Themes for Young Catholics
The Catholic topics that can be taught to young people are part of a very long list, but they are very important because they contain information that every young person needs to know in order to understand the origins of many things within the Catholic religion. In our current times, certain topics must be clearly presented to young people so that they can have an appropriate way of living their daily lives.
It's important to address these issues with them in a precise manner, due primarily to the rapid pace at which the world and culture have advanced, and where there is no longer any certainty about what happens. In many cases, truths end up being taken as lies due to the distrust that exists today. Therefore, it's necessary to address these Catholic issues with young people to help them find proper guidance and develop a Christian vision and conscience.
All of this must be framed within the central theme: God and his meaning in life, which is humanity, and what can happen in the world. The goal is not to create a novel about the subject, but rather to provide a true Christian doctrine that is in keeping with our current culture. This doesn't mean covering all the topics in the Bible, but rather the necessary amount needed to defend and spread Christian doctrine by providing sound arguments and explanations for their faith. To achieve this, one must understand:
It is not enough to know the good and the bad
For good evangelization, it's not necessary to know what is good and what is bad, as this can be seen up close in our world today. It's necessary to have a good ability to give quick and simple explanations about the fundamentals of the faith. Once this basic understanding of the topics is achieved, they should have a little more maturity to understand what faith and culture are. Therefore, it's necessary to have a foundation in Christian doctrine and for it to be professed appropriately in life.
Of course, there are topics that are not easy to explain to young people in our current society, especially when there is a shift away from the Christian faith. In many cases, people only go so far as to baptize their children and then forget to go to church again. Others end up distancing themselves completely from the religion, and from there, young people can be affected by new cultural trends.
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daily life topics
The topics to be covered with young Catholics are the basics of daily Christian life, many of which are already familiar, but they should never be forgotten, as they contain lifelong lessons. The topics include those related to family, marriage, anthropology, philosophy, society, history, and reflection for young people. Some of these topics have been distorted over time, especially the historical ones, which have been adapted to various ideologies and interests. Likewise, topics related to the Church, its doctrine, and how it is practiced should be addressed.
controversial and current issues
These are topics that are currently being discussed and that relate to today's consumer society. These topics should be addressed directly, without falling into philosophical questions. They should be understood not as a mere reading of articles, but rather as a way of understanding everything correctly. The purpose is not to debate or convince others, but rather to open hearts and minds through knowledge of prayer and God.
To inspire young people's concerns, to encourage them to think about the topics, such as setting a good example in society, to share life stories, and to express their beliefs and opinions about Christian beliefs with a simple explanation. In these cases, the goal is not to turn people into a book so they can master all the topics, but rather to open their minds so they can seek greater knowledge of these topics and seek more information.
This doesn't mean that a student has mastered the topic completely after just one reading, but rather that this knowledge remains firmly embedded in their mind and won't be erased or distorted over time by memory lapses, or mixed with other topics that can only cause more confusion. Therefore, the topic should be mentioned not just once, but repeatedly and from different perspectives.
How to cover these issues in young people?
It's quite difficult to address these topics with young people. Ideally, they should be studied as a conversation or situation arises. To achieve this, you should research the topic after discussing it. It's best to provide a thorough explanation once or several times so that the young person understands it and the right questions arise to answer it.
The best thing is to make talks around a work table, having a coffee or a juice, so that the environment is appropriate and generates trust, that you know or have understood the subject and have the best way to expose it to young people.
The best way to cover the topics is to make a list. This list should be thoroughly researched and include faith-related content, explanations, information, reflection, dynamics, prayers, and church celebrations. The topics should be daily and spiritual. It is important that when starting a group, it continues to grow so that the formation is adequate and generates in them a desire to live a Christian life and a community through faith.
If the working group has already been getting to know each other for a long time, what should be done is to continue with the progressive education of the topics that have to do with faith and with the word of God. Remember that you are not only going to acquire knowledge, but that they know what their origin is and their point of arrival, and what their impact will be on the lives of young people, respecting fundamental spaces for prayers and celebrations.
How to start with a new group of young people?
To begin a new group, you must first form a proposal and an association of young Catholics who have been formed in parishes or dioceses to begin studying the topics. Clear responses should be provided and efforts should be increased in this group work. For it to be a living community, all young people must participate in the faith process and in an encounter or approach to Christ.
Young people should be encouraged to analyze the readings, to formulate new concepts for their life plans, and to see the figure of Christ as the only Son of God and our Lord. This theme serves as a tool for young people to begin their steps in faith. These topics should be a way to introduce them to belief in Christ, so that they make commitments in their lives, such as being orderly, secure, attending church, and being believers.
Training Topics
The training topics are those in which the adults have also worked and that are used so that the corresponding training is done so that God is known in a better way, the faith is renewed and the function of the church and of the Church is known. the truth contained in the Catholic religion.
First Topic: How to know the Catholic faith?
This theme seeks to make God and his religion known in a better way, so that we can live in a better way and that we know how to defend it, spread it and give explanations about it with a good base. The intention is not for young people to distance themselves from their family or their friends, since this group does not seek to create a sect where everything in life is considered a sin.
Many organizations are dedicated to recruiting young people into a pseudo-religious world that tells them they must leave their homes, their families, and their friends. They are then exploited under false ideas or concepts that only generate profit for the leaders of these groups, who, in turn, recruit new young people to join them. There are cases of these groups where they are told how they should dress, walk, speak, and even whom they should marry. This is not the true mission of a Catholic youth group.
