December is a holy month,but it is also a fun month! December 16th is Game Night and December 30th is a New Year's Party. Check out the website and bulletin for more 411.

Vatican Art Stolen!!!

Rascally Pirates have stolen art form the Vatican's archives, help us Vatican Ninja, you're our only hope!
Click here to play!

The Quest Begins!!!!

We hope all 9-12th graders will join us for our next event:

THE QUEST BEGINS!
Sunday, October 28, 2007
7:15-8:3opm
Parish Center

Old members, new members and friends alike are encouraged to attend this event designed to help us all get to know each other better and to meet our new Youth Minister, Lola Higgins! There will be games, snacks and PIZZA!!

Any questions, please contact Lola at stagneslifeteen@gmail.com

We encourage everyone to attend the 6pm Mass that precedes our events on Sunday evenings.

Welcome Back!

As summer draws to an end this Labor Day weekend, we'd like to welcome everyone back as we start up Life Teen again this year!

Our first event will be next Sunday, Sept 9 7:15-8:30pm. Come join us for a Welcome Back Ice Cream Social in the Parish Center!

Any questions, contact Vinnie or Alison: stagneslifeteen@gmail.com

We hope to see you there!

How do you make a priest?

To hear the latest episode of one of my favorite podcasts, The Catholic Underground, click here. This is a great episode, when the host discusses his ordination mass, which just happened on pentecost. It's awesome to hear the joy in Fr. Chris' voice, and get a summary of what's actually happening at an ordination mass.

-Vinnie

Why so cruel?

All the recent discussion about derogatory comments in the media is worthwhile. Why do we consider cruelty so entertaining? It seems like an awful lot of entertainers, and a lot of what we consider entertaining is people being cruel to each other. Please be careful what you're listening to and watching.

-Vinnie

Prayers & Intentions for March 11-17, 2007

Here are this week's prayers and intentions for our third week of Lent.

Intentions: (Theme= People We've Never Met)
Sunday: Todd's Grandpop, Orphans
Monday: Mike's Mom-Moms
Tuesday: Soldiers & their Families
Wednesday: Courtney's Grandpop, Rob Lowe
Thursday: Christina's Two Grandpops & Grandmom
Friday: All people on earth who are starving
Saturday: All people on earth who are sick

Here are this weeks Prayers:

SUNDAY
Prayer to Become More Like Jesus

God, our Father, you redeemed us and made us Your children in Christ.

Through Him, You have saved us from death and given us Your Divine life of grace.

By becoming more like Jesus on Earth, may I come to share His glory in Heaven.

Give me the peace of Your kingdom which this world does not give.

By Your loving care, protect the good You have given me.

Open my eyes to the wonders of Your love that I may serve you with a willing heart.

MONDAY

Prayer to Live as a Child of God

Father in Heaven,

When the Spirit came down upon Jesus at His Baptism in the Jordan,

You revealed Him as Your own Beloved Son.

Keep me, Your child, born of water and the Spirit, faithful to my calling.

May I, who share in Your Life, as Your child through Baptism, follow in Christ’s path of service to people. Let me become one in His Sacrifice, and hear His Word with faith.

May I live as Your child, following the example of Jesus.

TUESDAY

Prayer Before a Crucifix

(Note: use a Crucifix to pray this prayer)

Behold, O Kind and most sweet Jesus, before Thy face I humbly kneel, and with the most fervent desire of soul, I pray and beseech Thee to impress upon my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope and charity, true contrition for my sins, and a firm purpose of amendment. With deep affection and grief of soul, I ponder within myself, mentally contemplating Thy five wounds, having before my eyes the words which David the Prophet spoke concerning Thee: “They have pierced my hands and my feet, they have numbered all my bones.”

WEDNESDAY

Lenten Prayer for Spiritual Renewal

God, heavenly Father, look upon me and hear my prayer during this holy Season of Lent.

By the good works You inspire, help me to discipline my body and to be renewed in spirit.

Without You I can do nothing. By your spirit help me to know what is right and to be eager in doing Your will. Teach me to find new life through penance. Keep me from sin, and help me live by Your commandment of love. God of love, bring me back to Your. Send Your Spirit to make me strong in faith and active in good works. May my acts of penance bring me Your forgiveness, open my heart to Your love, and prepare me for the coming feast of the Resurrection of Jesus.

Lord during this Lenten Season, nourish me with Your Word of life and make me one with You in love and prayer.

