Chosen Make-Up Assignment I am sorry that you were unable to attend the last EDGE session. We don't want

you to miss out on the material we covered, as i t is an important part of your preparation for receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Instructions: Using the attached session from the Student Workbook, read each section and then w r i t e about what you learned. Additionally, spend a m i n i m u m of 15 minutes discussing the lesson and the assigned questions w i t h your parent, your sponsor or another adult. Return the make-up assignment, along with the Student/Parent Verification Form to your Core Team Leader or to Jen Gordon at our next EDGE Night.

Name Date you missed EDGE:

1 . Pray the prayer on the f irst page of the Lesson.

2. Read the article f rom the DIVE IN. Write three sentence that explain the main idea of the article.

3. Read the section TO THE HEART with... Whose heart was the article w r i t t e n from? What was on the heart of the person who wrote the article? Tell about i t i n at least two sentences.

4. Read about the HERO of the WEEK. Who did you read about? learn f rom this hero?

What is the lesson we can

5. Read the CHALLENGE of the WEEK. There are three challenges to choose from. Choose one to complete. Explain what you did you for your challenge.

6. Read TAKING IT HOME. In 3-4 sentences, wrap up what you learned in this lesson.

7. Read "WHAT'S THAT WORD?" Choose one w o r d and explain two new things you learned about the w o r d that you haven't thought of before reading this explanation.

EDGE Make-Up Work Student and Parent Verification

Student Verification

I recognize that my Faith Formation is important, (student Name)

as is my attendance at EDGE nights!

1 was absent from EDGE on and missed Session # , titled

My signature below indicates that I have completed the missed lesson by reading the corresponding sessions in the Student Workbook and completing the written questions. In addition, I spent a minimum of 15 minutes discussing the assigned questions with a parent or another adult, sharing my thoughts and asking for theirs.

student Signature Date

Parent Verification

I recognize that my son/daughter's Faith Formation is (student Name)

important, as is his/her attendance at EDGE nights!

My signature below indicates that my son/daughter completed the missed lesson by reading the corresponding sessions from the Student Workbook and completing the written questions.

In addition, I spent a minimum of 15 minutes discussing the assigned questions with a him/her, asking for their thoughts and sharing mine.

Parent/Adult Signature Date

"Our Father, w h o art i n heaven,

hal lowed be thy name;

thy k i n g d o m come,

thy w i l l be done, o n earth as i t is i n heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our trespasses

as we forgive those w h o trespass against us;

and lead us n o t into temptation,

b u t deliver us f r o m evil. Amen."

166 ^CHOSEN

"For You A popular I tal ian teenager

f r o m a loving family,

Chiara "Luce" Badano had

a rock-solid fai th that was

n u r t u r e d by retreats and

y o u t h min is t ry programs.

Chiara loved to hang out i n

coffee shops, and she was

great at tennis, swimming,

and m o u n t a i n c l imbing. Her outgoing personaht)^

and adventurous spiri t inspired her to dream of

becoming a f l ight attendant. Chiara had a br ight

future ahead of her.

Then, one day, w h i l e playing tennis, Chiara

experienced excruciating pa in i n her shoulder.

Shortly afterward, she was diagnosed w i t h a rare

f o r m of bone cancer. It's here that the real story of

her life begins—the story of heroic virtue.

Chiara's explosive] oy only increased w i t h suffering.

Cardinal Saldarini heard of this amazing teen and

visited her i n the hospital . Awestruck, he said, "The

l ight i n your eyes is splendid. Where does i t come

from?" Chiara's reply was simple. " I t ry to love

Jesus as m u c h as I can."

She often repeated the phrase, " I f this is what you

want, Jesus, so do I . " W h e n locks of her hair fell

out, she w o u l d pray, "For you, Jesus." She endured

great pa in w i t h even greater patience, always

saying, " I want to share as m u c h as possible i n his

suffering o n the cross."

She w o u l d w a l k around the hospital counseling

depressed patients. W h e n she was encouraged to

stop and rest, she said, "111 have time to rest later."

Ever t h i n k i n g of others, she said, " I have nothing left,

hut I still have my heart, and with that I can always love,"

Chiara asked to be b u r i e d i n a wedding gown. As

the end of her short life drew near, she to ld her

mother, " W h e n you're getting me ready. M u m , y o u

have to keep saying to yourself, 'Chiara Luce is n o w

seeing Jesus.'"

