EVERY

JESUS YOUTH
IS A
MISSIONARY
(a 7-week reflection material)

Prepared by
Jesus Youth International Team
April 2011
Introduction

“One can be identified as a Jesus Youth only if one is a missionary” - this has been a
pivotal conviction in the Jesus Youth movement and these days following the Silver
Jubilee, this very conviction calls us to reflect on this more deeply.

In this context, the Jesus Youth International Team has prepared this reflection material
based on the important documents which came out during the Jubilee Year (‘Looking
beyond the Jubilee’, ‘Fostering the graces of the Jubilee’, ‘At the threshold of the
Jubilee’, ‘Jubilee Conference Preparation Material’, etc). This material is intended to be
used in all the JY groups - prayer groups, cells, small groups, fellowship groups - during
the period from Easter to Pentecost. Through the 7 weeks, Jesus Youth worldwide shall
have prepared themselves for a fresh anointing when we celebrate Pentecost Day and
Missionary Commitment Day 2011.

This is also an attempt to gather together the strands of reflections that have emerged
in the last few years, with the Spirit guiding us in the specific context of our future
mission. May this reflection material help us to make the 50 days a time of
recommitting & reorienting ourselves and that of surrendering our lives to the Church,
the Jesus Youth movement and its mission.

This resource is a compilation of Scripture readings, reflections from various Jesus Youth
documents, teachings of Pope Benedict XVI on Saint Paul the Apostle and those given by
him during general audiences in the last few years . There is also a set of reflection
activities for each week which the participants can do to live out the Gospel.

St. Paul - Patron of Evangelists

Let us pray to St. Paul to be our model, companion and intercessor in our journey to
grow as a zealous missionary in the days to come. Seek Paul's intercession to be a more
vibrant missionary in this world. Respond to the Universal Call to Holiness and
the Universal Call to Mission. Our devotion to St. Paul will bring us closer to the crucified
and risen Saviour. The graces we receive will exceed our greatest expectations.

“Lord, illumine us, grant us an encounter with Your presence in our world, and grant us
a lively faith, an open heart and great love for all, which is capable of renewing the
world.”
How do I use this material?

There are 3 parts in a week’s reflection:

Part 1: Reflections from various Jesus Youth documents along with a few questions for
discussion in groups which will help us to reorient our life as a missionary
Part 2: Teachings of Pope Benedict XVI focused on understanding the missionary heart
of St. Paul the Apostle
Part 3: Activities for the week

Depending on the person facilitating the group, and the number and age of the
participants present, it can take anywhere between one to two hours. Each member of
the group has to go through the reflections and questions, personally and with the
group. Remember-

1. This reflection material can be used in any Jesus Youth group – 4 to 5 people in each
group is an ideal number
2. The group is expected to meet once a week (for 7 consecutive weeks)
3. You can start with a song/prayer/ice-breaker (5-10 mts)
4. Continue with a Jesus Youth Prayer (30-40 mts)
5. Complete the preparation/reflection material (30-40 mts)
6. End with a song/prayer (5-10 mts)
The members can also spend some time after the session sharing about the previous
week’s activities.

Using this material

• Plan the session. Each session includes the theme for the week supported by Pope
Benedict XVI’s teaching, Scripture reading, reflection questions and ‘Praying with St.
Paul’. There is also an active component to the resource with suggestions of what the
participants can do during the coming week. So the leader of the group needs to plan
and prepare well before the meeting.
• Be prepared. Make sure you read through the programme and appropriate resource
materials before you go and run it! Resource persons need to be booked earlier.
• Create an enjoyable and relaxed environment so that when group members arrive,
they feel right at home.
• Set up a central focus to set the mood. This may include things like a Bible, a cross, a
candle - anything! Be creative but also mindful of the mood you are trying to create.
• The leader sets the tone in the group. The energy of the leader is vital to setting a
good mood within the group. If the leader isn’t passionate about the topic, why would
the participants be?
WEEKLY THEMES

Week 1: “To remember the past with gratitude, to live the present with enthusiasm
and to look forward to the future with confidence” – Pope John Paul II

JY Document 1: Call to put my house in order

Teaching 1: St. Paul’s encounter with Christ

Week 2: Identifying and growing in my personal mission

JY Document 2: My personal mission

Teaching 2: Apostle’s response to God’s call

Week 3: “I would like to be a missionary, not just for a few years, but ’til the end of
time!” - St. Thérèse of Lisieux

JY Document 3: My missionary zeal for the Lord’s Kingdom

Teaching 3: Urgency for Mission

Week 4: ‘Jesus Youth is all about losing and giving’

JY Document 4: What holds us back?

