spg: a great marvel

1 SPG: A Great Marvel

1SPG: A Great Marvel


Writing Team: Jake Martin, Thomas Wheeler

Hispanic Inculturation Team: Renee Macias, Jose Rodriguez Rivera, Miguel Nuñez, Joshua Rosa

Design: Casey Olson

Copy Edit: Rachel Peñate

©2021 Life Teen, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book, including interior design, cover design, and/or icons, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission from the publisher. The information contained herein is published and produced by Life Teen, Inc. The resources and practices are in full accordance with the Roman Catholic Church. The Life Teen® name and associated logos are trademaWrks registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Use of the Life Teen® trademarks without prior permission is forbidden. Permission may be requested by contacting Life Teen, Inc. at 480-820-7001.


SEMESTER PLANNING GUIDE CONTENT

INTRODUCTIONImportant Information About the Semester Planning Guide Pg. 5

THE HEART OF A HEROWhat is Virtue? Pg. 12

BLACK PANTHERHow Do I Know What is Right? Pg. 24

DOCTOR STRANGEHow Do I Choose What is Good? Pg. 38

CAPTAIN MARVELHow Do I Treat Others Fairly? Pg. 50

BLACK WIDOWWhat Do I Do When it is Hard to Do the Right Thing? Pg. 62

ENDGAME How Do I Live a Virtuous Life? Pg. 76

A GREAT MARVELQuestions About Virtue


THE BIG QUESTIONS

Generation Z (those who were born between 1995 and 2015) is unlike any other generation before them, and the Semester Planning Guide is created specifically for these youth. Facing the reality that young people are becoming less religious, are less likely than ever before to claim a religious identity, and are no longer being raised with a Christian worldview, we are taking an entirely new approach to how we talk about religion and our Catholic faith with middle school youth.

Before they can care about what the Church teaches, they need to know that God exists. Before we can teach them details about morality, they need to know that there is absolute truth. Before we can expect them to be excited or invested in the Mass and the sacraments, they need to know Jesus. The Semester Planning Guide will be full of Catholic teachings, doctrines, devotions, and practices, but it will have a greater focus on the foundations of our faith and present them in a kerygmatic way that answers the big questions this generation is asking.

A GREAT MARVEL

What is it about superheroes that we find so fascinating? How is it that their characters continue to inspire generation after generation? How is it that their stories never get old? Superheroes are the ones who stand for what is right and defend those in need. They, in many ways, reveal the qualities of virtue and inspire us as we are drawn into their stories. Heroes protect what is good and provide for us examples of what it looks like to do the same. A Great Marvel uses examples of different superheroes to introduce youth to the four cardinal virtues and inspire them to grow in those virtues in their own lives.

HOW TO USE THE SEMESTER PLANNING GUIDE

This Semester Planning Guide contains six Edge Nights. Each Edge Night covers a different aspect of the big question that is being addressed. For the most cohesive and comprehensive succession of topics, it is recommended that these Edge Nights are used in the order in which they appear in the Semester Planning Guide. However, each Edge Night is not dependent upon the middle school youth remembering the previous Edge Night in order for the topic to be understood.

SEMESTER PLANNING GUIDE AT A GLANCE

Each Semester Planning Guide begins with a quick glance at what will be covered throughout the six Edge Nights. The Semester Planning Guide at a Glance is useful for seeing the big picture of the semester and for planning. It should be given to the core team as a handout.



Each Semester Planning Guide at a Glance provides the goal for the semester, the set environment for the semester, a list of the six Edge Nights in the Semester Planning Guide, the goals of the Edge Nights in the Semester Planning Guide, as well as suggested resources for the core members’ own formation.

EDGE NIGHT AT A GLANCE

At the beginning of each Edge Night is an Edge Night at a Glance. This handout is essential for planning the Edge Night and preparing the core team.

