Jesus Youth Movement & More

  Vocation and Mission of Jesus youth Councils and Teams [National JY Leaders Trainings – Goa, 26 Nov. 2012 – Dr. Edward Edezhath] Groups and Service Teams (ST) are the external marks of Jesus Youth movement. Jesus’s plan for the ‘kingdom’ though not of this world, had certain organizational set up.   Mk. 3:13-15. And what were they aiming at?  Relationship,  Continuity, and  Growth Or in other words Fellowship, vision and evangelization, and one inseparably linked to the other. ST is to be the reflection of love, commitment and the life of the Trinity. Jn. 13:35, 15:13, 17:21.  They are the keepers of the memories, traditions and culture and charsims, ensuring their continuity. I cor. 11:2, 1 Thes. 2:15, Deu. 6:7, AA 2:42.  The principal duty of the ST is to do all that is required for the growth of the movement and to ensure active participation in the life and evangelistic mission of the Church.   This mission has to be fulfilled by...

  Finding Newer Pathways for Jesus Youth Formation Dr Edward Edezhath - JY National Advisory Body meeting on 8 June 2012 Every day is important, but some days are more important than the others, especially for a person or community that discovers its significance and decides to celebrate it with enthusiasm. The Universal Church is approaching a time of special grace called the Year of Faith. For Jesus Youth movement this is a time of ‘Kairos’ in variety of ways. This occasions the commencement of the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops to reflect on an extremely favorite theme of the movement “The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith”. Marking the 50th year of the commencement of the Second Vatican Council and the 20th year of the launching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church the Church will begin the year of Faith on the 11th of October this year. Faith formation, especially with a view to making Catholic effective evangelizers is the missi...

  Efficient Pastoral Leadership with the Collaboration of the Laity   “My little children, with whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you!” Gal. 4:19. In our pastoral care we ask ourselves: How are we to reveal Jesus Christ, God made man, to this multitude of children and young people, reveal him not just in the fascination of a first fleeting encounter but through an acquaintance, growing deeper and clearer daily, with him, his message, the plan of God that he has revealed, the call he addresses to each person, and the Kingdom that he wishes to establish in this world with the “little flock” of those who believe in him, a Kingdom that will be complete only in eternity? How are we to enable them to know the meaning, the import, the fundamental requirements, the law of love, the promises and the hopes of this Kingdom?. (John Paul II, Catechesi Tradendae, 35) Foundations of excellence in pastoral care: 1) This “travail”, or the whole hearted “asking our...

   A Jesus Youth Reflection on DECREE ON THE APOSTOLATE OF THE LAITY Apostolicam Actuositatem Promulgated by His Holiness, Pope Paul VI  on   November 18, 1965 [This was presented by Dr Edward A Edezhath, on 29Nov 2009, during JY National Leaders Training, at Dharmaram College, Bangalore] [The left column contains the selections from the document. The “…” indicates places where some portion is missing. The right column is some reflections on the nature and functioning of Jesus Youth movement based the document.]   INTRODUCTION 1. To intensify the apostolic activity of the people of God, the most holy synod earnestly addresses itself to the laity, whose proper and indispensable role in the mission of the Church has already been dealt with in other documents. The apostolate of the laity derives from their Christian vocation and the Church can never be without it. Sacred Scripture clearly shows how spontaneous and fruitful such activity was at the very beginning of...