Young Catholics
Youth Ministry, Vacation Bible School (VBS), and Family Resources
The feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary commemorates when Mary, pregnant with Jesus, visited her cousin Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist. John was aware of the presence of the Lord and leapt in Elizabeth’s womb.
The readings for the Ascension of the Lord Year C encourage us to be witnesses for Jesus Christ, just as the early Christians were. Evangelism and the need to step out into the world could be topics for this weekend.
The readings for Palm Sunday Year C (Passion Sunday) tell of the death of Jesus Christ, who showed us the true meaning of love and the nature of God. So this weekend we reflect on Jesus’ love for us and the Pascal Mystery.
We really don’t know a lot about these two apostle. James, called James the Lesser to distinguish him from James the son of Zebedee. Philip is mentioned in the gospel most in relation to his doubts about Jesus. But both were included in the Twelve, those chosen directly by Jesus.
St. Cyril of Jerusalem was a fourth century bishop. During his time, there was a faction within the Church, known as Arians, who did not believe that Jesus was truly divine. Cyril was unjustly accused of belonging to this faction and sent into exile. Eventually, he was cleared of these rumors at the Council at Constantinople. This is the council where the Nicene Creed was developed, declaring that Jesus was “consubstantial” with the Father.
The readings for the 5th Sunday of Lent for Year B focus on God’s covenant with us, even though we are often unfaithful. Discussions for these readings could include topics such as the covenants in scripture, how death can lead to life, and why we should pray for God’s will to be done