Each Edge Night at a Glance provides the Scripture and Catechism references for the Edge Night, as well as any other helpful resources. It also provides the goal for the particular Edge Night and an overview and purpose of the Gather, Proclaim, Break, and Send. At the end of every Edge Night is a weekly challenge to help the middle school youth put what they learned into action. The weekly challenge is included in the Edge Night at a Glance as well.

EDGE NIGHT SET UP

The Edge Night Set Up can also be found at the beginning of each Edge Night. This handout can be used for planning the Edge Night with the core team.

Each Edge Night Set Up gives any specific instructions for setting up the room, which may include minor adaptations to the set environment for the semester. It also includes a list of the supplies that are needed for the Edge Night and which part of the Edge Night they will be used for (G for Gather, B for Break, S for Send). This guide also provides an outline for assignments for the Edge Night that can be filled in with the names of core members, giving clarity to the various roles throughout the Edge Night.

GATHER

Every Edge Night begins with a Gather. During the Gather, the youth are welcomed, gathered together, and given a brief introduction to the Edge Night. There is always an instruction to review the previous week’s challenge and a time to invite the youth to share about their experience of putting what they learned into action.

The Gather always includes a game or activity. Due to the developmental realities of this age group, games are incredibly important. Games serve the purpose of helping the youth enter into the Edge Night and build community. They also address their developmental need for movement and aid them as they experience a loss of childhood by giving them a time to simply have fun and play. The games and activities in the Gather may be just for fun or they may have a direct link to the teaching points — the purpose for each Gather is outlined in the Edge Night at a Glance.

PROCLAIM

The attention span for the majority of Gen Z youth is eight seconds. That being said, teachings for this age group should be no more than ten minutes and needs to be engaging and interactive.


The Proclaim Outline in each Edge Night provides bullet points and call-out boxes to aid in crafting a talk. These outlines supply the necessary information, as well as areas for writing to help the user make the talk more personal and relevant to the middle school youth in the audience. The outlines are not created to be read to the youth but are to be used as a launching point for an engaging and informative teaching that is specific to the youth who are being served.

Going Deeper: At any given point in a Proclaim Outline, there may be a Going Deeper call-out box. This section provides deeper insight into the topic that was presented in the previous bullet point. The person who is giving the talk must assess the needs of the particular middle school youth they are addressing and decide whether or not to use the information provided.

BREAK

After every Proclaim, the youth divide into small groups to dive deeper into the content that was presented. The purpose of the Break is for the youth to process the information in a variety of ways and begin to learn how to express their faith to others. Each Break includes an activity, which provides different avenues for learning, as well as questions to be used for discussion. A Whip Around Question can be found at the beginning of each small group discussion. It is a lighthearted question that should be answered quickly by the youth as you move around the circle and is a fun way to get the youth comfortable talking in small groups.

The purpose of small groups is to provide a safe place for middle school youth to share about their faith, ask questions, and wrestle with what they are learning as they build community with one another and grow as disciples of Christ. In order to achieve this goal, we recommend dividing the middle school youth into small groups based on their grade and gender. Each small group should have six to ten youth and two core members who will lead the group. Male core members should lead male small groups and female core members should lead female small groups. The small groups should remain the same for at least one semester.

It can be challenging to run an effective small group because of the different developmental levels of middle school youth. With this reality in mind, every Break has a section that is specifically for eighth-grade youth who are ready to go deeper with the content. In addition, Life Teen has provided extensive training on how to run effective small groups, which can be found online at lifeteen.com or by contacting Parish Support.

SEND

The Send concludes each Edge Night. This is the portion of the Edge Night where the youth are given an opportunity to encounter Jesus through a variety of prayer experiences. This is a vital part of the Edge Night, so it should not be rushed or skipped. Nothing else that happens during the Edge Night will matter in the long run if the youth do not know Jesus personally.

There is a weekly challenge at the end of each Send section. This is a practical way for the youth to put into action everything they learned and experienced.


ADAPTATIONS

Throughout the Edge Night, there are a variety of call-out boxes to aid in adapting the Edge Night to the different needs of the youth and parish.