Teaching 4: Centrality of the person of Christ in St. Paul’s life

Week 5: For greater fidelity to the life in the Body of Christ

JY Document 5: Finding fullness in the Church

Reflection 5: ‘A little light brightening the wider Church’

Week 6: Be cautious not to become content here

JY Document 6: Beginning another Exodus

Teaching 6: Developing disciples like Timothy

Week 7: A time of renewal of my Missionary Commitment

JY Document 7: Praying for a New Pentecost

Teaching 7: ‘Here I am, send me!’
Week 1
Theme: “To remember the past with gratitude, to live the present with enthusiasm
and to look forward to the future with confidence” – Pope John Paul II

Reflection 1:
Call to put my house in order

Jesus Youth has been for most of us a challenge towards a deeper walk in the Spirit that
followed a very personal encounter with the Lord. That new start opened me up to a
whole new heaven and earth, a fresh joy of living and a transforming novel purpose in
life to live for and even risk my life for. Maybe I have abandoned this love I had at first
(Rev 2:4). This is a time to renew and relive my encounter, especially to put off the old
nature which belongs to the former manner of life and instead be renewed in the Spirit
(Eph 4:22,23). When I gave up what was mine, the Lord filled my emptiness with His
riches. My walk in the Spirit has been enriched by these gifts of the Spirit that made me
a joyful and fruitful Child of God. Today the Lord invites me to renew the once found yet
lost riches in the spirit in my life.
(Taken from ‘Jubilee Conference Preparation material’)

Reflection questions for group discussion:

Q1. Gratitude, enthusiasm and confidence in my relationship with Christ - how am I

growing in my active walk with Christ? What are the major areas of my life (not only
spiritual) which need to be put in order so that I become a more ‘disciplined’ follower of
Christ?
Q2. Do I have a deep conviction that I am chosen and called by God, from the first
moment of my existence? This is also a time to check and mend my fidelity to the six
pillars.

Teaching 1:
St. Paul’s encounter with Christ

Calling to mission and "conversion" are closely connected in St Paul. This is why it is
interesting to study the nature of this spiritual transformation in order to better
understand his calling to be a missionary…

The Risen Christ appears as a brilliant light and speaks to Saul, transforms his thinking
and his entire life… His encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus was the source
of all his preaching and theology… Thus St. Paul was not transformed by a thought but
by an event, by the irresistible presence of the Risen One whom subsequently he would
 never be able to doubt, so powerful had been the evidence of the event, of this
encounter. It radically changed Paul's life in a fundamental way; in this sense one can
and must speak of a conversion… His was a conversion in the deepest sense of the word,
an opening of the heart to God, the eruption of grace and the transformation of a
person.

Paul describes his encounter with Christ in these words: "when God, who had set me
apart from the time when I was in my mother's womb, called (Jer. 1:5) me through his
grace and chose to reveal his Son in me, so that I should preach him to the gentiles" (Gal
1:15-16). The Apostle perceives this interior shock as the fruit of a long maturation
which began from the first moment of his existence: since birth he had been guided by
God, slowly, patiently, until the decisive moment when Christ took hold of him and
made him His own forever (Phil 3:12).

(Based on Pope Benedict XVI's Teaching on St. Paul's Conversion, General Audience, 3
Sept. 2008 & Pope Benedict XVI’s Message for World Day of Prayer for Vocations 2008)

Activity for Week 1

Try to write down specifically the peculiarities of your call. Enlist your areas of gifts
and strengths and thank the Lord for them.
Like Jesus did, spend time in prayer as you make this preparation. It could be:
• Spending at least 30 mts with God each day of this week
• Wearing an attitude of appreciation before leaving the house today
• Setting up a Bible reading/study plan