Difference between catholic religion and sect
The Catholic religion is the one that truly believes fully in Jesus as the Son of God, whose mission is to save us. It believes in the existence of the Virgin Mary as the mother of Jesus, the mother of earth and heaven. Its leader is the Pope, who is the head of the entire church. A sect is a group that separates from one religion to form a different one, forming its own ideas and using the scriptures, but only to maintain its own particular interests.
These sects begin with a leader, who makes the decision that he is the head of the group and in whom rests all knowledge and truth. The Catholic religion is the one that begins with Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and the second is the one that forms a person who is named as an heir to the religion. These groups or sects always talk about Jesus and are based on the use of the Bible, but only for their particular purposes.
Typically, their leader and those who follow him cite passages from the Bible and undergo training that serves to convince young people. This verbiage they use is only to impress them, so when you are approached by some of these people, you should ask them if they are Catholic. If they fail to answer this question clearly and offer you many explanations or detours to divert the topic, don't listen to them and stay away from them. They will probably claim to be Christians, that they believe in Jesus and the Bible, but being Christian is not the same as being Catholic.
These people should be taken as very careful people since they always seek to attract people, who only help them with their time and money. That is why you must be attentive and see if it really is a Catholic group, if they go to mass, if they have received the sacraments, if they believe in the Virgin Mary, if they are looking for a way for you to work for them just to get them money, if they let you discuss your concerns, and especially be careful if one of their demands is that you leave your family and friends.
In any case, you should look for information about these groups on the internet. You can find a lot of information about religious groups that ended up committing mass suicide simply for following their leader when the authorities in their countries tried to put an end to their sects. In his gospel and preaching, Jesus spoke of guarding against false prophets, those who come to you disguised as sheep but are actually ferocious wolves.
Second Theme: Knowing the History of Salvation
To understand our history, we must know the answer to the questions of why we were created by God and what our mission is, how human history developed on Earth, how God has revealed himself to humanity, and whether or not we believe in the Catholic religion.
Our salvation story begins with God as the One in charge of creating all material things, such as heaven and earth, darkness and light, plants, water, and animals. In addition to creating everything that exists, God also took care of everything spiritual, including the soul. But His most perfect creation for Him was man, who possesses both body and soul.
But what is God's purpose in our creation? Our purpose was to live safely and for all eternity in heaven with Him. But He also gave us free will as a gift, a characteristic that allows every human being to behave in a way that is either good or bad. And it is because of this characteristic that we can accept or reject the salvation God wants to give us.
Who were Adam and Eve?
They were the first human beings created by God, whom he placed in a beautiful place called Paradise. In this place, they would feel no pain, sadness, cold, heat, absolutely nothing, since everything there was good and a gift from God so they could live comfortably. God allowed them to eat all the fruits found in Paradise except for one tree. But not because the tree was bad, but only because he wanted to know if they would truly be obedient and love him as their God.
One day, the devil appeared before Eve and began tempting her to taste the fruit of the forbidden tree. She fell to this temptation, and that is how man's disobedience toward God began. In turn, Eve caused Adam to fall into this temptation as well, leading God to decide to remove them from Paradise and close the gates of heaven to them, so they could never again be there or live happily with God for all eternity.
Faced with this disobedience and sin they committed, God decided not to abandon them, but rather gave the promise that one day a savior would come to help them regain what they had lost.
How would he send the Savior into the world?
For his Son to come into the world, he decided to incarnate him in a woman. Therefore, he proceeded to choose the right woman; she had to be special, so he chose Mary. The way to do this was by sending an angel who explained to her what God wanted to do, and she accepted without hesitation. The way to do this was by conceiving a son whom she would call Jesus, and who would be great and called the Son of the Most High.
No man touched Mary for the conception of Jesus. It was the Holy Spirit who descended upon her to conceive her. In other words, God placed Jesus inside Mary, since she was a virgin and had never known any man. According to the Catholic religion, Mary remained a virgin throughout her life, even after she married Joseph, since they made a vow of chastity as an offering to God.
This was how the Son of God became man and became our savior. Furthermore, in the Catholic religion, December 24th was recognized as the birthday of the Son of God.
What was the life of Jesus like?
Jesus grew up as a normal child, living with his parents, Mary and Joseph, working and praying. However, this life of Jesus is what Catholics call the hidden life, as the Bible doesn't mention anything about what he was like. It wasn't until he was 30 years old that we learned about his life, when he began to preach publicly. These are the events recounted in the New Testament in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
What did Jesus preach?
Jesus preached the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven. At that time, there was no mention of the Kingdom of God, since, as Jews, the name of God could not be mentioned. The news he gave was that salvation was a possible reality and would be fulfilled by God's will when people rejected the life of sin.
It's worth noting that the Gospels were written by Christ's disciples, after Jesus himself lived. Therefore, they are oral accounts passed from one person to another, detailing everything they had experienced with Jesus and the words they heard from him as their Master.
In his time, his disciples witnessed that Jesus performed many miracles, lived according to his will, and lived to save us as God intended. He did this out of love for humanity. This period is known as the Passion and Death of Jesus. This Passion included a period of torture during which he was whipped, beaten, spat upon, and crowned with thorns. He was forced to carry a cross on his battered back, insulted along the way, harassed, and humiliated, before being crucified to death.
It was his decision to die on the cross so that humanity would be redeemed from its sins by God, so that God would forgive them and so that we would be with him again in heaven for eternity.