Suggestions: This call-out box has helpful tips and pointers for running different activities.

Step It Up: This call-out box gives ideas for different ways to amp up the activities for parishes that have greater resources, bigger budgets, and more time to invest in big ideas.

Hispanic Inculturation: Across the United States, the Hispanic/Latino population in Catholic parishes is large and growing. According to the USCCB’s survey on the Hispanic/Latino population in the United States and the Catholic Church, 54 percent of Catholic millennials (those who were born in 1982 or later) are Hispanic/Latino.

To meet this growing need, Edge has added various suggestions throughout the Edge Nights for adaptations for youth groups that are predominantly Hispanic/Latino. These notes were developed by a group of dedicated youth ministers who serve at largely Hispanic/Latino parishes throughout the United States.

We recognize that not all Hispanic/Latino communities are the same. These suggestions assist youth ministers in adapting to the needs of their specific community by providing insight into the Hispanic/Latino culture.

HANDOUTS

All of the handouts for the Edge Nights can be found on the August 2021 Edge USB and online at lifeteen.com under Edge Support: August 2021. The handouts are formatted to be easily printed and copied on standard letter-size paper. Please be diligent in accessing and looking these over while planning the Edge Nights.

PARENT LETTERS

The Parent Letter contains a brief overview of the Edge Night, along with discussion questions for the family to use as a follow-up from the Edge Night.

The Parent Letter can either be emailed to the parents the day of the Edge Night or after the Edge Night. It can also be handed out at the end of each Edge Night. Consider having core members at the doors and in the parking lot immediately following the Edge Night in order to distribute the Parent Letter and watch the youth for safety purposes.

The Parent Letter can be found in both English and Spanish on the August 2021 Edge USB and online at lifeteen.com under Edge Support: August 2021.


FLOCKNOTE

For parishes that also subscribe to Flocknote, Parent Letters are loaded into the interface. Simply log in to schedule these communications to be sent. More information about subscribing to Flocknote can be found online at flocknote.com.

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SEMESTER PLANNING GUIDE AT A GLANCE

GOAL

The goal of this Semester Planning Guide is to use examples of different superheroes to introduce youth to the four cardinal virtues and inspire them to grow in those virtues in their own lives.

ENVIRONMENT

Create a set environment for the whole semester that can be added to each week. Using cardboard boxes, create a city outline or skyline at the front of the room. Add in different Marvel superhero cutouts to the skyline. Consider obtaining different posters from Marvel superhero movies and posting them around the room. Each week as you talk about different virtues add in a poster board or butcher paper with the virtue and definition somewhere in the room — if you have any Hispanic/Latino youth include the Spanish translation of each virtue and definition.

Project the environment image found on the August 2021 Edge USB and online at lifeteen.com under Edge Support: August 2021.

EDGE NIGHTS

This Semester Planning Guide contains the following Edge Nights:

1. THE HEART OF A HERO: The goal of the Edge Night is for the youth to see that we are drawn to superheroes because of their goodness, and we are compelled to cultivate virtue in their own lives because we will find happiness when they seek what is good.

2. BLACK PANTHER: The goal of the Edge Night is to use the example of Black Panther to help the youth understand the virtue of prudence and know what is best for themselves and others in everyday situations.

3. DOCTOR STRANGE: The goal of this Edge Night is to use the example of Dr. Strange to show the youth how temperance frees us to choose what is good and for the youth to begin fostering this virtue so that they can more freely choose what is good in their own lives.

4. CAPTAIN MARVEL: The goal of this Edge Night is for the youth to begin to choose, as Captain Marvel does, to seek justice, fight for the common good, and act in ways that uphold the God-given rights of each person.



5. BLACK WIDOW: The goal of this Edge Night is for the youth to begin to foster the virtue of fortitude, using Black Widow as an example, so that they can stay constant in their efforts to do the right thing even when it is difficult.

6. ENDGAME: The goal of this Edge Night is for the youth to realize that they are called to embody all four cardinal virtues and for the encouragement to begin to foster them in their lives with God’s help.