Praying with St. Paul

St. Paul, from your place in heaven we ask you continually to pray for us in the manner
you prayed for the Romans. May our faith and love of the Gospel bring light into our
families, parishes, community and the entire world. May our witness even be a cause for
increasing the joy of the angels and saints who surround you. We, however, are
surrounded by unbelievers and are assailed on every side. May you come to us with
some spiritual gift in order to strengthen us. May we on earth encourage one another in
the faith. May we be strong even though we feel so weak and inadequate. So often we
know the right thing to do but find ourselves doing just the opposite (Rom 7:20) yet you
assure us that ultimately nothing can separate us from Christ (Rom 8:35). When you
were in this world you sought to address the human as well as the spiritual needs of
people… We ask you to draw us closer to Jesus, crucified and risen who is the way, truth
and life for the world. In this way, we will be filled with peace, joy and that hope that
comes from God, which the world can never understand or destroy. Amen.
Week 2
Theme: Identifying and growing in my personal mission

Reflection 2:
My personal mission

This is the primary, basic call that springs up from one’s charisms, strengths and talents.
Hence this call varies from person to person. Some examples include personal
intercession for others, follow-up of new entrants to assist their integration into the
movement, nurturing of leadership, making personal visits to the needy and discipling of
others. Although expressions of this call vary from phase to phase, one’s personal
mission continues throughout one’s lifetime…

To be able to discover the actual will of the Lord (personal mission) always involves the
following: a receptive listening of the Word of God and Church, fervent and constant
prayer, recourse to a wise and loving spiritual guide, and a faithful discernment of the
gifts and talents given by God, as well as of the diverse historic and social situations in
which one lives (CL 58).
(Taken from ‘Looking beyond the Jubilee’)

Reflection questions for group discussion:

Q1. Have I been faithful to the Spirit-given gifts and talents and nurtured them in me?
Q2. Do I have a personal mission in my life? How can we identify our personal mission?

Teaching 2:
Apostle’s response to God’s call

That conversion was being born again. That event brought radical newness. Paul is
blinded by the revelation of Christ. Baptism restores his sight (Acts 9:18), a most
powerful symbol. The old man cannot see well before he is born to new life. A new
world is revealed to the Apostle. The whole thought of Paul is based on that experience.
It was not simply a vision of Christ. Instead it was a revelation of the profound
transformation of the world achieved by the Risen Christ. Paul insists, in his writings, on
the distinction between the old world and the new world. He experienced this
distinction in his flesh…

But we too can encounter Christ in reading Sacred Scripture, in prayer, in the liturgical
life of the Church. We can touch Christ's Heart and feel him touching ours. Only in this
personal relationship with Christ, only in this encounter with the Risen One do we truly
become Christians…

(Based on Pope Benedict XVI's Message for World Day of Prayer for Vocations 2008 &
Pope Benedict XVI's General Audience of 3 Sept. 2008)

Activity for Week 2

Spending quality time with and receiving life guidance from mature and committed
Christians is vital to attaining clarity on one’s call and mission which leads to a joyful and
fruitful living. Identify one such person this week and spend time to discuss your call and
response.

Praying with St. Paul

Beloved St. Paul, help us live our lives with such integrity, purity and innocence that you
will rejoice before the throne of God as you remember us in your prayers. Deepen our
love, broaden our knowledge and sharpen our insight. May your prayers aid us in the
work God has begun in us so that we may grow in grace day by day and share with our
fellow believers a partnership in spreading the news of God’s love on Earth. When we
feel trapped by the hardships and limitations this life imposes upon us, may we
remember how you handled your own imprisonment and suffering. Help us to face the
difficult challenges in our lives with a sense of divine confidence... May you rejoice in us
as we live and act with one mind and spirit (Phil 2:2). We stand in the midst of a twisted
and perverted generation (Phil 2:14-15) but by the grace of the Christ, whom you served
so well, we are confident that we will be able to live our lives in such a way that we will
be like stars in the midst of the darkness… Pour out the riches of Christ upon us so that
we may share them with others. Amen.