What happened after his death?
After dying on the cross, Jesus was buried and resurrected on the third day. He ascended to heaven and sat at the right hand of God the Father. This story confirms the history of our salvation. Here we see that God loves us from the moment he created us as human beings, and such was his love that he sent his Son to save us.
It is through the love of Jesus and his suffering and persecution ending in his death that we were redeemed from all sins. That is why we must thank God for having been good to us and loving him every day of our lives, since through his son the gates of heaven that were closed with the disobedience of Adam and Eve, are reopened for each one of us. U.S.
But this salvation will depend on each of us. Each human being must decide whether to accept or reject sin, to desire to improve every day, and to put into practice the teachings left to us by Jesus Christ, so that at the moment of our death we may return to heaven and enjoy happiness for all eternity.
Third Theme: Lent and Holy Week
This theme is very important to Catholics, as it commemorates the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and invites all people to convert to the Catholic faith. Conversion means changing your attitude, removing everything bad from your life, and becoming a good person again. In other words, removing from our lives everything that God considers offensive and sinful, and improving every day as a believer.
Ash Wednesday
It marks the beginning of Lent, and it takes place on the Wednesday after Shrove Monday and Shrove Tuesday. On this day, you must attend Mass in church, and the officiating priest must place a cross with ashes on your forehead and tell you to "repent and believe in the Gospel." This has become a Catholic ritual and serves as a reminder that at some point in our lives, we will die and return to dust. In other words, it tells you that everything material comes to an end, and nothing we have at the moment of our death will be taken with us; you will only take what you have done, whether good or bad.
What is Lent?
Lent is the period of 40 days in which Jesus was walking in the desert, without food, drink and was only praying, to prepare for his new life as a preacher of the gospel or Word of God and begin his teachings for humanity.
For Catholics, this period begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Wednesday. During this period, people should repent of their sins, do penance, convert, and repent. It is a time to reflect on anything they may have committed that could be considered a sin.
You should also consider what you may have done to offend God, even if it was small, ask for forgiveness, sincerely repent, and commit to never doing it again. If you consider your faults to be serious, then you should seek a priest and confess your sins. Then, do penance and ask God for forgiveness, always remembering that God's goodness and mercy are great, and He will forgive you if your repentance is from the heart.
Penitencia
After having expressed that you have gravely offended God, you must make reparation for your sins, which implies making a sacrifice to purify your soul, giving up things you love and that you find difficult to abandon or stop doing. This penance may consist of: giving up something you like for a certain amount of time, helping people, trying to be kinder to people you don't like, attending Mass regularly, etc. But the ideal is that every time you wake up, you think and reflect on the penance you are doing and why you are doing it.
Become
This topic is about how to make a change in your life, where you'll stop doing bad things and try and succeed in doing things better in your life. To achieve this step, you must keep in mind that you must have good intentions and know what things in your life you're going to permanently change. At night, you should review the goals you set for yourself and whether you were truly able to achieve them.
By doing so, you'll notice if you've improved and made progress toward your goal. To do this, you must pray constantly and ask God for guidance and help to achieve your change, which requires a great deal of faith.
Fast and Abstinence
In the period of Lent, Catholics must make two personal sacrifices, which consist of fasting, eating only one meal a day, which corresponds to Ash Wednesday, Good Thursday and Good Friday, and the second is abstinence from eat meat every Friday of Lent and replace it with another food. These two sacrifices should be made by all Catholics from the age of 14.
The Holy Week
At the end of the 40 days of Lent, Holy Week begins, a time when the Passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus are commemorated. It begins on Palm Sunday, where the celebration of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem is celebrated, where he is praised as a king. Catholics often bring palm branches to church to be blessed, just as the Jews did during Jesus' Passover.
Wednesday, Thursday and Good Friday
This day commemorates Jesus' Last Supper with the disciples and apostles, during which he informed them of what was about to happen. He then did something to ensure that all of them would remember him forever. He did this by sharing communion with them with the bread and wine, which was given to each of them, and this is how this Catholic sacrament was established.
At night, after dinner, Jesus withdrew with some of his disciples to the Mount of Olives to pray. There he was arrested, taken before the Sanhedrin, where he was interrogated and began to be tortured, scourged, mocked, and crowned with thorns. He was then taken to Golgotha to be crucified and die. The suffering he endured was great, but he endured it all for love of his Father and for love of mankind, since his mission was to obtain forgiveness of sins and establish a new covenant between God and mankind so that we could reach heaven and live at his side for all eternity.
His body was taken down from the cross and hastily buried in a cave belonging to Joseph of Arimathea, as the Sabbath was approaching, a day on which no Jew was supposed to do any work. Therefore, on the third day (Easter Sunday), the last day of Holy Week, Catholics joyfully celebrate the Lord's resurrection.
Fourth Theme: The Virgin Mary
This topic is one that should be explained most often to young people, especially as the month of May approaches, since Mother's Day is celebrated in that month. For all Catholics, the Virgin Mary is the Mother not only of heaven, but of earth and of all humanity. Mary was the woman chosen by God to be the mother of the promised Savior, or Messiah, or Son of God. She was chosen because she was a good woman, raised under all of God's precepts.
Life of Mary
Mary's parents, Joachim and Anna, were from the Tribe of Judah, from which King David descended. They were from a humble family, and Mary was kind and always took care to dedicate her life to the things of God, faithfully following His commandments. She prayed to God many times and was committed to serving Him and loving Him above all else.