GOING DEEPER FOR CORE MEMBERS

The following resource supports or enhances the information the middle school youth will be learning throughout the semester and provides the core members and youth minister with additional information that can aid in their personal growth:

• Joseph Pieper: “The Four Cardinal Virtues”

• Bishop Robert Barron: “Seven Deadly Sins, Seven Lively Virtues” (youtube.com)

• Saint Francis de Sales: “Introduction to the Devout Life”

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ScripturePsalm 1:1-4, 19:7-11, 34:8-10; Wisdom 8:7; Philippians 4:8

Catechism1803-1805, 1810

ResourcesSpotify: “ES - A Great Marvel” (spotify:user:lifeteen)

GOAL

The goal of the Edge Night is for the youth to see that we are drawn to superheroes because of their goodness and to be compelled to cultivate virtue in their own lives because they will find happiness when they seek what is good.

GATHER

The youth will spend some time in groups creating, designing, and drawing their own superhero and sharing about their superheroes’ costumes, superpowers, and personality characteristics.

PROCLAIM

The following are the main teaching points of the Proclaim:

• Virtue is the distinctive characteristic of superheroes that cause us to be fascinated by them.

• A person is virtuous when they consistently choose what is good. And, the more they decide to do what is right, the easier virtue becomes.

THE HEART OF A HEROWhat is Virtue?


• Human beings are drawn toward and created for what is good, and living a virtuous life helps us experience the fullness of life that God desires for us.

BREAK

The youth will be asked to think through different potentially virtuous scenarios and interpret whether or not the action was virtuous. Youth start with more obvious scenarios and increase subtly in difficulty as they progress.

SEND

The youth will do a version of lectio divina focused on virtue, praying with a Scripture passage from Philippians 4.

WEEKLY CHALLENGE

Memorize the Scripture passage Philippians 4:8.

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EDGE NIGHT SET UP

SET UP

Gather all of the supplies for the Gather activity and the Send prayer experience. Create a set environment for the whole semester that can be added to each week. Using cardboard boxes create a city outline or skyline at the front of the room. Add in different Marvel superhero cutouts to the skyline. Consider obtaining different posters from Marvel superhero movies and posting them around the room.

Each week as you talk about different virtues add in a poster board or butcher paper with the virtue and definition somewhere in the room.

Hispanic InculturationIf you have any Hispanic/Latino youth include the Spanish translation of each virtue and definition. As Hispanic/Latino middle school youth begin to learn about the virtues, it can be difficult to translate what they learn in English to what they tell their parents in Spanish. At the start of every Edge Night in this series, you will find the definition of each virtue in both English and Spanish to give Hispanic/Latino youth the opportunity to learn how to translate what they’ve learned about the virtues in a way their parents will understand at home. As the semester continues, follow up to see if the youth have talked about the virtues in their homes.

For this first week use the following:

Virtue: A habitual and firm decision to do what is good, allowing a person to do what is good and give the best of themselves.

VIrtud: Una decisión habitual y firme de hacer el bien que permite a la persona hacer el bien y dar lo mejor de sí.

SUPPLIES

The following is a list of supplies that are needed for the Edge Night:

• G: Blank sheets of paper, one or two per team

• G: Drawing utensils (gel pens, sharpies, paint markers, etc.)

• G: Pens or pencils, one per team

• S: Notecard, one per youth



• S: Pen or pencil, one per youth

• S: Highlighter, one per youth

ASSIGNMENTS

Use the following list to assign core members to specific tasks:

Set Up: _____________________, _____________________, _____________________

Gather:

• Opening Prayer: _____________________

• Game: _____________________

Proclaim: _____________________

Break: All small group leaders

Send:

• Closing Prayer: _____________________

• Weekly Challenge: _____________________

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EDGE NIGHT OUTLINE

GATHER

Edge Night Introduction (5 min)

Welcome the youth, introduce any youth who are there for the first time, and begin in prayer. Give a brief overview of the topic of the Edge Night, using the following as an example:

What is it about superheroes that we find so fascinating? How is it that their characters continue to inspire generation after generation? How is it that their stories never get old? Superheroes remind us of the goodness of people and offer us examples of virtuous living. Pulling from the stories of some of the biggest superheroes, we will be talking this semester about what it means to live a life of virtue, as well as reflecting on how these superheroes exemplify both virtue and heroism. This week, we will learn what virtue is and why we should live a virtuous life.

