{"id":778,"date":"2017-01-01T10:00:58","date_gmt":"2017-01-01T10:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stthomasdya.org\/?p=778"},"modified":"2017-04-01T00:04:26","modified_gmt":"2017-04-01T04:04:26","slug":"yoy-year-of-youth-2017-january-newsletter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stthomasdya.org\/index.php\/blog\/2017\/01\/01\/yoy-year-of-youth-2017-january-newsletter\/","title":{"rendered":"YoY: Year of Youth 2017 – January Newsletter – An Invitation to Year of Youth"},"content":{"rendered":"[envira-gallery id=”969″]\n
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An Invitation to Year of Youth –\u00a0\u201cThat they may be one, just as We are.\u201d (John 17:11)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Dear People of God,<\/p>\n

What a blessing to embark together as one church into these first few days of our\u00a0celebration of the Diocesan Year of Youth! Just as the Year of Mercy declared by Pope Francis\u00a0was not limited to a few,\u00a0the Year of Youth is\u00a0a call to ALL who are in our Diocese\u00a0\u2014 young and old alike.<\/b>\u00a0As such, this is not simply a time to focus on increasing numbers, or to conduct as many youth activities as possible. Rather,\u00a0as in all seasons of the Church, this is a time in which we are each called to a deeper self-examination and a change of heart.<\/p>\n

The vision that permeates this year is not limited to\u00a0a 1 year\u00a0agenda.\u00a0It is a vision that challenges us to look at the Church as a living body of flesh, bones, and souls–not just as a building.\u00a0We often go to great lengths to maintain and beautify the walls and ceilings in our parishes in the hope that they will last for years to come.\u00a0But how well do we love and care for the souls inside of them?<\/p>\n

This year calls us to examine how well we have shared the precious gift of faith that is\u00a0so freely and undeservedly gifted to us.\u00a0We must learn to pass on\u00a0this\u00a0gift of faith\u00a0in a\u00a0manner\u00a0that seeks to acknowledge each individual, to understand them, and to respond to their deepest longings\u00a0instead of <\/b>assuming that we know what they need.\u00a0We do this by humbling ourselves, genuinely listening, and actively investing\u00a0in the lives of our younger peers, children and grandchildren.\u00a0We cannot simply rely on homilies and events for support; rather, we must become a community that continually journeys with each other in the search for truth, and Truth Himself.<\/p>\n

To live in the spirit of this year, is to ask ourselves the following questions: Are we a church with vision?\u00a0Or are we one\u00a0that is satisfied with a mediocrity of self, others, and our community? Do we live out our call as Christians – to be peacemakers, voices of charity, evangelizers– to be \u201cother Christs?\u201d\u00a0Or\u00a0do we content ourselves with subscribing to our personal idea of Christ?\u00a0Are we investing in a legacy of faith that will outlast the foundations of our churches?\u00a0It is in search\u00a0of these answers that we strive to live lives of authenticity, by seeking Christ and our true selves in the Sacraments, silence, and reflection.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0start of every new year is an invitation to re-examine our priorities and relationships, and a challenge to live up to the highest standards we can set for ourselves. Sitting at the feet of Jesus, let us open our hearts to seek His voice in building the living Church. We pray that we, the earthly Body of Christ, embrace this journey toward greater union with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. What a joyous mission! May the intercession of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati accompany us as we build God\u2019s Kingdom on earth.<\/p>\n

In Christ\u2019s name.<\/p>\n

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Suggested Activities of the Month<\/p>\n

For Youth…<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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  1. Prayerfully examine your personal spiritual life and your spiritual goals for this upcoming year<\/li>\n
  2. Reach out to a youth coordinator\/ regional or national team member, or email info@stthomasdya.org to learn more about YOY and how to get more involved<\/li>\n
  3. Have a conversation about Year of Youth with your pastor or another parishioner<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    For Adults…<\/p>\n

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    1. Reflect upon your relationship with Christ and spiritual goals for this upcoming year<\/li>\n
    2. Have a conversation about Year of Youth with your family and recite the Year of Youth Prayer during family prayer<\/li>\n
    3. Offer a rosary for your family and the community at your parish\/mission<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      For Achans…<\/p>\n

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      1. In parish council, encourage representation by youth<\/li>\n
      2. Speak to another Achan about how they are celebrating Year of Youth at their parish\/mission<\/li>\n
      3. Recite the Year of Youth Prayer with parishioners, every Sunday<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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        For Kaikkarans, Parish Council members and other parish administration personnel…<\/p>\n

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        1. Prayerfully examine how you could serve the youth and young adults of your parish\/mission that they would love Christ and his Church.<\/li>\n
        2. Try a conversation with a few youth\/young adults from your parish\/mission and offer your help and support to their initiatives and projects.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

           <\/p>\n

          Spend at least an hour in this month in silent prayer or adoration for the youth of your parish\/mission.<\/p>\n

          PDF Download Link for English and Malayalam Newsletters:<\/p>\n

          English PDF<\/a><\/p>\n

          Malayalam PDF<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          [envira-gallery id=”969″] An Invitation to Year of Youth –\u00a0\u201cThat they may be one, just as We are.\u201d (John 17:11) Dear People of God, What a blessing to embark together as one church into these first few days of our\u00a0celebration of … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":966,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-yoy-reflection"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stthomasdya.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/778","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stthomasdya.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stthomasdya.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stthomasdya.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stthomasdya.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=778"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/stthomasdya.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/778\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":984,"href":"https:\/\/stthomasdya.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/778\/revisions\/984"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stthomasdya.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/966"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stthomasdya.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stthomasdya.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stthomasdya.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}