This is the last segment! We begin at 28:53 and watch until the end. After receiving the Eucharist, we spend time in silence with God. Then, we are sent forth..what does that mean for each of us as baptized disciples? We have been fed by the Word and the Eucharist, and are commissioned to take Jesus out into the world.

"On this feast day... the Church proclaims the Kingdom of Christ, already present, but still growing in all its mystery towards its full manifestation ... young people are indispensable bearers of the dynamics of the Kingdom of God, the hope of the Church and the world." - St. John Paul II

The theme of this year's celebration is “Those who hope in the Lord will run and not be weary” (cf. Is 40:31).

Have a conversation with your child:

What does it mean to have hope? What are you hopeful about? What do you think "run and not be weary" means? What are some times when you need God's strength to get you through something?

St. Giuseppe was a pioneer in the scientific field of biochemistry. He was inspired to go into medicine after his older brother experienced an incurable head trauma. He became a skilled doctor and found it important to treat both the bodies and souls of his patients. He was known to place himself in the presence of God before performing surgery or an examination of a patient, and he encouraged those he treated to receive the sacraments before surgery. When Mt. Vesuvius erupted in the early twentieth century, St. Giuseppe helped to evacuate the elderly from a nursing home minutes before the building collapsed. He was also a doctor during World War 1 and treated thousands of soldiers. His contributions to science include being the first to introduce insulin therapy as an approach to treating juvenile diabetes in the country of Italy. St. Giuseppi Moscati was a great believer in the marriage of both science and religion as two necessary and complimentary forces in changing the world. St. Giuseppe Moscati, pray for us!

Inviaggio, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons

St. Giuseppe made a habit of putting himself in the presence of God. Check out the resources below from raisingprayerfulkids.com to help you discover new ways to make the presence of God something your child can see and feel each day!

Here is a prayer for youth and young adults from the USCCB in honor of the celebration. Parents and grandparents: Take the time to pray this beautiful prayer over the young people in your family this weekend!

A Prayer for Youth and Young Adults

Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, to you we turn in humble prayer.

Look with favor upon all young people, bearers of hope for the Church and the world.

Jesus Christ, companion of youth and young adults, bless the paths of discovery and discernment, through times of joy and experiences of hardship, with the constant love and support of your Church. Jesus Christ, alive in the hearts of all your people, grant that we may “journey together, young and old… to nourish our enthusiasm, cause dreams to emerge, awaken prophesies and enable hope to blossom.” * Jesus Christ, Redeemer of all humankind, open our hearts to encounter all young people, to accompany and be in community together, and as one Church, embark upon our holy mission.

Jesus Christ, in the company of the Father and the Holy Spirit, graciously hear our prayer and be with us forevermore.

Here are some ideas to engage in this Corporal Work of Mercy with your family:

• Next Sunday is the FIRST week of Advent. Enlist your kids in creating some handmade Advent or Christmas cards for the sick in your community who are being visited in hospitals or nursing homes. Ask your parish to take these cards with them as they make their homebound and hospital visits!
• With Mary in mind, it is also a wonderful time to think about those in your community who may be sick due to difficult pregnancies. How might you offer them some respite? If they are friends, you might consider stopping by to do some cleaning, bring a meal or care for other children.
• Finally, reach out to our local Ronald McDonald house about their needs for the Christmas season.

Celebrate St. Nicholas Day (December 6) with these fun pancakes from the St. Nicholas Center!

Try one or more of these Advent traditions with your family this year!

Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester

Editor: Leslie Barkin leslie.barkin@dor.org

Email: oec@dor.org
Website: oec.dor.org
Location: Diocese of Rochester, Buffalo Road, Rochester, NY, USA
Phone: 585-328-3210

See them all here!