Last night at B.A.S.I.C. there were 40 fellow teens! It was a great night of fun. We started out with a game called "Drop the Blankie" - we'll play it again at some point! Then we had an obstacle course set-up... BUT you had to go through it blind-folded. Teens were guided through by teen council members who were providing both correct and incorrect directions. It was up to you to listen to the voice telling you the truth.
After the obstacle course we went into small group and and discussions about faith. About what faith is and what it means. Then we started to talk about things that our Catholic faith holds: the Trinity, the Virgin Mary, the Sacraments, Transubstantiation, Heaven and Hell, Angels and our Profession of Faith. It was a topic that stirred much discussion in small groups and many questions...
We will be having another B.A.S.I.C. night to continue this discussion around our faith. But in the meantime there were many questions and comments about faith and Catholicism. I'd like to continue this discussion on faith through the blog. At the bottom of this post you can make comments - I invite you all to make comments about the night, faith, or ask questions. Fr. JJ, Fr. Mark or myself will do our best to respond to these questions. I'll look for your questions!!!
After the obstacle course we went into small group and and discussions about faith. About what faith is and what it means. Then we started to talk about things that our Catholic faith holds: the Trinity, the Virgin Mary, the Sacraments, Transubstantiation, Heaven and Hell, Angels and our Profession of Faith. It was a topic that stirred much discussion in small groups and many questions...
We will be having another B.A.S.I.C. night to continue this discussion around our faith. But in the meantime there were many questions and comments about faith and Catholicism. I'd like to continue this discussion on faith through the blog. At the bottom of this post you can make comments - I invite you all to make comments about the night, faith, or ask questions. Fr. JJ, Fr. Mark or myself will do our best to respond to these questions. I'll look for your questions!!!
Happy Blogging!
5 comments:
The blog looks awesome! I like the saint of the day and ability do download permission slips. Thank you much.
I know...it is awesome! I'm stoked about more teens using it! Thank Karl the next time you seen him. This was his project and he just taught me how to use it. Happy blogging!
Question: During "Faith Night" it was mentioned that sometimes faith can be blind. Well, there are tens of thousands of Christian denominations and countless other non-Christian religions, each of which require "blind faith."
1.) Isn't blindly following anything a bad idea?
2.) Why should I blindly follow Catholicism as opposed to blindly following some other theology?
2.) From an apologetic perspective, there is so much working for Catholicism. Doesn't this make it unnecessary to blindly follow, but to know the truth and have faith?
To follow anything blindly is wrong. At the same time there are things that we have to take on in faith. For example the changing of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. It is through Faith that we know that it is true.
God gave us a mind so we need to use it. That is why we must walk in faith but also educate ourselves in fully knowing the truths of our faith. We will never be able to fully understand the mysteries of God and that will require us to walk by faith and not by sight.
As Catholics we know that we are the true religion of Jesus Christ and our religion is the only one that can trace themselves back to Jesus himself. While other religions have some truth in them, the Catholic Faith has the fullness of the Truth. Plus Pope John Paul II stressed the importance of Faith and reason in his encyclical Fides et Ratio. We are to follow the Catholic Church in faith but use our minds to help us to understand the mysteries of God. Faith and Reason are linked.
It is true what you say in your final question about knowing the Truth and having faith. However, we have to have faith in what we cannot see as well as in what we can. In meaning the church is visible and we can have faith in Her. Having Faith in God is to use all that we are in knowing and loving God. Yes we have the truth and yes we have the faith, but we need the faith of a child most of all to love God and those around us. We have faith in all that is of God; in what we can see and cannot see.
I hope this answers your question. If you want an answer in more detail feel free to ask me anytime.
~ Fr. Mark
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