Mary's days were like those of any Jewish woman. She cared for her parents' home, she was filled with many virtues, she was humble, simple, generous, and charitable; she sometimes forgot herself to help those in need. She was affectionate and treated everyone equally with the same simplicity and charity.
One day she met Joseph, a good and devout man, and he asked her to marry him. The engagement was made, as the wedding was scheduled for some time later, during which time they could not live together or be together. One day while she was praying to God, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to her and announced that she would be the mother of the Savior. Gabriel told her that she was blessed among all women and that she was full of grace in the eyes of God, and that therefore she was blessed to conceive a son in her womb, who would be called Jesus.
Faced with this unexpected news, Mary, in her humility and simplicity, accepted the Lord's decision and told Him that she was His servant and that He should do unto her according to His word. From then on, she became greater in God's eyes for such a wonderful mission in her life. It should be taken into consideration for our reflections that she had the option of not accepting this mission, and God would respect it, but she agreed to be the mother of the long-awaited Messiah for the salvation of humanity.
She didn't consider whether this would be difficult, or whether it would cause her misfortune and suffering. She simply said yes to God. Something we should all do when God asks us for something, without beating around the bush or giving Him excuses to say no. But the problem wasn't just that; she was also engaged to Joseph, and how would she tell him what was happening? How could she tell him she was pregnant by God?
The first thing Joseph did was to despise her in silence, since at that time a woman who was pregnant without being married was considered an adulteress and the punishment for them was death by stoning. That is why an angel appears to Joseph in a dream and tells him not to be afraid of receiving Mary as his wife since the son he was expecting had been conceived by the work and grace of the Holy Spirit and that he himself would be the Son of God.
Joseph was a very kind man, and he took Mary as his wife, keeping her secret. According to the Catholic Church, after the birth of Jesus, they took vows of chastity to God for the rest of their lives. In addition to serving Joseph as his wife and homemaker, Mary also cared for her family, always with love and joy. She was very patient and accepted everything that happened in her life and that of her family, giving thanks to God every day of her life.
Imitate the virtues of Mary
As human beings, it would be a marvel and a prodigy if we could possess the virtues of the Virgin Mary, just as she carried herself with holiness in her home and in her daily work. It is not impossible for us all to achieve sanctification. Furthermore, we must know that Mary was present at every moment of her Son's passion and death. She stood beside his cross, filled with great pain, watching her son die slowly, but always remaining serene.
A mother's grief is a very powerful thing when it comes to the lives of her children, so with her serenity, she teaches us a lesson in strength and patience, in suffering in silence and standing firm by her side despite her broken heart. This suffering is what helps people make the decision to be closer to God and achieve eternal life at His side.
What dogmas are there about the Virgin Mary?
For the Catholic Church, there are four fundamental dogmas about the Virgin Mary that we must know and faithfully believe. The first of these concerns her Immaculate Conception. Since Adam and Eve disobeyed God, all men and women are born with what is called original sin, a sin that can only be erased when we are baptized. The Virgin Mary was born immaculate in her conception; that is, she was the only woman born without original sin because God chose it this way, so that she could be the mother of Jesus.
The second dogma is her divine motherhood. She was a true, human mother to the Son of God. The third dogma is her perpetual virginity, meaning that she remained a virgin throughout her life. And the fourth dogma is her ascension into heaven. This last dogma establishes that, once her life on earth was over, she was taken up body and soul into heaven.
Because of all these dogmas, the Virgin Mary's participation in the salvation of humanity through her son, Jesus Christ, is very important for Catholics. Hence the great devotion to her as our Mother in heaven. Prayers are often offered to her, and she is held in great faith, since she intercedes for all of us, with our petitions before God.
In fact, it is said that if men were more intelligent, they would ask for anything they wanted from the Virgin Mary, since Jesus' love for her was so great that she would never refuse to give anything for her children. Furthermore, there isn't a single Catholic home in the world that doesn't have a statue of the Virgin Mary, place flowers in front of her, and pray to her every day.
Fifth Topic: The Commandments
This is another topic that should be discussed with young people, as these are the basic rules that every Catholic and Christian in the world has. These rules were given by God himself to Moses on Mount Sinai, but the reality is that they must be explained in a clear way so that young people understand why it is important to follow each one.
Strict adherence to these commandments guarantees a person's entry into heaven, and this was stated by Jesus himself in his teachings: anyone who wishes to have eternal life must keep the commandments. This story is best known for the tale of Moses, a Jewish baby who, in order to be saved from a massacre, is placed in a basket to float down the Nile River. The basket is obtained by the Pharaoh's daughter, who was unable to bear children. Upon seeing him, she adopts the child as her own, and he is raised among the Egyptian royalty.
As the years pass, Moses grows into a man, but he commits a crime and must flee Egypt through the desert. Upon arriving in another land, he meets shepherds and ends up marrying the eldest daughter of a local leader, until he feels God's calling on a mountain.
Moses thus becomes a patriarch, whose primary role is to lead and guide the people of Israel out of Egypt, out of the hands of Pharaoh, and into the Promised Land. Once he does so, God calls him to Mount Sinai, where he gives him the Decalogue, or tablets of the Law, containing God's Ten Commandments.
In Moses' time, Egypt was a great empire, where many nomads arrived and where many people also left. Once Moses managed to lead the Israelites out of Egypt through the Red Sea, he became their guide and prophet, teaching them that Yahweh was the only God.