Week 3
Theme: “I would like to be a missionary, not just for a few years, but ’til the end of
time!” - St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Reflection 3:
My missionary zeal for the Lord’s Kingdom

Jubilee, for every one of us, is a time of renewed proclamation of the anointing of the
Holy Spirit (Lk. 4:18) and sharing of the freedom with everyone (Lev 25:10,54), or in
other words, a time of renewal of the movement’s missionary commitment. Over the
years Jesus Youth has been led, little by little, into specific styles and areas of sharing
the Good News and building a Christian culture. Young people of all kinds and their
varying situations have evoked the deep interest of the movement, bringing Jesus and
His message to them. Different youth categories, professions, media, migration and
numerous other related issues have all been receiving keen missionary focus in the
movement…

Each one of us has received abundantly from the Lord, from the Church and from this
our fellowship, but how much have we given and how much do we continue to give?
This is a moment for a fresh resolve to launch out and persevere in what we begin. In
the movement we have innumerable examples of dedicated missionaries who are
zealous in their path of prayer and so very devoted to the life of mission, spending their
time, talent and resources for the Kingdom. Modern life and technology have gifted us
with a variety of gadgets and conveniences. This is a good time to examine if they have
facilitated or blunted our mission zeal for the Lord’s Kingdom.
(Taken from ‘Jubilee Conference Preparation material’)

Reflection questions for group discussion:

Q1. ‘Do the little things with full of love for Jesus’ - how faithful have I been to the little
things in life? How faithful am I while discharging my responsibilities in the ministry?
Q2. ‘Everything for the Gospel and through the Gospel.’ The principal condition for
missionary activity, according to the Apostle, is a consistent lifestyle. His own life was a
proclamation of the Gospel - what am I doing daily to grow as a missionary?
Q3. Paul was ready to sacrifice his life completely for the sake of the Gospel (2 Cor. 6:3-
10). Which are the areas in my life that I find difficulty in surrendering for the sake of the
Gospel?

Teaching 3:
Urgency for Mission

Dear brothers and sisters, as in early times, today too Christ needs apostles ready to
sacrifice themselves. He needs witnesses and martyrs like St. Paul… First of all he recalls
that his mission is to preach about Jesus as the Messiah, but a crucified Messiah.
Proclamation of the Lord's death is central… The aim of his preaching is not to obtain an
effect, a sort of parade to seduce the audience. His proclamation is the announcement
of the mystery of the Cross. He desires to know one thing — Christ crucified. This is the
entire content of his message; the rest is commentary. He actually incarnates this
reality. The crucified Christ lives in him (Gal 2:20)…
 Pope Benedict XVI emphasizes Paul's awareness that he is chosen and sent by God. This
divine calling, the manifestation of God's mercy, is for Paul, the reason for his personal
involvement in mission. His self-giving is the principal cause of the fruitfulness of his
apostolate. The life of Paul… is marked by centrality of the person of Christ and the
universal aspect of Paul's apostolate. What made him undertake difficult journeys was
Christ's love for him and his love for Christ (2 Cor 5:14-15). Martyrdom appears then as a
logical consequence, the extreme expression of total love which leads to identification
with the Divine Master even in death…

Paul's perception of the universal character of salvation; he is the man of universality. In

a world marked by divisions and barriers between peoples and cultures, he realizes that
Christ's message is for every man and woman of whatever culture or religion, nationality
or social condition. He realizes that "God is the God of everyone"… Christ gave his life
for all mankind and he wishes every man and woman to be saved. Love of Christ, which
burns in the heart of the Apostle, will lead him as far away as Spain (Rom 15:24), in
those days, the very end of the known world.

(Based on Proclamation of Pauline Year, Pope Benedict XVI, 28 June 2007 & Pope
Benedict XVI’s Message for World Day of Prayer for Vocations 2008)

Activity for Week 3

“To pick up a pin for love can convert a soul” - read the autobiography of St. Thérèse
of Lisieux, Story of a Soul
• Tell one person about your faith journey and why your faith is important to you!
• Start offering daily activities/difficulties/sufferings for the salvation of souls

Praying with St. Paul

O glorious St. Paul, after persecuting the Church you became by God's grace its most
zealous Apostle. To carry the knowledge of Jesus, our Divine Saviour, to the uttermost
parts of the earth you joyfully endured prison, scourging, stoning, and shipwreck, as well
as all manner of persecutions culminating in the shedding of the last drop of your blood
for our Lord Jesus Christ. Obtain for us the grace to labour strenuously to bring the faith
to others and to accept any trials and tribulations that may come our way. Help us to be
inspired by your Epistles and to partake of your indomitable love for Jesus, so that after
we have finished our course, we may join you in praising Him in heaven for all eternity.
Amen.
Week 4
Theme: ‘Jesus Youth is all about losing and giving’

Reflection 4:
What holds us back?

