Here are some gems you might not have run across on the site yet. Discover something new below.
A Prayer to Love One Another
Jesus tells us to love one another as he loves us. That is not easy! This Prayer to Love One Another asks for the grace to do just that.
This is a prayer based on Psalm 47. This psalm praises God who is above all and who rules all.
This prayer asks for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is in the form of a litany, which is a prayer where there is a prompt and then a response.
This Help Me Know Who I Am Identity Prayer asks God to show us how he sees us. Then confident in His love for us, we can give the glory to Him.
Charades is a fun game which most people know how to play. But just in case, here are the rules, plus lots of ideas for themes or word lists.
Candy identity game is a food guessing game. This goes really well with a lesson on identity or how we see ourselves.
This game is a little like hot potato, but the person who gets caught must eat a piece of toast. And what is on the toast? Whatever the people first in line chose!
Playing this Crossed Up Jam Up game is a little like trying to walk through a busy intersection. There always seems to be someone in the way!
This prayer based on Psalm 100 is a prayer which recognizes that God is our creator and that he cares for us. We are in good hands.
The Common of Pastors is a set of readings in the lectionary which are read at Mass for the feast days of priests, bishops, and popes.
In this game, youth use their facial expressions to pass their emotions around a circle. There is no winner or loser. This is just a game about how our faces can show our emotions.
This litany of belief is a prayer based upon the prayer of the father of the boy possessed by a demon (Mark 9:24) and the profession of faith of St. Thomas the Apostle (John 20:28). The responses are "I do believe, help my unbelief" and "My Lord and my God".
This prayer based on Psalm 118 is a prayer of joyful thanksgiving. It celebrates our salvation and expresses gratitude to God.
The Common of Holy Men and Women is a set of readings in the lectionary which are read at Mass for the feast days of any saints.
This Litany of the Beatitudes is a prayer which helps us remember the beatitudes. It also asks for our Lord's grace so we can live these values in our daily lives.
In this Spot the Difference game, youth must observe what has changed. It is a good team building game for a lesson on noticing differences, seeing change, or being observant.
Around the Mountain Game is an icebreaker. It is a combination of I Would Never Ever and Musical Chairs.
This prayer expresses a longing for God and a true desire to be close to Him. This prayer is based on Psalm 63.
Phony Fun is a relay style game where people are not themselves! Use it for a meeting related to putting on our masks, being a hypocrite, or hiding from God.
Talent Comm is a talent game which lets players interact based on their personal gifts for communication. Some people communicate through words, others through pictures, and others through actions.
This prayer, based on Psalm 71, asks God to be with us as we grow older and our lives change. Suddenly there are new challenges which we need God's help with.
The right activity can help reinforce the lesson at a youth group gathering. Some will be paper and pencil activities. Others will just involve doing something different to make a point.
May the Holy Spirit teach us to view the world with God’s eyes and to treat our brothers and sisters with the gentleness of His heart.
This prayer based on Psalm 92 reminds us to praise God all day long - from morning to night. He is the source of our joy.
This prayer asks God to bless us with good friends and to help us make good choices about relationships. This prayer is based on Psalm 1.
Prayer Before Reading the Bible
This is a traditional Catholic prayer before reading the Bible. It asks God our Father to send His Holy Spirit to make us ready to hear Him.
This Newspaper Tower Challenge game is a teambuilding game. Groups of youth will be given a limited number of supplies. Then they use their creativity to build the tallest newspaper tower in a limited amount of time.
The Common of Virgins is a set of readings in the lectionary which are read at Mass for the feast days of unmarried women saints.
This Pig Food Race makes participants look like pigs rooting for food, so it is perfect as a Prodigal Son game for a lesson on the parable.
This Could You Give It Up game is a Lenten variation of the Ten Fingers game. Youth must try to outwit each other by guessing what they would give up for Lent which the others would not.
This prayer based on Psalm 121 is a prayer to meet God on the mountain. There we see His eternal goodness and faithfulness.
This Fishy Business lesson plan on holiness will help youth understand that the path of discipleship can be full of potholes and twists and turns. God is calling to us to give us the grace we need. We just need to listen to his invitation and respond.
Catholic Prayers
Prayers bring us closer to God. We pray to change our own hearts and bring them into alignment with the heart of God. We pour ourselves out to God and know that we are heard. We also let God speak to us.
She is called by many names. She is the Mother of Jesus Christ, and through him, mother of all of us. This article gives background on the Virgin Mary and her place in the Catholic Church.
Underlying all our strengths and weaknesses, stronger than all our past hurts and failures, or our fears and concerns about the future, there is this great truth: We are beloved sons and daughters.
This Pope Francis quote reflects on the gospel for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B. In this gospel, the people of Jesus' hometown can't recognize him as the Messiah. They know him too well and already have assumptions about him.
We need to learn how to take a break. This quote, related to Mark 6:30-34, reminds us that the call of Jesus to go to a quiet place and rest is for all of us.
The Gospel of Matthew shows how Jesus fulfills the prophecies of the Old Testament. It also focuses on discipleship and the path we must take to follow Jesus. The Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew particularly points out how disciples must go beyond following the letter of the law in the Old Testament and instead let the heart of Jesus rule their lives.
This prayer of a grateful heart, based on Psalm 138, expresses gratitude for God's loving care. We may seem insignificant in this world, but we are important to our Heavenly Father.
We are all called to live the joy that comes from the encounter with Jesus, to overcome our selfishness, and to move beyond our comfort zone. - Pope Francis
This prayer for rejection will help you pour out your heart to God when you have been rejected. God understands your pain. Jesus knew very well the sting of betrayal and rejection.
Even if our prayers might ramble and be weakened by a wavering faith, we must never stop putting our trust in Jesus. Supported by Jesus’ prayer, our timid prayers rest on eagles' wings and soar up to heaven.
This prayer to restore our world is a prayer of worship. God has created this space for us and it has been damaged. This prayer is based on Psalm 80.
This prayer based on Psalm 29 acclaims God as the Lord of Majesty and King of the World.
Lesson plans are meant to give a framework for introducing information to youth. Most of these also include reflection questions for small group sharing. These help youth think about how to apply what they have learned to their everyday lives.
The Sacrament of Holy Orders is a sacrament of the Catholic Church by which a man is ordained to be a deacon, priest, or bishop. It is a sacrament of service.
This fasting and feasting prayer can be found in many variations. It suggests something to fast from and then an alternative to feast upon. We don't give something up to make ourselves suffer. We give things up for Lent to make room for something better.
he Letter of James was probably not written by one of the apostles named James. Instead, the author is thought to be the James mentioned as "brother of the Lord". The letter is directed at Christians who are living outside of Jerusalem. It asks the readers to live with the conduct and morality appropriate to Christian beliefs.
The seed of our good works can seem like a small thing, yet all that is good pertains to God, and thus it humbly, slowly bears fruit. Good always grows in a humble, hidden, often invisible way. #GospelOfTheDay
Jesus wants to be found by those who look for Him. But to look for Him we have to get up and go out. - Pope Francis