She died o n October 7, 1990 at age eighteen. Her

parents and friends were w i t h her. Her last words

were, "Goodbye. Be happy because I ' m happy."

Several years later, a young boy i n Italy was

dying f r o m meningit is . His organs were shutting

dov^m, and there was no way to save his life. His

parents learned of Chiara's story and sought

her intercession. Their son was ful ly healed. A

panel of doctors r u l e d that there was no medical

explanation for this t u r n of events. Chiara was

beatified o n September 25, 2010.

Sometimes prayer changes the course of events i n

history. Sometimes prayer jus t changes us. Prayer

d i d n ' t heal Chiara, b u t i t gave her the grace to

suffer w i t h love and joy. Prayer, uni ted w i t h the

c o m m u n i o n of saints, w o r k e d a miracle i n the life

of the young boy w i t h meningitis.

Prayer is one of the mightiest things we can do.

Today we're going to learn how.

... God doesn't just want to telllyou how to get there-he wcmts W go with you.^^

TO THE HEART with I drive a lot : to the church, to the gym, to the homes

of parishioners. As a busy priest o n the highways i n

Cajun country, m y life w o u l d l o o k very different i f I

d i d n ' t have her... you know. Sin. M y w o r l d changed

w h e n Apple introduced Siri o n the iPhone. She

types m y texts. She sends m y emails. She even

wakes me up i n the morning .

M y favorite feature of the iPhone is that Siri can tel l

me h o w to get to m y destination. Siri tells me where

to go and h o w to get there, and she lets me k n o w

i f I ' m heading i n the wrong direction. D r i v i n g is

m u c h easier, especially w h e n I don' t k n o w where

to go, al l because of Siri's voice. Gotta love that

GPS!

Now, imagine this: W o u l d n ' t the iPhone be even

better i f i t h a d a God app? T h i n k what life w o u l d

be l ike if, at any moment, we could p lug into G o d

a n d k n o w what to do i n any given situation. Need

to k n o w w h y life is so tough sometimes? Need to

k n o w where God is i n this ci&zy world? Grab your

phone and simply ask the app and voila: God's

voice.

The good news is that God already has the app for

us to hear his voice. It's called prayer. A n d , unl ike

Siri (who really doesn't k n o w or care about me ... I

k n o w ... hard to believe), God is tirelessly pursuing

every one of us!^

Now, many of us. w a n t to pray. Many of us w o u l d

love to hear God clearly. l iowever, prayer can

sometimes feel dry. Oftentimes, we get distracted.

Moreover, many of us don ' t k n o w what to do or

h o w to start.

You're not the first person to want to go deeper

w i t h God. The good news is that for the past 2,000

years, people of every generation have wanted

God jus t l ike you do.* The Church i n its w i s d o m I

can teach us about prayen A n d , i f we persevere i n

learning h o w to pray, it's l ike having our o w n GPS

i n hfe. God can tell you h o w to get to your ult imate

destination. God can tell y o u where to go, h o w

to get there, and i f you're heading i n the w r o n g

direction. Furthermore, God doesn't j u s t w a n t to

tell you h o w to get there—he wants to go with y o u .

God wants a relationship w i t h y o u .

A l l you need is an open m i n d and a h u n g r y heart.

You can go deeper i n your relationship w i t h God.

Set aside your phone, along v d t h Siri and the other

apps. God is ready to teach you. The Church is

ready to teach you. Your personal GPS for life is

called prayer.

Father Mark Toups Find It! What are the four types of mysteries prayed in the complete Rosary?

170 i^CHOSEN

Of the Week

St, Ca erine of S P

Have you ever seen your guardian angel? St. Catherine of Siena did. I n fact, when

she was a little girl, she could see other

people's guardian angels, too. She

also saw Jesus, Mary, and many saints.

Sometimes her mystical experiences

were witnessed by others—she would

amaze her mother by literally flying

upstairs, her feet never quite touching

the steps!

Catherine wanted nothing more than to be with Jesus i n prayer. One day, he came to her when she was in prayer and slipped a ring with four pearls and a diamond on her hand—a ring no one else could see. From that moment, she considered herself married to the Lord. Her heart beat so loudly for love of God, it would disturb others at Mass; she lived for years sustained by nothing but the Eucharist at Mass.

This amazing intimacy produced a strong

faith that led her to do amazing things.

At sixteen, she joined the Dominican

Order as a tertiary—a lay member who

would live i n the world instead of in a

convent. Her family had other plans for

her that included marriage, but she put

up a strong defense, and eventually she

was allowed to follow her heart.