Fill my heart with Your love and keep me faithful to the Gospel of Christ. Give me the grace to rise above my human weakness. Give me new life by Your Sacraments, especially the Mass.

Father, our source of life, I reach out with joy to grasp Your hand; let me walk more readily in Your ways. Guide me in Your gentle mercy, for left to myself I cannot do your Will.

Father of love, source of all blessings, help me to pass from my old life of sin to the new life of grace. Prepare me for the glory of your Kingdom. I ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever.

THURSDAY

Lenten Prayer

Almighty and Everlasting God, You have given the human race Jesus Christ our Savior as a model of humility. He fulfilled Your Will by becoming Man and giving His life on the Cross. Help us to bear witness to You by following His example of suffering and make us worthy to share in His Resurrection. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son.

FRIDAY

Country Prayer for Lent

Dear Lord, we are now in the holy season of Lent. We begin to realize anew that these are the days of salvation, these are the acceptable days. We know that we are all sinners. We know that in many things we have offended Your infinite majesty. We know that sin destroys Your life in us as a drought withers the leaves and chokes the life from the land, leaving an arid, dusty desert. Help us now, Lord, in our feeble attempts to make up for past sin. Bless our efforts with the rich blessing of Your grace. Make us realize ever more our need of penance and of mortification. Help us to see, in our ordinary difficulties and duties, the trials and temptations of every day, the best opportunity of making up for past infidelities. Every day, we are so often reminded in field and wood, in sky and stream, of Your won boundless generosity to us. Help us to realize that You are never outdone in generosity and that the least thing we do for You will be rewarded, full measure, pressed down, shaken together and flowing over. Then we shall see, in our own souls, how the desert can blossom, and the dry and wasted land can bring forth the rich, useful fruit that was expected of it from the beginning.

SATURDAY

The Passion

Dear Lord Jesus, by Your Passion and Resurrection, You brought life to the world.
But the glory of the Resurrection came only after the sufferings of the Passion.
You laid down Your life willingly and gave up everything for us.
Your body was broken and fastened to a Cross, Your clothing became the prize of soldiers, your blood ebbed slowly but surely away, and Your Mother was entrusted to the beloved disciple.
Stretched out on the Cross, deprived of all earthly possessions and human aid,
You cried out to Your Father that the end had come. You had accomplished the work given You, and You committed into His hands, as a perfect gift, the little life that remained to You.
Lord, teach me to accept all afflictions after the example You have given.
Let me place my death in Yours and my weakness in Your abandonment,
Take hold of me with Your love, that same foolish love that knew no limits,
and let me offer myself to the Father with You so that I may rise with You to eternal life.

Prayer Intentions for March 4-10, 2007

Here are this week's prayer intentions! You can use the prayers in the previous post for this week, since we had a snow day the first week and didn't get a chance to meet. We are all committed to saying the prayer of the day for the following intentions:

Sunday: Alison's Great Aunt Anna, Lynda's Grandparents & Courtney's Great Grandmom Mary
Monday: Vinnie's Pop-Pop (Pasquale), Joe's Grandparents, Mike's Dad's Friend Danny Nigro
Tuesday: Christina's uncle, Christina's friend Jaden, Doug's best friend Maxine
Wednesday: Laura's Grandparents, Todd's grandmom (Barbara)
Thursday: Mike's uncle Bobby, Anthony's grandparents on both sides
Friday: Eddie's Grandmom Emma, Michael's Pop-Pop
Saturday: Kelly's Uncle Michael, Dom's Sisters that were miscarried (Collette & Loretta)

Thanks for your time! Check back for next week's prayer intentions!

It's LENT!

Sorry that we had to cancel the LIFE NIGHT last night due to the inclement weather! We will talk about Lent next week though- and our schedule has been adjusted accordingly. Check on the website for more details!

To get you in the lenten spirit for this week, here's a list of prayers, one for every day of the week this week. We wanted to make each day's prayers dedicated to the intentions of our group. We'll start that next week, for this week, say the prayers and add your own intentions. For example I'm going to pray the prayer today and say it for the intention of my grandmother who passed away this summer. Here are the prayers:

Sunday- PSALM 23 (The Lord is My Shepherd):

The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.

In green pastures you let me graze; to safe waters you lead me;

you restore my strength. You guide me along the right path for the sake of your name. Even when I walk through a dark valley, I fear no harm for you are at my side; your rod and staff give me courage. You set a table before me as my enemies watch; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Only goodness and love will pursue me all the days of my life; I will dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.