Already at Mount Sinai, where God gave them the tablets of the law, a covenant was sealed between Yahweh and the Israelites to become his chosen people. They spent a long time wandering in the desert, because when Moses was waiting for the tablets, the people rebelled and began to worship a golden calf, as Moses was slow to descend from the mountain. When Moses saw that the people had returned to their life of debauchery and idol worship, he broke the tablets against them.
As punishment, God forced them to wander in the desert for 40 years until the entire disobedient generation was wiped out. A new generation arose among them. Moses was punished by God because he was unable to enter the Promised Land. After his death, Joshua took charge of the people, ruling over the land of Canaan. The 12 tribes that emerged were independent of one another, but they shared the identity of worshipping Yahweh (Jehovah) as their only God.
love God above all things
This commandment is based on love, which is the most important thing in life, but on the love of God, on giving Him the respect He deserves, and on being close to Him through prayer, fulfilling His will and placing Him above all else. Jesus taught us this through his life, and he loved God, who was his Father, above all else, so much so that he gave his life for love of God and for us.
Don't swear God's name in vain
This commandment commands us to respect God's name, to respect all things that are sacred, which includes the teachings of Jesus when he was on earth. It is not right to swear in God's holy name, especially when it is for unnecessary things. Therefore, we should not make promises in God's name, as this is not a game for Catholics. To use God's name is to take it as if it were a witness to something that there is not the slightest intention of ever being fulfilled or realized.
You will sanctify the holidays
This commandment was made to be observed during the time of Moses and, later, during the time of Jesus, on the Sabbath day of rest, which in our current calendar corresponds to Sunday in the West. For Jews, it is still the Sabbath day. Sunday must be observed and sanctified to be dedicated to the Catholic Church. It is a day on which one must attend Mass. The only way one cannot attend is if one is seriously ill or if an emergency has arisen.
In addition to Sundays, the Catholic Church also observes holy days, such as the days of Virgins and Saints, while maintaining attendance at Masses, such as:
- January 1st of each year
- Corpus Christi Thursday
- The day of the patron saint of the city where you live.
- The Holy Week
- December 25 (Christmas day).
Honor father and mother
This is a commandment that is inculcated from when we are little, it is an indication of the love that we must as good children, give to our parents, they must be thanked at all times, first of all for giving us life, for having raised us and given us an education . Just as they watched over us until we became adults, we must watch over them until they die.
Besides loving them and caring for them, we also owe them respect. Not only when we live with them, but also once we've separated because we've formed our own family. This includes helping them materially and spiritually, supporting and accompanying them until they grow old and when they're sick. It's our duty to care for them the same way they cared for us.
Do not kill
There should be no reason to take a person's life, since only God can do according to his will. God gives us life, and God takes it away. Included within this commandment is the issue of abortion, which is the murder of one's own unborn child. This is especially true because these are creatures who have no way of defending themselves, but the Catholic Church considers that once a person is in the womb, from the moment of conception, they already have a soul and are considered a Child of God.
Suicide is also not accepted within the Catholic faith, as it is a sin, since life has a value that must be respected. Likewise, excessive alcohol consumption and drug use are not accepted, as both are factors that can significantly affect the lives of those who use them.
The lives of all people must be respected, and the Catholic Church refers to this issue as those who are in conflict, tortured, or affected by terrorism or kidnapping.
Do not commit impure acts
This topic is of great importance to young people today, when society has become so demoralized. Young people must learn to master their passions so that their sexuality is respected. Ideally, they should live in chastity until they have a partner with whom they want to spend their lives and build a home.
The main offenses against chastity are lust, masturbation, fornication, viewing pornography, prostitution, rape, or homosexuality. If they marry properly, as God intended, then they must practice fidelity in their love, which should be, as the priest says, "Until death do us part." For the Catholic Church, committing these acts is considered mortal sin:
- Adultery, which consists of having relations with people other than our husbands or wives.
- Having more than one wife or husband (Bigamy).
- Engaging in sexual practices with people who do not wish to engage in sexual activity, such as young children, one's own children, or relatives.
- Living as a couple with a person before having been married in church.
- Divorce and marry other people.
Do not steal
This commandment speaks of not taking things that are not yours, even if you want them too much. If a person doesn't realize they're missing something, you're breaking a commandment of God. In fact, even if the person doesn't use the object you've stolen, you're committing a sin. You must be clear that what belongs to others must be respected, as it is a divine commandment.
Not lie
This is a fairly obvious topic to explain to young people, as it implies that the truth must be told at all times. When you tell a falsehood, you are also telling a lie, and you are deceiving others. Also, remember that lies always end up being discovered, and the truth will be known. Therefore, not only will the person be discovered as a liar, but they will also be condemned to never again be seen as an honest person, even if they tell the truth. You must be honest and always tell the truth, because that is the path to life.
Have no thoughts or desires of impurity
This commandment deals with thoughts and desires that are immoral or unethical. If these somehow appear in your life, you must reject them immediately. This commandment includes the use of pornographic magazines or movies that provoke these kinds of thoughts.
Do not covet other people's property
This is a behavior in which we must explain that we should be grateful for what we have and discard the desire to have the things that other people have, as this is a behavior filled with envy. Each person has what God intends them to have, and everything you have should be enjoyed and used. You should not be envious of other people's things, as everyone has had to work and strive to obtain them. They have done good deeds and earned their material goods through dignified labor.