When the Plague swept her city in 1374,

kill ing more than 80,000 people, she

tended to the sick and cured many of

them miraculously through her prayers. Many were converted on the spot. Soon, she had many followers.

Catherine began to travel extensively

and to wield some influence through

the power of her letters, not just to

the people with whom she came into

contact, but wi th political and influential

figures. She suffered greatly over the

Western Schism, a time when two papal

courts existed, one in Rome and one

i n Avignon, France. Catherine worked

diligently to establish peace, and because

of her challenge to Pope Gregory XI, the

pope and his administration returned

to Rome. Catherine even served as an

Ambassador from Florence i n order to

make peace in the Papal States.

She died of a stroke at age thirty-three,

leaving behind a powerful legacy i n her

writings, which are considered some of

the most profoundly brilliant vTn.tings i n

the Church, leading to the honor of her

being proclaimed a doctor of the Church,

a distinction she shares with just three

other women (Teresa of Avila, Therese of

Lisieux, and Hildegard of Bingen).

St. Catherine, pray for us. Show its, through your example, the power of prayer for coyisolation as well as change.

Lesson 18 171

of the Week Start a prayer j o u r n a l . For each entry, note the date and what you prayed for. As you accumulate

entries, go back and see w h i c h of your prayers have been answered. Be sure to thank God, even i f you

didn ' t get the answer you wanted. W r i t e a question or comment f r o m your j o u r n a l i n the space below.

T r y LECTIO D i V l N A a t h o m e . Choose a passage f r o m Scripture, and read i t i n a quiet place. A s k the

H o l y Spirit to show y o u connections between the Scripture reading and your o w n life. Stop to reflect,

and talk to Go'd about w h a t y o u read. Then, choose one action to help you apply that passage to your

life. Finally, "rest" and give God a chance to speak to your heart. W r i t e about i t i n the space below.

Choose a r e l a t i o n s h i p i n y o u r l i f e t h a t needs a t tent ion , and do something concrete about i t . Does

someone need a k i n d w o r d , a l i t t le of your time, an apology, forgiveness, or a simple greeting?

W i t h o u t violat ing anyone's privacy, tel l a l i t t le about i t next week.

"Aslz, and it will he given you; seelz, and you will find; hioclz, and it will he opened to you."

-—Matthew 7:7

L o r d Jesus, you invite us to pray w i t h confidence, expecting answers and an outpour ing of graces. But

sometimes w h e n we pray, our hearts are i n the w r o n g place. Show us what parts of our lives need to

change i n order for our prayers to become h o l y and our wi l l s to be conformed to yours. Give us the grace

to make time for daily prayer and to l isten for your gentle voice i n our lives. Amen.

172 ^CHOSEN

Taking It Home

For next week's "Review Game" be sure to read over the following ...

1. Watch It! questions (page 167)

2. Wrap-Up

3. "What's That Word?"

4. Memory Verse

Don't forget to do your Challenge of the Week (page 171)

Wrao-UD Imagine, you h a d a good fr iend w h o was moving

away. H o w w o u l d you make sure you stayed i n

touch? W o u l d you jus t talk about your friend?

W o u l d you text or email a l ine or two, w i t h o u t

bother ing to read or respond to your friend's

messages? W o u l d y o u avoid picking up the phone

w h e n that person's number came up o n Caller ID?

Of course not .

G o d gives us lots of ways to stay i n touch w i t h

h i m t h r o u g h personal prayer, w h i c h is a two-way

conversation w i t h God. There are many he lpful

devotional prayers the Church offers us to help

us pray; The Rosary, litanies, novenas, and the

Stations of the Cross are jus t a few of these. The

highest and most powerfu l f o r m of prayer is l iturgy,

specifically the L i turgy of the Eucharist (i.e., the

Mass). Take advantage of that!

<^ O n e o f themost impor tantways to stay i n touch w i t h

^^dod^-'however, is t h r o u g h personal, conversational

^^^^•^^yex. Prayeris 'simply a conversation m t h God, and

^'^feaii&to-heart" w i t h God needs to be the

foundat ion of all of our prayers and the foundat ion

of our lives.

I f you're t h i n k i n g about prayer, it's because God

is t h i n k i n g about you. I f you're thirsty for prayer,

it's because G o d is thirsty for you. As the Catechism

reminds us: "Whether we realize i t or not , prayer

is the encounter of God's thirst w i t h ours. God

thirsts that we may thirst for h i m " (CCC 2560).