Monday - BEGINNING OF LENT:

Lord, protect us in our struggle against evil. As we begin the discipline of Lent, make this season holy by our self-denial. May the light of Your truth bestow sight to the darkness of our sinful eyes and our repentance bring us the blessing of Your forgiveness and the gift of new life. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Tuesday - ACT OF FAITH

Almighty Father, You have called me to walk by the light of Christ, Your Son, and to trust in His wisdom. During Lent, I submit my self to Him completely and strive to believe in Him with all my heart. With my renewed commitment to Jesus, I endeavour to continue His work here on earth in helping to build Your Kingdom so that all may benefit from the message of salvation. Amen.

Wednesday -ACT OF HOPE

O my God, knowing Your almighty power, and Your infinite goodness and mercy, I hope in You that, by the merits of the Passion and Death of our Saviour Jesus Christ, You will grant me eternal life, which You have promised to all such as shall do the works of a good Christian; and these I resolve to do, with the help of Your Grace. Amen.

Thursday -ACT OF CHARITY

O my God, I love You above all things with my whole heart and soul because You are all good and worthy of all my love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of You. I forgive all who have injured me and ask pardon of all whom I have injured. Amen.

Friday - ACT OF CONTRITION

My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against You whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with Your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In His name, my God, have mercy. Amen.

Saturday - ACT OF LOVE

Loving God, we enter the season of Lent in the spirit of joy giving ourselves to spiritual strife, cleansing our soul and body, controlling our passions, as we limit our food, living on the virtues of the Holy Spirit; May we persevere in our longing for Christ so as to be worthy to behold His most solemn Passion and the most holy Passover, rejoicing the while with spiritual joy. Amen.

Happy Praying!

Pope John Paul II Night

Join us on Sunday as we discuss Pope John Paul II and his special dedication to young people!
We hope to see you there!

Game Night!

Thanks to everyone who came out for our Game Night last night! We had some new faces, which is always great! Bible Scattergories was great, there were some interesting answers!

And as promised, here's the picture of Vinnie and Alison at their Superbowl Party wearing handmade Colts jerseys. We hand crafted each jersey by hand, one for everyone in attendance. Some people chose not to wear them because they were rooting for the losers...uh...i mean... the bears. LOL

I like Messenger better, though

I guess I'm not the only one who thinks U2 songs are prayers! (click)

Turn down the volume

I’ve got my iPod on me all the time. I’ve got a commute into work, and so I count on it to keep me entertained when my drive runs a little long. I sometimes get into work early, before anyone else. It’s too quite sometimes, so I even listen to my iPod once I’m in work. Around 9:00, my boss usually shows up, so if I’ve still got those white ear buds in, I pop them out. I don’t want to be caught off guard. I don’t want my boss to come in, and ask me something, and my head’s just bobbing, and I completely miss her calling me.
I know that when I’m alone at work early in the morning, my boss, or a co-worker won’t call to me. But we’ve got to always be ready for God to call us, even after hours. I bet Bono from U2’s right, God’s there beneath the noise, calling to us. We have to make sure we don’t have the ear buds in, and miss out.

Listen carefully

U2 is a great band. So many of their songs are prayers. This is from "Miracle Drug." Sometimes there's so much going on in the world, we aren't listening to God, but he's always there, calling to us.


Beneath the noise
Below the din
I hear your voice
It's whispering . . .
"I was a stranger, you took me in"

Bowling Night

Bowling Night went great! We had a couple of rounds of guys vs. girls, we all got horrible reality TV nicknames, and Todd delivered when the pressure was on with the Pepsi Shot!
We even got to watch the AFC championship. I just reached up to a TV above our lane, and changed the channel from whatever was on, to football. It felt great to do that. I'm not that physically talented in many things. God didn't give me the ability to run very fast, or much physical strength, but he did give me long arms, so when I get to use my athletic ability to serve the youth group, great!
Thanks to all the parents who helped us get to the bowling alley!

-Vinnie

Jars of Clay, Flood

Well I think the CORE made a pretty awesome video for this song when we talked about addiction, but this one's okay, too. (and much less painful for Joe.)

Aaron Shust with My Savior, My God

He're one of our favorite artists performing live:

Drugs and Alcohol

Thanks to everyone for a great discussion last night about the dangers of drug abuse and addiction! If you ever want to talk, you know how to contact us!