LifeTeen Playlist for eXaLT nights

One of the things that we do in LifeTeen a few times a year is have what is called "XLT". This has nothing to do with the size of your tshirt, it comes from the word eXaLT. Think of it as Eucharistic Adoration, prayer, devotion and praise and worship for the Lord with that LifeTeen touch. Anyhow, I thought that I would make a playlist for one of those nights for my ministry kids to have for their iPods so they could have that music wherever. The song order as it appears below is to guide the listener through a night at XLT from start to finish. So, without any further fanfare- here it is

The Olive Garden/Night Sky (Medley) from "The Passion of the Christ"

In This Place by Trevor Thomson
Come to the Water by Matt Maher
Here I Am by Tom Booth
Hosanna by Hillsong United
Litany by Matt Maher
Unwavering by Matt Maher
I Will Choose Christ by Tom Booth
Tantum Ergo by Beth Nielsen Chapman
Adoration by Matt Maher
O God of Loveliness by Beth Nielsen Chapman
How Great is Our God by Chris Tomlin
Blest Are They by David Haas
Shine Your Light by Robbie Robertson from the film "Ladder 49"
You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban
Restless by Audrey Assad
If We've Ever Needed You by Casting Crowns
Above All by Michael W. Smith
Draw Me Close by Millenium III (if you can't find this version, the one by Michael W. Smith works too)
It Is Done from "The Passion of the Christ"
John Nineteen Forty-One from "Jesus Christ Superstar"
Dona Nobis Pacem by Yo-Yo Ma
Resurrection from "The Passion of the Christ"
Days of Elijah by Paul Wilbur
Big House by Audio Adrenaline

LifeTeen

Not long ago, I felt the need to get involved in some kind of ministry, to follow in the footsteps of St. Francis. So, for the past year, I've involved with the LifeTeen ministry at my local parish. Ministering to and serving these teens has been an immense honor and they are my joy. I didn't go to school for this and I haven't received any advanced theology training, but I'm a minister just the same. God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called. LifeTeen is certainly something special. For those of us old enough to remember Catholic Youth Organization, LifeTeen is kind of like that. We gather together as a community every Sunday and kick the evening off with a Mass. After Mass, we have a meal together. Most nights, we have a Catechism night, other nights we have a talk about issues facing Christian youth today. Some think it's like CYO, but it's something much better. I kinda wish we had something like LifeTeen when I was in high school. The kids that come to LifeTeen every week come because they WANT to. They are faith-filled, faithful and it is encouraging to see teens on fire for the Lord as true disciples.

Thoughts on Confession/Reconcilliation

So, first thing that I want to say is that I am sorry for not posting for a long time. I have had more on my plate than I can handle, and blog upkeep fell by the wayside. I'm writing this posting from my local Barnes and Noble before I go into work tonight. That, having been said....

I went to Confession at my church last week and man did it feel good! I had been putting it off because I thought that I had screwed up so badly that there was no way that my pastor could possibly absolve me. I was thinking stuff like that when I remembered that there is NOTHING that can keep me from the love of my Abba Father. The love of the Father is so perfect and selfless that He wants to heal my brokenness, no matter how bad the hurt. We need only ask for His mercy and forgiveness and He is there to pour them on us. If I have any readers that are unfamiliar with the Sacrament of Confession, here's a little breakdown.

So, we all know we're sinners, right? We're sinners in need of a Savior that can redeem us and make us healthy again (paraphrase of Mark 2:17). Because sin erodes our relationship with both God and fellow man, Confession is there to repair the erosion. God the Father imbued us with conscience that reminds us when we fall from the right path. Jesus is the only one that can forgive sin, but He delegated this power to the Apostles and their successors (our priests and bishops) . I know that some would call for Scripture to support why Catholics go to Confession, and that support is forthcoming. The power to forgive sins is from John 20, verses 22a-23. Because of apostolic succession, this power of forgiveness has carried forward through the ages from the Apostles and their immediate successors to the priests and bishops of today. A priest absolves us of sin after hearing our sincere Confession and an Act of Contrition. What do I mean by an Act of Contrition? It's a prayer of a sinner saying that he knows that he has sinned, he's sorry for the sins and makes a vow to not do it again. I'm probably over-simplifying things here, and I apologize for any confusion. What is important to remember that the priest absolves you in persona Christi (in the person of Christ), so it is Jesus that you are confessing your sins to. Every time that I have gone to Confession, I am filled with a great joy when the priest invokes the blessing of absolution:

"God the merciful Father, by the death and Resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to Himself and sent the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins. Through the ministry of the Church, may He grant you pardon and peace. And I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." (CCC 1449)

Your grace is enough

So, I had my iPod with me on my commute this morning and I switch playlists to "Empty and Beautiful" by Matt Maher. What an album! The first cut is "Your Grace is Enough" and man, it's a catchy tune. So, I'm listening and dancing a little when I realize something...the grace of God IS enough for me. There's a prayer written by the founder of the Jesuit order, St. Ignatius of Loyola that fits right in with this thought. In the prayer, Ignatius asks for the love and grace of Christ- and, with these, he is rich enough and would ask for nothing more. And that is so fitting for a life with Christ. If we have His amazing love and endless grace, then we are rich enough indeed. We can get so caught up in what the world says will make us happy that we forget who is the only source of true joy- Jesus Christ. Grace is enough, everything else that is good in our lives is a bonus. The Grace given to us by the Father is something we cannot earn, but is a gift that He bestows on us because He loves us. 

1 Timothy 3:15

Reflections on St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me a channel of Your Peace.
Where there is hatredn let me bring Your Love
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, true faith
Where there is despair, let me bring hope
Where there is darkness, only Light
And where there is sadness, ever joy
Oh Divine Mastern grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console.
To be understood as to understand
Or to be loved as to love with all my soul.
For it is in pardoning that we are pardoned. It is in giving of ourselves that we receive. And ot is in dying that we are born into eternal life.
- Saint Francis of Assisi

I have always loved that prayer, because it expresses the true mission of every Christian. Francis of Assisi continues to inspire many Christians to live the Gospel as Christ taught. He often told his followers to "preach the Gospel at all times; and when necessary, use words". The quote reminds me to not just talk the talk, but walk the walk. We live our faith when we comfort the grieving, feed the hungry, defend the weak, stand for what is right and proclaim to the world that Jesus Christ is Lord and His Kingdom is here. One of the symbols associated with Franciscans the world over is the Tau cross. The letter Tau is the last in the Hebrew alphabet. To me, this would have appealed to Francis and his followers as they always sought to be the least in society. The Tau reminds me of a Franciscan friar standing tall, arms open wide to love all humanity.

Welcome to my blog!

Hello out there in the blogosphere! I created this blog as a means to share my faith with a wider audience. I was brought up a Catholic Christian and have had an interesting walk in the Way, the Truth and the Life. Being a Christian in modern society is a challenge to put it mildly. However, the Lord Jesus Christ said it would not be easy, but it would be worth it (Matthew 16:24, Matthew 5:11). I said that I am a Catholic Christian, and some out there might think that Catholics cannot be Christians for a myriad of reasons that I will attempt to debunk as time goes on. I might blog about a passage from Scripture, a book I'm reading, or a praise/worship song, or another blog posting (if so, I'll leave the link to it as well), really anything that can be related back to the subject at hand- faith. So, once again- welcome to my blog. May God bless you and keep you today and always. +