Since prayer is a conversation, l ike any conversation,

i t goes two ways. I t involves speaking and listening.

To hsten to God, start by reading jus t a htde f r o m

one of the Gospels each day. Search online for

"USCCB Dai ly Mass Reading" to find the Gospel

for that day's Mass. Read i t prayerfully. Engage

your imaginat ion i n what you read. T h i n k of what

the people i n the passage looked and sounded

l ike. Picture yourself as one of the people i n the

story. Then, ask yourself, "What's God saying to

me today t h r o u g h this reading?" Next, talk to h i m

about what you refiected on. Prayerful reading

of Scripture l ike that is called lectio divina, w h i c h

means "divine reading."

Lesson 18 173

'What's That Word?" CONTEMPLATION C O N T E M P L A T i O N is a type of prayer t l iat is

marked by simple silence i n the presence of God.

It is often considered the highest stage of prayer

because i t includes a special closeness to God that

is a taste of what our relationship w i t h h i m w i l l

be l ike i n heaven. Some of the Church's greatest

saints and mystics practiced contemplat ion and

m o t e about i t to encourage others to pursue i t . A

good way to prepare for this k i n d of deep prayer is

to reduce the amount of noise i n your life and to

take time to be silent, and, i f possible, to pray i n

a Church where Jesus is present i n the tabernacle.

As you become more comfortable w i t h silence, y o u

w i l l be better able to hear God speaking and be

aware of his presence.

LECTIO DIVINA Lectio divina, or divine reading, is a form^ of

meditative prayer based o n reading Scripture. The

four steps of lectio divina are: read (lectio), reflect

(nieditatio or meditate), relate (oratio or pray) , and

rest (contemplatio or contemplate.)

MEDITATION M E D i T A T i O N is a type of prayer i n w h i c h we t h i n k

about God and t ry to understand what he has said

and is saying to us. Whereas V O C A L PRAYER

is generally associated w i t h speaking to God,

either using our o w n words or c o m m o n prayers

like the Our Father, meditation is often associated

w i t h listening to God and making resolutions to

live according to what we hear. Both lectio divina

and the Rosary are tradit ional forms of Catholic

meditative prayer.

Memory Verse: ''Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ fesus for you."

— 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

174 ACHOSEN

PRAYER G o d has made us for a relationship w i t h h i m and

longs to share his life w i t h each one of us. Prayer

is the communicat ion w i t h h i m that sustains and

deepens that relationship. Traditionally, there are

three types, or expressions, of prayer: vocal prayer,

meditat ion, and contemplation.^

Jesus spent a great deal of t ime i n prayer w i t h

his Father and taught his followers to pray, too.^

The O u r Father contains the five most c o m m o n

k inds of prayer: adoration, pet i t ion, intercession,

thanksgiving, and praise.

Prayer is a two-way communicat ion that includes

speaking, listening, and s imply being silent i n

God's presence. One of the best ways to hear f r o m

G o d is to read his W o r d , the Bible. The Catechism

reminds us that " i n the sacred books, the Father

w h o is i n heaven comes lovingly to meet his

chi ldren, and talks w i t h them" (CCC 104; see Dei

Verhum 21).

'•Mm

Poge Paul VI was-the first pope to Ah two things: visit the United-

States andi'dddress the United Nations General Assanhly.

Anu Questions

What should I sau to God?

m not sure houu to start my

end of the conversation...

Just talk to h i m f r o m your heart. A good way

to talk to God is to remember the acronym

"ACTS."

A is for "Adoration." That is s imply tell ing

God h o w amazing he is. T h i n k of your favorite

church song or the "Gloria" f r o m Mass, and

sing i t to G o d i n your heart.

C is for "Contr i t ion . " Contr i t ion involves

examining your conscience and asking God for

forgiveness and strength. You can't grow as a

person i f you're n o t doing that every day.

T is for T H A N K S G I V I N G . Gratitude is a very

powerfu l attitude. Count your blessings every

day—especially o n the days you're tempted to

t h i n k your life stinks!

S is for S U P P L I C A T I O N . This means asking

God for things you need or interceding for

things other people need.

I f you get u p ten minutes early every morning ,

prayerfully read God's W o r d (perhaps the

Gospel of the day), and then talk to God i n the

quiet before you go to school, i t w i l l change

your life! (Set that alarm jus t a l i t t le earher i f

you need to.)