This week at One 8 we discussed the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. This session is the first of two sessions we will have on these seven gifts. These gifts were all given to us at our Baptism, and are strengthened in the Sacrament of Confirmation. It is important that we understand the role they play in our relationship with Christ and our mission in the world, otherwise we may not realize how to use these gifts effectively. In order to help the candidates understand the effects of each of these gifts, we spent time journaling and reflecting on the four gifts of wisdom, knowledge, understanding and counsel. These four gifts are a great place to start discussion with your son or daughter. Consider using the following questions to discuss this session:
*Which of the four gifts that you discussed at One8 do you feel you need the most in your life right now? Why? *Why are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit important to our Catholic faith? Tonight at One8 we discussed the importance of the Nicene Creed in our Catholic faith. This statement of Truths was formulated to combat heresy (incorrect teaching) within the Church. All of us have beliefs we hold to be true; the Creed gives us the measure by which we must formulate our beliefs. Over the centuries, many people have defended the beliefs we profess in the Nicene Creed and even died for them. We challenged the candidates to understand that they will be strengthening their commitment to defend their Catholic faith when they receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. Take some time to process this session with your son or daughter. Some questions to ask during your discussion are:
1) Why is it important to have a Creed and how does it help our Church? 2) What are practical ways that you live our Catholic faith in your life? 3) What challenges are there to defending your faith? How can we overcome them? Tonight we spoke about following Jesus. We discussed questions like, who am I? what am I doing here? what keeps me from getting closer to Jesus? Some of the answers the candidates shared for this last question are friends, TV, or social media. Candidates also had the opportunity to reflect and journal their responses to these questions:
1) How would my life be different if I really gave my life to Jesus? 2) What part/s of my life would be different? 3) What challenges do I have right now that may be in the way of giving my life to Jesus? Lastly, we also talked about our retreat which is coming up the weekend of April 8th. Please mark this important date on your calendar! Our trip to St John Neumann Shrine & St Katharine Drexel Mission Center is Saturday, January 16th. We will leave from the parish center at 8am and return at approximately 5pm. Students should bring a packed lunch. The cost of the trip is $15. Candidates will earn 4 service hours for participating. All permission slips and money are due Tuesday, January 12th.
This week at One8 we discussed the seven sacraments of the Church and the important role they play in our Catholic faith. The sacraments are outward signs of God's grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church. They are Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Matrimony, and Holy Orders. These sacraments were given to the Church by Christ in order to continually draw us closer to God, and to give us a glimpse of heaven. We challenged the candidates to begin to live a more active sacramental life. The best way that they can be encouraged to do this is through your example. Make a commitment to live a life more fully focused on the sacraments, and invite your son or daughter to do that with you. Some suggestions are: *Attend Reconciliation on a weekend at our parish with your son or daughter *Go to a daily Mass with your family *Have holy water available at your house for your family to bless themselves with as a reminder of their Baptism. This week at One8 we discussed the Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit that gave the apostles the gifts necessary to change the world by setting it ablaze with the Gospel (Luke 12:49). Specifically, the Holy Spirit gives us seven gifts, which bear the 12 fruits of the Holy Spirit. These gifts are intended to sanctify the Church - to make it holy. Here are a few discussion starters for this week: 1) What were the symbols of the Holy Spirit discussed at One8? Which one resonates most with you? Why? 2) When have you felt the Holy Spirit's presence in your life? Did you ask for it? How did you ask? 3) Why is prayer important? When do you pray? Happy Thanksgiving!
Help Needed at OLC's Annual Craft Fair!Below is the link to the Craft Fair volunteer spot. This is a great opportunity for your teen to get some volunteer hours in! Please click on the link and sign up where you would like your teen to help out! We would be grateful for any help you would be willing to give as well! The proceeds for this benefit Our Lady of Consolation Early Learning Center. Thanks so much for your help!!!
http://vols.pt/Bf9wnK This week at One8 we talked about the existence of God and the implication this has on our lives. Teenagers will likely have a discussion with someone who does not believe in God or who challenges their belief in God at some time during high school. This week we began to give the teenagers some practical reasons why there is a Creator, and that Creator is God. We also challenged them to make an important distinction; we challenged them to ask if they just believed there was a God or if they believed in God. Belief in God requires trust and self-surrender, whereas belief that there is a God doesn't necessarily require our response. Teens discussed how they lived their lives currently, and struggles they faced with living a life completely in God. The question of how fully we believe in God is an important one, and is worthy of further discussion after this session. Some questions you can use to continue this discussion with your son or daughter are:
1) Have you ever been in a discussion with someone about the existence of God? What happened? 2) If someone were to ask you why you believed in God, what would you tell him or her? (This is a great time to share reasons why you believe in God, and some of your faith experiences with your son or daughter.) Related Scripture: Isaiah 55:6-9 Romans 5:1-5 Ephesians 5:1-20 Hebrews 11:1-3 Tonight we had our first regular One8 session! The goal of our night was to help our candidates understand what it means to have faith in Jesus and discuss the relationship that faith has to the Sacrament of Baptism. If your son or daughter was baptized as an infant, chances are that they do not remember this important sacrament. Baptism is our gateway to life in Christ, and it plants the seed of faith within us. Take time this week to talk to your teenager about his or her Baptism. Talk about the day, the people who were there, the priest who baptized them, and the church they were baptized in. Give details so they can visualize this significant event in their life. If there are pictures from their Baptism, use this as an opportunity to show him or her pictures from the day. Most importantly, take time to discuss with your son or daughter why you chose to have them baptized and how you chose his or her Godparents. Don't underestimate how powerful it can be for your teenager to hear this story, your witness of faith will speak volumes! Related Bible Verses: John 1:22-34 John 3:1-15 Matthew 18:1-5 Matthew 28:19 |
Parents ... Click on the Volunteer Spot link below to sign up to bring a snack or drink to One8
http://vols.pt/M3BfaW Welcome to One8 We are excited that we can keep you "in the loop" with our Confirmation class' weekly teachings, as well as offer you ways to connect these teachings to your home lives. You will also find information about upcoming events and service projects. Please check this page often to see what your teen is learning in One8 and how you can be a part of his/her faith journey! |