his works if he were not so all-powerful and good as to cause good to emerge from evil itself."6 (Catechism, paragraph 311)
Sin does exist, and for us to deny that is to be less than truthful. In our relationship with Jesus, the word made flesh, we come to recognize this reality in our own lives. When believers are able to recognize sin in their lives, they then have the option of making a choice to conduct their lives more consistently with the message of Jesus--to love God and one another more fully:

Sin is present in human history; any attempt to ignore it or to give this dark reality other names would be futile. To try to understand what sin is, one must first recognize the profound relation of man to God, for only in this relationship is the evil of sin unmasked in its true identity as humanity's rejection of God and opposition to him, even as it continues to weigh heavy on human life and history. (Catechism, paragraph 386)
Sunday's Gospel helps us understand the coexistence of good and evil. The landowner does not immediately have the weeds (which are hard to distinguish from the wheat in the early stages of growth) pulled out because in doing so some of the good wheat would be destroyed. Instead he allows the weeds and the wheat to coexist until the harvest. Perhaps another reason for allowing both to coexist is that in the reality of life good has the ability to influence evil and to convert it. Salvation is an active process that we can choose to participate in each day. Conversion can happen at any stage in the life of a human being. Therefore we need to be patient, like our heavenly Father is patient, as God's plan of salvation unfolds in each of our lives.

Wisdom Connection
The reality of the good wheat and the weeds growing in the same field gives rise to the unresolved question of how good and evil can coexist. The parable does not try to answer the question but simply states that this reality does exist. Perhaps before we can resolve why goodness and sin exist in the world we must first honestly accept that both exist within ourselves. Jesus came to redeem the whole person. Jesus is the Revelation that sin has exited from the origin of man. The flawed part of humanity cannot be explained away with clever terminology but must be honestly recognized and named, thus allowing the grace of God to redeem the flawed part of humanity:

Only the light of divine Revelation clarifies the reality of sin and particularly of the sin committed at mankind's origins. Without the knowledge Revelation gives of God we cannot recognize sin clearly and are tempted to explain it as merely a developmental flaw, a psychological weakness, a mistake, or the necessary consequence of an inadequate social structure, etc. Only in the knowledge of God's plan for man can we grasp that sin is an abuse of the freedom that God gives to created persons so that they are capable of loving him and loving one another. (Catechism, paragraph 387)

Acknowledgments
The scriptural quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition. Copyright © 1993 and 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

The quotations labeled Catechism are from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America. Copyright © 1994 by the United States Catholic Conference, Inc.--Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission.

The Lord's Prayer is taken from Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers. Copyright © 1988 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Inc., Washington, DC. All rights reserved.

Endnotes Cited in Quotations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church
1. Lumen gentium 8 § 3; cf. Unitatis redintegratio 3; 6; Hebrews 2:17; 7:26; 2 Corinthians 5:21.
2. Cf. 1 John 1:8-10.
3. Cf. Matthew 13:24-30.
4. Paul VI, Solemn Profession of Faith: Credo of the People of God § 19.
5. Cf. St. Augustine, De libero arbitrio 1, 1, 2: J.P. Migne, ed., Patrologia Latina (Paris: 1841-1855), 32, 1223; St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae I-II, 79, 1.
6. St. Augustine, Enchiridion 3, 11: J.P. Migne, ed., Patrologia Latina (Paris: 1841-1855), 40, 236.

Saint Ignatius of Loyola

July 31 is the memorial for Saint Ignatius of Loyola.

Ignatius of Loyola was the youngest of eleven children in a noble family in Spain. As a young adult, his goal in life was to achieve fame and fortune. At the age of thirty, he was seriously injured in a battle. During his recovery he had the opportunity to examine his life and read about the saints. Once he realized that God was calling him, he devoted all his energy to discerning God’s will and then doing it. Ignatius developed the Spiritual Exercises, a practical guide for those who want to live a truly Christian life, and shared them with his companions. Ignatius called his community the “Company of Jesus.” Today they are known as the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits, one of the largest religious communities in the world.

For more information on Saint Ignatius of Loyola, go to http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-ignatius-of-loyola/.