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Prayer and Worship, being God-centred, deepen young people’s relationship with Jesus Christ. They include the celebration of liturgy, communal and personal prayer.
Through Prayer and Worship, young people awaken an awareness of the Holy Spirit at work in their lives, incorporating them more fully into the sacramental life of the Church. Prayer and Worship encourage and nurture the personal prayer life of young people, their families and the whole community.
Through this focus area, the Church invites young people to discover the joy and sacredness of Divine Liturgy, encouraging full, conscious, active and authentic participation in the Eucharist, the source and summit of the Christian life. Liturgy is the primary place of the Word of God, and encourages an understanding of the essence and structure of the Mass. This is an ongoing journey, encouraging full entry into the mystery of the Mass and engaging all the senses.
Encouraging and forming young people in service roles in the liturgy is an important part of youth ministry. It requires effective preaching and an awareness of elements such as appropriate music and any use of multimedia to express the vitality of young people, whilst adhering to liturgical norms in the intergenerational community.
Prayer and Worship introduce young people to spiritual reading and saints they can model their lives upon. It explores the history and tradition of our faith, in elements such as sacramentals and icons. It encourages them to find their own creative expression, recognising that there is a unique path to holiness for each person. We stand tall on the shoulders of those who have gone before, marked with signs of faith.
In addition to Eucharistic and Sacramental worship, youth ministry should encourage and provide opportunities for other forms of prayer. Such opportunities should engage young people’s personal experiences and integrate active listening to the Word of God. The expression of prayer may include music, art, dance and drama. Effective youth ministry provides models of personal prayer and introduces young people to resources and experiences, such as retreats, that encourage further development in the breadth of community prayer and individual prayerful relationship with God. |
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