All these commandments were also explained and summarized by Jesus in one of his sermons, and he summed them up in a few words: you must love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, and energy, and you must love your neighbor as yourself.
Sixth Theme: The Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer is a well-known prayer among all Catholics. In fact, it's the first one we learn and practice at every Mass. Jesus left us this prayer to maintain a bond between us and our heavenly Father. In other words, it's the way we communicate with God. Jesus' own disciples asked him to teach them the prayer as he prayed it, and his words were that they should pray it the way we know it today.
Our father who art in Heaven
First, we are acknowledging that God is our Father, and we recognize that like every child, we love our father and know that he also loves us. At the same time, we know that his home is in heaven. By knowing that he is our father, we are honoring and respecting him and telling him that we are willing to obey his commandments and orders as his children.
Hallowed be thy name
When we sanctify God's name, we are giving Him a place above all else, since He is of great importance to us. Therefore, His reality is honored when we sanctify Him. It is a way of respecting and praising Him appropriately, and even more so when we live according to His commandments. It is about blessing and sanctifying Him, recognizing that everything that comes from Him is also blessed.
Let your kingdom come
With this phrase, we tell Him that we are going to live the way He indicated and just as Jesus taught us when He was on earth. When we say this phrase, we are telling Him that we are waiting to live in His house, in His kingdom, the kingdom He promised us, where we will find love, light, peace, harmony, help, friendship, beauty, and trust, which are things that fill our souls with joy and happiness.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven
We pray with this phrase that on earth the wonderful things and goodness that are in heaven, manifested as God's will, may be seen and spoken of. With them, human beings could live in a paradise on earth. That is why we always pray that His will be done. We all wish that our earth may become a paradise so that we may enjoy it with God's grace.
We give today our daily bread
We ask Him to give us food, the bread of life, and when we say this phrase, we do so not only for ourselves, but also for all human beings on the planet. We ask Him for today's bread, our daily bread. It refers to the bread from heaven that fell in the desert when Moses was searching for the Promised Land and the Israelites asked him for food. God sent them manna, or bread from heaven, which they were to gather every morning, but only in the amount necessary to get through the day.
It also shows that this bread is not only physical and material, but also spiritual, which is reflected in Jesus himself when, at the Last Supper, he told his disciples that he was the bread of life. This spiritual or soul food is what gives us eternal life, since whoever eats it will live forever. At the time of the Eucharist, Catholics participate in the act of communion of the bread, which is symbolized in the host as the body of Christ.
Forgive our offenses as we forgive those who offend us.
This is God's commitment to forgive the sins and offenses we commit, as well as those of those who offend us, without holding any grudges in our hearts, since God forgives us everything. In the same way that we forgive, in this phrase we make a great commitment to God to do the same thing He does.
We see this teaching in the Crucifixion of Jesus, when his last words were to forgive his murderers, since they didn't know what they were doing. When he spoke these words, he did so without anger, resentment, or hatred. He did so with charity and love.
Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil
With this phrase, we ask God to give us the strength and will we need to face life's problems. We must not lose our faith, much less our hope. We must dedicate ourselves to God not only in body but also in soul, and continue to be an example to those around us.
In short, this Lord's Prayer is a powerful force, since we do not pray for ourselves, but for all human beings, and we recognize that there is only one God who cares for and protects us. Furthermore, we can add that God's belongs to all kingdom, power, and glory, to fully understand that God is almighty, the owner of all creation and creation, and that we grant him all glory for our own happiness in eternity. He is the one who will give us everything we ask for and need if we ask for it with faith, since his divine grace has the ultimate will for us.
Seventh Theme: Love of neighbor
According to Jesus' teachings, love for one's neighbor was one of the things he most emphasized in his evangelizing mission on earth. One of his disciples asked Jesus what the greatest commandment of the law was, and he replied that it was to love God with all your strength, soul, mind, and heart, and to love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than God's. But do we know what it means to love our neighbor?
Who is my neighbor?
A neighbor is any person who is living in this world: your husband or wife, your children, in-laws, relatives, friends, your neighbors, the people of the city where you live, those of the nearest city, those of your country and of any country, your coworkers, etc. Also included as neighbors are people we don't treat because we don't like them or because we have become enemies with them, people who have caused us some harm and even those who speak ill of us.
All men are children of God, whether they are evil, sinners, nice, annoying, rich, poor, those who think like you or differently. Therefore, we should all consider ourselves brothers and sisters. That is why Jesus asked us to love one another, to not harm one another. This love Jesus spoke of is reflected in the way we treat other people as our brothers and sisters and in the love we can transmit, since at the moment of our death, the first thing God will know is how you loved your brother and neighbor.
How is peace in the soul achieved?
Through love. By living with love, this is how we will have peace in our souls. Furthermore, we will also have inner peace, which is the only true way for a human being to achieve happiness. A person can have a great amount of material goods, but without love, they will never know what true happiness is. This is the only way to achieve a family where there will be peace and joy, which can translate into a better country and also a world without wars and where love is found.
Loving your neighbor as yourself is a way of treating others the way you want to find and receive from others. The Gospel says that whatever others wish to be done to them, that they will also receive. This implies that we must respect people, regardless of what each of them thinks or expresses, since every way of thinking must be respected.
Differences in religion, politics, or society must also be respected. People cannot be the same as we are; each person is a unique being who must be respected in the same way we desire respect. And we must respect differences of opinion in order to live in harmony and peace. In this love for our neighbors, we must emphasize the service we must provide, forgetting that we want for ourselves, gladly helping them with whatever they may need if it is within our power to do so.