To many Christians, Paul is a scandal today - “We proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling
block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles” (1 Cor. 1-23). Jesus’ call to renounce
everything and deny one’s own life (Lk 14:26), and His challenge, “He who would save
his life must lose it” (Mk 8:35-36), do not make sense to many. They try to disprove
these paradoxes that Jesus suggests by saying, “Lord we can be your disciples without
losing anything in the world!” A life of compromise and adjustment comes in, even in
the rank and file of the Jesus Youth.

What is the difference between JY and other movements? There are many differences,
but one that has always inspired me is the purpose and motivation.... In many other
groups, I find that people go in order to receive something in their life – especially in the
form of blessings. But in our groups, people come in order to give themselves to do His
will. People are willing to set apart many things; to lose many things in their life in order
to follow Him. Some may start this journey to receive blessings, but soon they
understand that Jesus Youth is all about losing and giving. However, all of us know that
our Lord will give back a thousand fold, in His time. The Jubilee has taught us again
about giving ourselves and losing many things in our lives – money, time, confronting
difficulties and making several sacrifices.
(Taken from ‘Looking beyond the Jubilee’)

Reflection questions for group discussion:

Q1. What are certain things I gave up to follow Him? What made me to take such
decisions?
Q2. How am I welcoming Christ as the ‘standard to evaluate events and things in my
life’?
Q3. What are some of the characteristics of a true apostle which I can see in my life?
What is the one thing that holds me back from taking a new commitment?

Teaching 4:
Centrality of the person of Christ in St. Paul’s life

Today I would like to speak of the teaching St. Paul left us about the centrality of the
risen Christ in the mystery of salvation, about his Christology.
 In reality, the risen Jesus Christ, "exalted above every name," is at the center of all his
reflections. Christ is for the Apostle the standard to evaluate events and things, the
purpose of every effort that he makes to announce the Gospel, the great passion that
sustains his steps along the paths of the world. And he is a living Christ, concrete: The
Christ, Paul says, "who loved me and gave himself up for me" (Galatians 2:20). This
person who loves me, with whom I can speak, who listens and responds to me, this is
really the principle for understanding the world and for finding the way in history…

The principal trait we should imitate is certainly his closeness to Christ: "what counts is
to place Jesus Christ at the centre of our lives, so that our identity is marked essentially
by the encounter, by communion with Christ and with his Word"… It was not simply a
conversion, a development of his "ego", but rather a death and a resurrection for Paul
himself. One existence died and another, new one was born with the Risen Christ…
Receiving oneself from Christ and giving oneself with Christ, thereby participating
personally in the life of Christ himself to the point of identifying with him and sharing
both his death and his life.

(Based on Pope Benedict XVI’s Paul's Christology, General Audience, 22 Oct. 2008 & Pope
Benedict XVI's General Audience of 25 Oct. 2006, 8 Nov. 2006 and 3 Sept. 2008)

Activity for Week 4

‘Jesus Youth is all about losing and giving’
• Share some of your resources with someone in need - find joy in giving!
• Check your personal priorities, reset them if needed
• Be available for God’s work - get involved in your ministry, prayer group, place where
you live, etc. Are there more ways and possibilities of being directly involved, supporting
or interceding for the ministry?

Praying with St. Paul - Litany of Saint Paul the Apostle

Antiphon: Thou hast proved me and known me: Thou hast known my sitting down and
my rising up.
V. The great Saint Paul, the vessel of election, is indeed worthy to be glorified:
R. For he also deserved to possess the twelfth throne.
Lord have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord have mercy.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us.
Queen conceived without original sin, Pray for us.
Saint Paul, Pray for us.
Apostle of the Gentiles, Pray for us.
Vessel of Election, Pray for us.
St. Paul, who wast rapt to the third heaven, Pray for us.
St. Paul, who heard things not given to man to utter, Pray for us.
St. Paul, who knew nothing but Christ, and Him crucified, Pray for us.
St. Paul, whose love for Christ was stronger than death, Pray for us.
St. Paul, who wished to be dissolved and be with Christ, Pray for us.
St. Paul, whose zeal knew no bounds, Pray for us.
St. Paul, who made thyself all to all, to gain all to Christ, Pray for us.
St. Paul, who called thyself prisoner of Christ for us, Pray for us.
St. Paul, who wast jealous of us, with the jealousy of God, Pray for us.
St. Paul, who glories only in the Cross of Christ, Pray for us.
St. Paul, who bore in thy body the mortification of Christ, Pray for us.
St. Paul, who exclaimed: With Christ I am nailed to the cross! Pray for us.
St. Paul, that we may awake and sin no more, Pray for us.
That we may not receive the grace of God in vain, Pray for us.
That we may walk in newness of life, Pray for us.
That we may work out our salvation with fear and trembling, Pray for us.
That we may put on the armor of God, Pray for us.
That we may stand against the deceits of the wicked one, Pray for us.
That we may stand fast to the last, Pray for us.
That we may press forward to the mark, Pray for us.
That we may win the crown, Pray for us.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world:

Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world:
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world:
Have mercy on us.

Let us pray. O God, Who hast taught the whole world by the preaching of blessed Paul
the Apostle: grant that we, who celebrate his memory, may by following his example be
drawn unto Thee. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, Who with Thee livest and
reignest in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. R. Amen.
(Prayer Source: Kyrie Eleison - Two Hundred Litanies by Benjamin Francis Musser O.F.M.,
The Magnificat Press, 1944)
Week 5
Theme: For greater fidelity to the life in the Body of Christ

Reflection 5:
Finding fullness in the Church

The Jubilee Conference has been, at a deeper level, a renewed call to mission, with
special reference to contemporary modes and challenges. Having evolved from, being
rooted in, and carrying out the mission of the Church, it was repeatedly brought to our
attention that the Jesus Youth movement finds its fullness in the Church. The core
character of Jesus Youth mission, starting as personal enthusiasm to do something
beautiful for the Lord, growing into little initiatives, blooming into well-defined Jesus
Youth ministries, should contribute much to the enlivening of missionary zeal in the
local churches and awareness of Christ in the wider world. Need for wider dimensions of
mission in terms of greater human concern, interventions relating to ecological
challenges, Christian presence in public forum as well as ecumenical and inter-religious
spheres were also stressed.
(Taken from ‘Fostering the graces of the Jubilee’)

Reflection questions for group discussion:

Q1. How frequent am I in my participation in the Holy Eucharist and in the Sacrament of
Reconciliation? Do I actively contribute to my parish life and also to the life of the wider
Church?
Q2. Have I taken time to learn about and love the Church and her teachings?
Q3. How can I build a youth ministry in the area that I live which will actively participate
in the pastoral life of the Church?
Q4. How am I responding to the call of the Lord for each and everyone in the movement
‘to think with the Church’ and ‘to sharpen the tools to build with the Church’?

Teaching 5:
‘A little light brightening the wider Church’

The centrality of the Church, the Body of Christ, is without a doubt the final lesson to
draw from his example. Paul always thought that his mission was to be undertaken in
the Church and through the Church. Mission is a matter of building up the body of
Christ… Whether it is his meeting with Peter, to be reassured that he was not running in
vain, or his request for support from the community in Rome, Paul knows that
missionary work must always be the fruit of a living bond with the Church…
 Paul's message is markedly Christ-centered, the work of the Holy Spirit and the Church
so present in his heart… Before proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he encountered
him on the road to Damascus, and met him in the Church, observing his life in the
Twelve, and in those who had followed him on the roads of Galilee…

The Apostle to the Gentiles stayed with the first Pope for 15 days to learn about Christ's
earthly life. During Paul's time with the Twelve, he received teaching on central
elements of the Christian tradition. He then transmits this Tradition faithfully.

(Based on Pope Benedict XVI’s Message for World Day of Prayer for Vocations 2008,
Pope Benedict XVI's Paul, the Twelve and the pre-Pauline Church, 24 Sept. 2008 and
Pope Benedict XVI's General Audience of 8, 15, 22 Nov. 2006)

Activity for Week 5

• Organise a Movie evening - watch a film on St. Paul and share your thoughts with others
• Is there something you can do to support the pastoral plan of your Church?

Praying with St. Paul

Glorious St Paul, Most Zealous Apostle, Martyr for the Love of Christ, give us a deep
faith, a steadfast hope, a burning love for our Lord; so that we can proclaim with you’ “It
is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Help us to become apostles serving
the Church with a pure heart, witnesses to her truth and beauty amidst the darkness of
our days. With you we praise God, our Father, “To Him be the glory, in the Church and in
Christ, now and forever”. Amen.

