A Call to Youth

Educating Hearts and Minds

A Call to Youth

Opening Hymn Come to the Water

Opening Prayer

Peace,

your parting gift to Mary.

You break through her

sorrow, With just one word, " Mary."

Then to frightened

disciples, right through locked doors.

Peace is theirs now not to keep but give.

You would use them to spread your peace,

and to forgive sins, making peace again.

Christ, call us each by name. Come right through our fear-locked doors and breathe your Spirit into us. Give us peace that is not for us to keep but to give to all we know, to all whom we love, to all creation, and to all people everywhere. Amen.

Gospel Luke 24: 1-11 Looking for the Living One in a Cemetery

At the crack of dawn on Sunday, the women came to the tomb carrying the burial spices they had prepared. They found the entrance stone rolled back from the tomb, so they walked in. But once inside, they couldn't find the body of the Master Jesus.

They were puzzled, wondering what to make of this. Then, out of nowhere it seemed, two men, light cascading over them, stood there. The women were awestruck and bowed down in worship. The men said, "Why are you looking for the Living One in a cemetery? He is not here, but raised up. Remember how he told you when you were still back in Galilee that he had to be handed over to sinners, be killed on a cross, and in three days rise up?" Then they remembered Jesus' words.

They left the tomb and broke the news of all this to the Eleven and the rest. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them kept telling these things to the apostles, but the apostles didn't believe a word of it, thought they were making it all up.

PAUSE: REFLECTION AND SHARING ON THE WORD

Response Stay with us

Lord, the day is already waning,

stay with us.

Stay to illumine our doubts

and our fears.

Stay so that we may fortify

our light with yours.

Stay to help us be

strong and generous.

Stay so that in a world

that has little faith and hope

we may be able to encourage

one another

and sow faith and hope.

Stay

so that we, too, may learn from you

to be the light for other young people

and for the world.

Pope John Paul II - April 11, 1984

PAUSE

INTENTIONS

Closing Prayer Young People, Christ Calls You

God our Father,

We entrust to you the young men

And young women of the world,

With their problems, aspirations, and hopes.

Keep your loving gaze on them

And make them workers of peace

And builders of the civilization of love.

Call them to follow Jesus, your son.

Help them to understand the value

of giving their lives fully

For you and for humanity.

Let their response be generous and eager.

Accept also, Lord,

Our praise and our prayer

For the young people who,

Following the example of Mary, the Mother of the Church,

Believed in your word

And are preparing for Holy Orders,

For the profession of the evangelical counsels,

For the missionary commitment.

Help them to understand that the call

You have given them

Is always present and urgent.

Amen.

John Paul II