A Story
Review the article in this link on a young adult (Jose) from Madrid who was visiting Mississippi this summer, and was here during Hurricane Katrina. Although he had a means to evacuate, he opted to stay and assist those affected by its destruction. You may wish to tell the story to the young people or, better, give them a copy of the article here .
Make sure that you ask if any of the young people present had family, relatives, or friends affected by the hurricane. Elicit any personal connections first, being sensitive to the fact that the story may bring up uncertainties or pain for any personally affected.
Ask the young people to identify key words or phrases in the article that strike them.
Scripture
Utilize one or two of the following scripture readings to make a connection. Corresponding questions are included.
Matthew 25: 31-45
- How do you think Jose's actions correspond to the point of this Gospel account?
- In what everyday choices might you/we be invited to feed the hungry?
- What does it mean that Jesus is in the hungry that we meet or hear
- Jesus tells Peter that if Peter loves him he will feed his sheep. If being a disciple of Jesus means feeding those Jesus cares about, who are you called to feed - specifically?
- How does Jose's choice challenge you?
- Through the prophet Isaiah, God says that the fasting God really wants is that we care for one another - freeing people, sharing bread, clothing people, not turning our back on one another's needs. Who are you called not to turn to turn your back on?
- Even though Jose could have been evacuated - and that was not a wrong choice - he made a different one. What choices are you faced with where either are fine, but one is better? Which choice connects you more with others who are hungry?
Check out the song by Stephen Curtis Chapman on the CD All Things New , track 5 - "What Now". You might use this as part of a prayer experience to close your session. It identifies Jesus with an orphaned girl on the other side of the world and with a homeless person, and more. It asks "what now" will you do, now that you've found me, since you said you wanted to find me and to know me... that this is where he said he'd be.
Option A:
As part of the environment for the session, you might want to get a copy of the image entitled, "In His Image" by artist William Zdinak - a picture of Jesus that is composed of many faces. The image can be found here . You can also learn who some of the faces are here . If you wish to discuss it, you might use the Matthew 25 account above to speak about how we discover the face of Christ.
Option B:
October 1st is the feast of St. Therese of Lisieux. One of the ways she was referred to in religious life was Sister Therese of the Holy Face. Provide some background on this Carmelite saint, whose "little way" of holiness is about everyday acts of love and sacrifice. She understood her vocation to be love in the heart of the church. What if we were to follow that way of living and loving by meeting the Holy Face of Jesus in those who are hungry? How might we feed those who hunger? How might this bring us closer to being whole, holy, who we are called to be? How might this bring us closer to Christ? How can Therese's little way of love help us to find clues as to how to care for those who hunger?
What, How, What Else?
Information on hunger and poverty, How to be involved in feeding the hungry, and supplemental activities or resources that can support practicing this work of mercy found on the web