Doing a service is doing favors, even if they're never asked for by others. We should view it as if we were helping our own family. We realize that there are people who are in a worse situation than we or our family might be experiencing. This means we should care for them, so if they're hungry, you can give them a plate of food. If they don't have a place to sleep, you can provide them with a place to sleep if you can.
Think of those who have lost their jobs. There are many people we can help in some way, many of whom just need a little of our time to be heard or just to show them a little affection. Love for our neighbors means companionship, listening, visiting the sick, being kind and cordial, showing affection, and speaking kindly to others, without shouting or insulting. Be patient with the most difficult people.
That's why it's important for us to accept people as they are. If they make mistakes, be there to help them correct them, and do so with love so they know they shouldn't make them again. That's why it's important for us to be patient, as not everyone has the same level of kindness that we do.
love forgives all
If love is true, it can forgive everything. Doing a job must be done correctly for it to be done well. In the same way, it requires loving our neighbor as if they were our own family, and this same love must be extended to the people around us, at work and with our friends. Loving our neighbor does not mean judging other people, much less criticizing them or speaking ill of them.
True love can forgive all things and believe all things. It endures all things and hopes all things. And most importantly, it never ends. For the early Christians, it was evident that true love existed among them. God expects us today to do the same, so that we may better live together as people filled with peace.
We must see in each of these people our brothers and sisters and see in all of them the loving face of Jesus, since he himself told us that everything we do to another person is as if we were doing it to ourselves. Of course, what prevails is the love we feel for ourselves, since this will be the measure of our capacity to give love to others. If we don't feel love for our own lives, we will never have the capacity to show love to others.
Eighth Theme: The mission of the laity
The most important question a young person asks when faced with Catholic themes is what our mission is in this world, or what God expects us to do in this life. This planet already has billions of inhabitants, but there is something we are destined to do on it, some special function we must fulfill, since that is what we were created by God to do.
Who are the laity?
A lay person is anyone, whether man or woman, who is part of a Catholic Church, who has not made the decision to become a priest or nun, but who continues to do work in the name of God. The Gospel tells us that Jesus once went to a mountain where a great many people followed him—men, women, children, and the elderly. Once at the top, the people gathered around him to hear his teachings.
In it, He said that people should be perfect like our heavenly Father. This is what God asks of us lay people: to be as perfect as possible in God's eyes and to become good people until we reach holiness. All human beings are called to be saints. Being a saint doesn't mean becoming a priest or a nun, but rather that as human beings we can and must achieve sanctification.
To be holy is to be perfect, to follow Jesus' teachings and act as he did, that is, to have the same actions. To achieve this, we must keep and obey all of God's commandments and do the things we do with love for God: work, eat, rest, and spend time with our families.
Jesus clearly explained how to become holy in just two sentences: love God above all else and love your neighbor as yourself. Through work, we are sanctified. From a very young age, Jesus helped his earthly father Joseph with carpentry work, and as the years passed, his hands began to grow stronger for such hard work.
This is what everyone thinks about Jesus, even though the Scriptures don't mention anything about his life from the age of 12 until the age of 30, when he began his public ministry. Perhaps there was nothing to say about it, but in truth, that's not the case. That was quite an extended period during which Jesus had to be working alongside his parents. Jesus said that through work we could become holy and that we could also help sanctify others.
This is what God wants us to do: to practice holiness by doing things in the best possible way, with courage and desire, and with love for God, to help our brothers and sisters. Mario Moreno (Cantinflas) once said that people should strive to do their jobs well. If you were going to be a carpenter, be the best; if you were going to be a street sweeper, be the best; if you are going to be a doctor, be the best; if you are going to be a plumber, be the best. Therefore, from now on, when you do your work, do it in the best way and with the best disposition for the love of God.
Jesus also said that lay people were the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Salt is what gives food its flavor and changes its seasoning. Therefore, Catholic lay people must know that their lives are for the sake of giving flavor and meaning to the lives of others. Therefore, he asks us to change our lives so that we can change the lives of others in the world.
Light is because we illuminate and see all things clearly. Therefore, Jesus asks us to be the light for others who find themselves in darkness so that they can find and see the truth. Now you may ask, what truth? Well, the truth that every person must know is that God is with us to love us, that He is our Father, and that He desires our salvation so that we may go with Him to heaven for all eternity.
That's why he sent his son Jesus into this world, to guide us and teach us the path of salvation. All through his beautiful teachings, which he gave to all those who followed him and came to love him passionately, so that he could show us the path of life we should follow. God desires more than anything that we practice holiness in our work, doing the best we can.
We should not feel sorry for or fear those who are Catholic laypeople, for their work is very beautiful, and it is what has entrusted us with the task of helping others so they can find God and draw closer to him. They must find Jesus and draw closer to him, for the path he left us is marked out so that we can follow him to heaven and enjoy our life of eternal happiness.
Ninth Theme: Christmas
Christmas is the month we commonly celebrate in December, a month that should be one of happiness as we celebrate the birth of the Child Jesus. It is a month for all Catholics that we should study carefully. The teaching here is that God sent His Son Jesus, incarnated in a woman. He sent Him as a child who later had to become a man so that His mission would allow us to open the gates of heaven.
These doors had been closed by the many sins committed by humanity since its creation, that is, by the first humans. But with great love, he sent his Son to save us and reopen these doors.