Week 6
Theme: Be cautious not to become content here

Reflection 6:
Beginning another Exodus – to take up a new mission according to the promptings of
the Spirit

At one point of time in our lives, we all set out on an ‘Exodus,’ blindly trusting Him. He
has blessed us with more than we want, definitely more than we deserve. I have a fear
that many of us are busy taking care of these blessings. Our Jubilee has thus marked the
time for beginning another Exodus – to take up a new mission according to the
promptings of the Spirit.
When we think back to our own lives in the movement, we may vividly recall those
times when we took some great pains, when we made concrete sacrifices and when the
struggles were great enough to bring us even to tears. It was tough, but we embraced
the pain for the sake of some souls who might profit through our efforts. And it is
precisely upon sacrifices such as these that this missionary movement was built up by
God over the last 25 years. Today as we look back, we may gladly rejoice but on the
other hand, we must also be cautious not to become content here. For surely, we are in
danger if we find ourselves merely enjoying and resting upon the fruits of past labours.
Indeed, to be open to the Holy Spirit, we must be ready to abandon all earthly
securities, even the security of our own establishments.
(Taken from ‘Looking beyond the Jubilee’)

Reflection questions for group discussion:

Q1. ‘If we find ourselves merely enjoying and resting upon the fruits of past labors’ -
what are some of the blessings I can clearly see in my missionary life over the last few
years? How difficult it is for me to begin an Exodus now - breaking the bondages of
worldly securities and comforts?
Q2. ‘Accompanying people who are in need’ - how faithful am I in responding to this?
What are some of the steps I have taken to help others grow?
Q3. What are some of the promptings of the Spirit in my life concerning new missions?

Teaching 6:
Developing disciples like Timothy

Timothy is a Greek name which means "one who honours God". Whereas Luke mentions
him six times in the Acts, Paul in his Letters refers to him at least 17 times (and his name
occurs once in the Letter to the Hebrews)… When Paul was passing through Lystra at
the beginning of his second missionary journey, he chose Timothy to be his companion
because "he was well spoken of by the brethren at Lystra and Iconium" (Acts 16:2)…
Indeed, the Apostle entrusted Timothy with important missions and it is evident from
his great praise of him in his Letter to the Philippians. "I have no one like him who will
be genuinely anxious for your welfare" (2:20).

The most important one is that in carrying out his missions, Paul availed himself of
collaborators... A rapid reading of the Acts of the Apostles and the Letters of St. Paul
might give the impression that Paul did not stop long in any city, he passed from one to
another. On the contrary, his missions lasted several months of years. For the mission in
Syria (Antioch) Acts 11:26 speaks of one year. The mission in Macedonia and Achaia
lasted three years from 49 AD to 51 AD. Paul founded in that time at least four
communities: Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea and Corinth. Paul spent 18 months (Acts
18:11) in Corinth (from February-March in the year 50 to September of the year 52). His
mission to Asia, 52-55, focused on Ephesus, where Paul worked for three years (Acts
20:31): he teaches in the Synagogue for three months (Acts 19:8), at the school in
Tyrannus, for two years and a little longer not exactly reported (Acts 19:22). A
missionary knows that to hand on the faith to people, he must spend time with them.

(Based on Timothy and Titus - Pope Benedict XVI’s General Audience on 13 Dec. 2006 &
Pope Benedict XVI’s Message for World Day of Prayer for Vocations 2008)

Activity for Week 6

Pope John Paul II’s apostolic exhortation Christifideles Laici speaks of eight areas of lay
mission in today’s world. Identify one or two areas relevant to you from here and take
a small step towards it this week:
1. Promoting the dignity of the person
2. Fostering respect for the right to life
3. Defending freedom of conscience and religious freedom
4. Protecting and encouraging marriage and family life
5. Engaging in works of charity
6. Participating in public life
7. Placing the individual at the centre of the socio-economic world
8. The evangelization of the culture

Praying with St. Paul

Holy Apostle, who, with your teachings and with your charity, have taught the entire
world, look kindly upon us, your children and disciples.

