Young Adult

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​Interfaith Prayer for Peace

O God, you are the source of life and peace.
Praised be your name forever.
We know it is you who turns our minds to thoughts of peace.
Hear our prayer in this time of need.
Your power changes hearts.

Muslims, Christians, and Jews remember, and profoundly affirm,
that they are followers of the one God,
Children of Abraham, brothers and sisters;
enemies begin to speak to one another;
those who were estranged join hands in friendship;
nations seek the way of peace together.

Strengthen our resolve to give witness to these
truths by the way we live.

​Give to us:
Understanding that puts an end to strife;
Mercy that quenches hatred, and
Forgiveness that overcomes vengeance.
Empower all people to live in your law of love

​Amen.

Prayer for Common Ground

Today, may I be open to others' ideas and beliefs,
respectful of our differences, not threatened by them.

May I grow in understanding of my own motives,
knowing that people often act out of their own fears.

May I be a force for replacing fear with insight,
helping us all to be patient and kind and talk.

Strength, real strength, can always find compromise,
working together, may we find a common ground,
enable us to move forward with a shared purpose.

May we see what is truly important and unites us,
focusing on that, to banish road blocks of ego and fear,
today, may I be open to others' ideas and beliefs.

​Amen.

Our faith formation efforts in the parish this year center around the idea that we can learn a lot from other faith tradiaitons. Out title "The Quest for the Living God" speaks to the many commanilities that we have as Catholics with other communities of faith around the world. This month I want to dive deeper into this theme by exploring a YouTube seris entitled "Have a Little Faith" by Zach Anner.

Zach Anner is an Austin, Texas-based comedian, actor and writer with cerebral palsy who partnered with SoulPancake to produce this seris. Zach himself is searching for where faith fits into his life, and is not afraid to ask the right questions to the right people. In"Have a Little Faith", Zach explores many different religions through one on one interviews with people who practice that faith. He even interviews a Catholic! The videos I want to highlight today, however, will be looking at the religions that we have already, or will cover during this faith formation year. 

Islam

Judaism : Our Ancestors of Faith

The Orthodox Church

Baptist : Part of the Christian Family Tree

I do recommend you check out the rest of the show! He explores other faith practices and spiritualities that you may never have even heard of. Never be afraid to look at another religion within the lense of your faith life, because you never know what it may teach you about being Catholic. The whole channel can be found at this link:

Have A Little Faith

We can learn a lot from other faith traditions and I encourage you to learn more! From these videos I hope you were inspired to ask some questions to friends, family, or even strangers about the faith that they practice. That is my challenge to you this month. Take time to learn a little more about someone else's faith. It can even be another practicing Catholic, because even people of the same faith tradtion practice and experience God in different ways. If you are up to a real challenge, start that conversation with a co-worker that goes to the Lutheran Church, or ask a friend about what it is like to be a Muslim in America today. 

Learning about another persons faith can strengthen your own in unimaginable ways, but you have to be open and be unafraid to questions. We are all people on the journey...so start talking!