Here are the most popular blog posts from the month of November 2010:

NORTH PROVIDENCE, RI —Most teenagers yearn for a close relationship with their parents, and will follow their lead in how they live their Catholic faith. Dr. Sean Reynolds articulated that counter-intuitive statement to an audience of about 90 adults who gathered last week at Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in North Providence for a presentation entitled "Strong Catholic Families: Strong Catholic Youth."

Strong Catholic Families: Strong Catholic Youth has been presented in 30 dioceses across the country. "I believe most parents are overwhelmed," Reynolds told Rhode Island Catholic. "They’re extraordinarily busy and pulled in a million different directions. Typically in a family, both parents are working. When it comes to weekends, there are lots and lots of reasons why Mass is not a particularly attractive thing to go to.” Read more from the Rhode Island Catholic.

KANSAS CITY, MO — One year later, youth ministry in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph is still reaping the harvest from hosting the National Catholic Youth Conference… Though strong before the national gathering, youth ministry since the big event has taken off, said diocesan youth ministry director Jon Schaffhausen. This generation of teens is not only hungry to experience the faith, they are hungry to do it together, he said. “They definitely saw the church in a new way (at NCYC) and they want to experience that again,” Schaffhausen said. Read more from the Catholic Key.

Tim Schmoyer recently blogged that he might never do a traditional mission trip ever again. What’s going on is that he finds himself more convinced that the absolutely best way to do short-term missions is family-based, intergenerational trips. He makes his argument with some of these selling points:

>> There’s built-in accountability for both the kids and the parents when they return home. The spiritual high doesn’t wear off nearly as quickly when both the parent and the student are living with someone who knows what the other just went through. They return to a home to live with someone who “gets it.” There’s no conversations like, “How was your trip?” “Good.” “What did you do?” “Nothing.”

>> The perception of missions in the church moves away from “something cute the youth do” and

(more…)

Stay Awake.

Today’s readings remind us that salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; it is the hour now to awake from sleep.

Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day. Let us climb the Lord’s mountain to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.

Discipleship is not just the comfort of resting in the Lord but demands of wakefulness as well.

Stay Awake.

It is Advent:

the time just before the adventure begins,

when everybody is leaning forward

to hear what will happen

even though they already know what will happen

and what will not happen,

when they listen hard for meaning,

their meaning,

and begin to hear, only faintly at first,

the beating of unseen wings.

From “The Magnificent Defeat”
by Frederick Buechner
(h/t Brian Kirk)

Meanwhile, here is the background on the Christ Child sonogram ad.

Here’s the news… We are shutting the blog down until next week for a Thanksgiving break. (Our first bloggcation since late August.)

When we are back, we’ll continue with the usual insanity accompanied by NCCYM reports from “the Big Easy” and our usual year-end review. Meanwhile, thanks for your continued readership and contributions via comments.  May you experience the bountiful graces of the Lord this weekend, and, more especially just breathe and rest. 

See you next season, next liturgical year… Advent!

Throughout this holiday week, we offer praise to our Lord in Thanksgiving for a wonderful BYCC weekend!

There were so many memories… the laughter at the antics of APeX mixed in with a solid message; the multitude of voices joining Joia Farmer and Paul Hood and band singing Don’t Stop Believing; the deep quiet during Eucharistic Adoration and Lectio Divina; the powerful witnesses offered by young people; the ocean-stilled, moon-illuminated rosary on the beach; and, the joy of being “youngchurch” together again!

Following-up on the weekend…

>> The participants generously donated over $1300 to Catholic Relief Services in support of Peace in the Sudan.
>> If you missed the creative presentation of the BYCC rules or want to see them again, check out this youtube posting. The Saints video shown came from Life Teen.
>> Photographer (and Videographer) Extraordinaire Sean Comber has set photos on-line from the conference.
>> Matt Palmer from the Catholic Review blogged throughout the weekend and had video as well! This week’s print edition will feature stories, profiles, and pictures!
>> Videos – APeX: Balancing a Chair, Four, not Five, Bowling Pins, and on Grace.
                – Joia Farmer: Sweet Child of Mine, Don’t Stop Believin’, Our God Will Rise, 
                  “More Cowbell” on Righteous Soul, a funky Hokey Pokey, and
                   Amazing Grace at the close of Adoration
                – Bob McCarty: Discipleship
                – Matt Palmer: These Kids are Passionate about Their Faith
>> Father Austin posted his homily at Eucharistic Adoration as well as the homily for Christ the King on-line (Sorry,I missed that in my newsletter earlier today!!!)
>> Father John Hurley’s closing comments at the end of Mass sending the young people forth have been added to Matt Palmer’s blog.

God bless all young people who choose to be Heroes as disciples of Jesus Christ throughout their daily lives.

I serve amid a staff of women, which often leads to the comment, “Blessed am I among women.” 

All I know is that during this week of Thanksgiving… and all weeks, I am so very thankful for them. For Georgina and Margaret, for Susan and Ann Marie, and for the daughters and other woman-folk in my life, here (h/t Sharon) is a set of Beatitudes for Woman:  

Blessed is she who suffers with the very young,
the very old, and the very lonely, for she has compassion.

Blessed is she who greets the world with joy,
laughter, and anticipations, for she has courage.

Blessed is she who speaks gently, lives humbly,
and chooses to give freely, for she has dignity.

Blessed is she who listens and hears
and extends her hands as a friend, for she has understanding.

Blessed is she who gives simply, loves deeply,
and walks joyfully in life, for she has awareness.

Blessed is she who has compassion and courage, freedom and dignity,
understanding, sincerity, and awareness, for she is a woman, a gift, a blessing.

The change in the U.S. bishops’ leadership, which resulted in the election of Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York to be their president Nov. 16, took a matter of minutes, thanks to electronic voting.

But the election nearly had to be conducted the old-fashioned way — with paper  ballots.  A glitch in the system had kept the results of a test vote from appearing on an overhead projector screen in the front of the bishops’ meeting room.

When, all was resolved,they did a second test ballot, on whether the bishops would play a round of golf sometime between now and the end of the year.  The results: 25 yes, 207 no. To laughter from the assembly, Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago, the outgoing president of the bishops, noted dryly, “That vote signals the end of the clerical culture.” (h/t CNS)

A hero is
no braver than an ordinary man,
but he is brave
five minutes longer.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

This weekend, hundreds of ArchBalt young people travel to Ocean City, MD for the Baltimore Youth Catholic Conference. Our theme is Heroes. Gene and Brad of APeX along with Joia Farmer will be with us, as well. Catholic Review reporter Matt Palmer will be blogging from the weekend.  We’ll see what updates I might provide as well.

Please pray for safe travels and open hearts.