History of Christmas
The Christmas story is summed up in the story of a humble woman named Mary in the city of Nazareth, who always prayed to God for communication with Him. At the same time, she was engaged to be married to a kind man named Joseph, the city's carpenter. An angel named Gabriel appeared to Mary to tell her that God had chosen her to be the mother of his Messiah, the long-awaited Son of God.
She asked the angel how this would be possible if she had not yet known a man, that is, had not yet married. He replied that it would be through the Holy Spirit who would descend upon her so that, by a miracle, she would conceive the Son of God in her womb. This event caused Joseph great concern when she told him of her pregnancy.
To help him out of these difficulties, the same angel appeared to him in a dream and told him not to be afraid to welcome Mary, since she had been chosen by God to bear the Savior. Joseph married Mary and cared for her just as God had asked. Shortly before the baby was born, the emperor ordered a census of all the men in the city where they were born.
Joseph was born in Bethlehem, so he was part of the tribe of David. He had to make a trip to this city accompanied by Mary so he could be counted in the census. It was a long and difficult journey, especially for Mary, who was almost at full term. Upon arriving in the city, Joseph began looking for lodging, but everything in the city was full, and they couldn't find a suitable place for the weary Mary. Joseph found a stable in a cave where the animals were kept from the cold, and he decided to enter there with Mary.
There, Jesus was born surrounded by animals. Mary was happy to have her son, wrapped him in cloths, and laid him on some straw that Joseph had arranged as a manger. Thus, Jesus was born in a place full of humility, which was not appropriate. But this is God's teaching: that the simplest things are those that please the Lord. That material goods are not important, but the goodness and humility we have in our hearts.
Near the stable, some shepherds were visited by an angel who announced the birth of Jesus. They were tending their sheep, but the angel told them they had to go see the Savior. They listened, as they saw the sky filled with angels singing the glory of God in heaven and peace on earth to all who love the Lord. Upon arriving, they found the baby in the manger and worshipped him, offering humble gifts.
This story has been told for over two thousand years, which is why Christmas is celebrated on December 25th. Nativity scenes are placed in many homes, Catholic churches, workplaces, and businesses to celebrate the arrival of the Savior into the world. This is how we remember that Jesus is born in each of our hearts.
The Christmas season is when Jesus is born every year, and we make special preparations to welcome Him amidst an atmosphere of joy and love. The lesson isn't that you should prepare a lavish dinner or buy a huge number of gifts. The most important thing is that every human heart may be filled with unconditional love and that we celebrate this act of our Savior's birth.
Birth Preparation
The preparations made to welcome Jesus every December 25th, or Christmas Day, vary from country to country. Typically, gifts, food, and drinks are given. The desire is for good works and actions. One should pray the Hail Mary and thank the Virgin for being the Mother of God. Help those in need, do household chores with love, spend time with family and friends, pray the Lord's Prayer with your family, refrain from evil deeds, speak ill of anyone, and be judgmental. Go to Mass, visit the sick or elderly, and talk to people about Christmas.
We must be aware that Christmas today is an event that has become a form of advertising and commerce. Therefore, we must oppose consumerism in this era. Remember that this is a time when we should be joyful and show affection to others, those we love and those in need, more than with gifts, with actions and words, with the same love that God has placed in our hearts.
Tenth Topic: Baptism
When Jesus was on earth, he provided us with certain things so that we might be closer to God and achieve sanctification. All of these forms are known in the Catholic Church as sacraments. There are seven in total, but the most important is baptism. These are followed by confirmation, communion, confession, marriage, priestly ordination, and anointing of the sick.
What is baptism?
It is the first sacrament of the Catholic Church, through which a person is initiated into Christian life. It is necessary to fulfill this sacrament before the other six can be received. In other words, it is important for all of us to be baptized. This sacrament was established by Jesus after his resurrection when he gathered the 11 disciples in Galilee and baptized them with water. They were then to go out into the world to teach all people, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus left this sacrament as a sign for all Christians, so that we would belong to the Church. This is done through a ritual administered by a priest, and it involves a series of steps that should be familiar to everyone, especially because of their meaning:
- First, we are forgiven for original sin, which was inherited through Adam and Eve's disobedience when they were in Paradise and ate the fruit of the forbidden tree. They were the first human beings God created. It is because of them that we are born as sinners, that is, with a stain on our souls. At the moment we are baptized, this stain is erased, leaving us with a clean and whole soul that can dedicate itself to the Christian life.
- Those who are baptized acquire or become children of God. It is a new birth, or rebirth, through which we will have a new life.
- We become part of a Christian church or community, as we will now be Christians belonging to the Catholic religion. That's why it is said that being baptized is a celebration for the most precious people. It is a reason to be joyful in our spirit, since we are children of God.
The baptism ritual consists of the priest pouring holy water over the person's head. The person to be baptized must bring certain items that must be taken into account for the process to proceed as smoothly as possible. These include the clothing the baby or person should wear, the holy water that should be kept in the church, a candle, and the oil of the catechumens that the priest has.
The clothing worn by the baby, or by the adult, should preferably be white, which symbolizes the purity of the soul. Holy water cleanses the original sin inherited from Adam and Eve. The candle is the light that guides us along the right path of life until we reach God, and the oil that the priests anoint on the chest and forehead is the shield placed to protect us from evil.
Every person who is baptized must be obliged to confess his sins before men of faith or priests and do the good works and missions of the