We expect everything from your prayers to the Divine Master and to Mary, Queen of the
Apostles… Grant that we may ever better know you, love you, and imitate you; that we
may be living members of the Church, the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ. Raise up many
and holy apostles. May the warm breath of true charity permeate the entire world.
Grant that all may know and glorify God and the Divine Master, Way and Truth and Life.

And, Lord Jesus, You know we have no faith in our own powers. In Your mercy grant that
we may be defended against all adversity, through the powerful intercession of St. Paul,
our Teacher and Father. Amen.
Week 7
Theme: A time of renewal of my Missionary Commitment

Reflection 7:
Praying for a New Pentecost

Our hearts must continuously recite, ‘Here I am, send me!’ But do we not often say to
the Lord, ‘Here I am, do keep me here’? Are we stuck in a ‘maintenance mode’ in our
missionary efforts? Are we unwilling to suffer all over again? If we find within ourselves
even a hint of that unwillingness to suffer for the Kingdom, let us steadily surrender it to
the Lord. For He rebuked such unwillingness in Peter with the words, “Get behind me,
Satan!” We must gladly surrender this hidden resistance, this subtle but dangerous form
of sloth, so that we may welcome the Holy Spirit anew into our lives and into our
movement this Pentecost, so that He might bring to us the gift of a new missionary zeal.
(Taken from ‘Looking beyond the Jubilee’)

Reflection questions for group discussion:

Q1. What are some of the areas in my missionary life which needs a special anointing?
Q2. What are some of the ‘hidden resistance’ I am experiencing these days when I look
at my missionary life?
Q3. What are the high standards I can set in my missionary life if I develop an attitude to
suffer hardships for the sake of the Gospel?

Teaching 7:
‘Here I am, send me!’

St. Paul shared the three principal characteristics of a true apostle. The first is to have
seen the Lord and to have been called by him. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul says
that he had been called by the grace of God. One becomes an apostle by divine
vocation, not by personal choice.

The second characteristic, also underlines the divine initiative: an apostle is someone
who is sent and therefore acts and speaks as a delegate of Christ, placed totally at his
service. The Greek word apóstolos, means ‘one who is sent, dispatched, the bearer of a
message.’ The title of apostle is not and cannot be a merely honorary title. It truly, even
dramatically, involves the entire existence of the person concerned.

The third characteristic of an apostle is dedication to the work of proclaiming the Gospel
and founding Christian communities. ‘Apostle' is not an honorary title, it consumes the
 entire being of its subject… This type of dedication to the Gospel, including suffering for
its sake, is exemplified by St. Paul. Indeed, St. John Chrysostom described Paul as having
a "soul of diamond".

St. Paul can point to his many trials and sufferings that speak clearly of his courageous
dedication to the mission. In this context he sees an identification between the life of
the apostle and the Gospel that he preaches; the apostle himself is despised when the
Gospel is rejected. Saint Paul was steadfast in his many difficulties and persecutions,
sustained above all by the unfailing love of Christ… Not that we lord it over your faith;
rather, we work together for your joy, for you stand firm in the faith. This remains the
mission of all the apostles of Christ in all times: to be collaborators of true joy.

(Based on Pope Benedict XVI's General Audience on 10 Sept. 2008)

Activity for Week 7

The mission of the Jesus Youth movement is closely linked to the mission of the Church
and the recent teachings on the mission of the laity in the modern world should help us
to evolve new strategies of mission in the movement. Sending, that is, being sent and in
turn sending others, is integral to mission and finds a place of pride in the movement. It
demands dedication. Helping an individual to discover his or her personal mission is very
important. In the movement there is need for greater attention to make available help
for people to discover their personal mission as well as discernment of vocation. (Taken
from ‘Fostering the graces of the Jubilee’)
• Prepare to take a new commitment for Jesus and His Church
• Plan out new strategies for mission in your group

Let us conclude with a word of prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank you for the missionary call we have received from you through the
Jesus Youth movement. We claim the promise you gave us through the prophet Ezekiel:
we pray for a new heart – a humble heart which will always thirst for your presence; a
shepherd’s heart which will always seek the least and the lost; a restless heart which will
be at peace only when every brother and sister of ours finds their joy in you; a missionary
heart which will help us to abandon the ways of the world and fix our eyes on you until
we meet you face to face in eternal glory.

Mary, our dear Mother, be with this little flock of the faithful as we put out our nets into
greater depths of communion and mission. Amen!