What’s in a Superhero? (15 min)

This activity is done in small groups.

1. Break the youth into their small groups and give each group sheets of paper and drawing utensils.

2. Small groups work to come up with their own superhero — choosing a name, costume, superpower or abilities, and personality characteristics (e.g., compassionate, brave, stands up for the poor, seeks justice, dedicated to ridding the world of evil).

3. After each small group has created their superhero, ask the youth to return to the large group. Allow a few of the small groups to share about the superhero they created and why they choose the characteristics they did for their superhero.



Hispanic InculturationAlthough many Hispanic/Latino youth view their family members as superheroes, it is also important to point out superheroes from Latin backgrounds. While there are currently not many superheroes from Latin backgrounds, there are a few that you can direct them to like Miss America and Miles Morales. Miss America, also known as America Chaves, had the power of strength and durability. She is a member of the Young Avengers and can kick open star-shaped holes which allows her teammates to travel through the multiverse. Miles Morales debuts in “Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse” as one of the many Spider-Mans in the superhero world.

PROCLAIM

“The Heart of a Hero” Proclaim Teaching (10 min)

The teaching can be found on pages 20 to 23. The following main points are covered in the teaching:

• Virtue is the distinctive characteristic of superheroes that causes us to be fascinated by them.

• A person is virtuous when they consistently choose what is good, and the more they decide to do what is right, the easier it becomes.

• Human beings are drawn toward and created for what is good, and living a virtuous life helps us experience the fullness of life that God desires for us.

BREAK

Virtuous or Not? (10 min)

Break the youth into their small groups, begin in prayer, and then lead them through the following activity. Read to the youth the following scenarios and ask them to discuss as a group whether they think that the actions in the scenario were virtuous or not. If the act is virtuous ask one youth to explain why. If it is not, then ask them to explain what about it was not virtuous. Use the following scenarios as an example and adjust them as you see fit for your group of youth.

• Someone pushes you in the hallway, so you punch them in the stomach to show them who’s boss. Not

• You choose not to sit next to one of your friends in class because you know they will be a distraction and you both won’t pay attention. Virtuous

• Someone at school is having a bad hair day, so you talk about it to all of your friends and laugh at them without them knowing. Not

• Your friends are making fun of someone who is not present, so you make an effort to stop the conversation and steer it in another direction. Virtuous


• You know you get distracted during Mass, so you ask your parents if you can sit closer to the back, so no one sees you. Not

• Your parents ask you to start doing your chores, but you are tired, so you only do some of them, and hope that your parents forget about the rest of them. Not

• You know your parents are going out of town, so you plan ahead of time to get a ride for Mass on Sunday instead of skipping altogether. Virtuous

• One of your friends is failing a class, and they ask you to help them cheat on the next test, but you say no. Virtuous

• You are up late playing video games, but getting tired, so you decide to have two cans of soda in order to stay awake. Not

• You often get bored at the dinner table with your family, but instead of trying to ask about their day or be present to them you decide beforehand that you are just going to ignore them and do something on your phone. Not

• You make an effort to pray every morning when you wake up, and every evening when you go to bed, even if you sometimes forget. Virtuous

Step It UpGive the youth the following requirement for a good action according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church “In order for an action to be good, the object, intention, and circumstances of the action must be good” (CCC 1750). For each scenario ask them to try to figure out what the object, intention, and circumstance is.

Small Group Discussion (10 min)

After the youth have had time to discuss each scenario, use the following questions to foster a discussion within the small group:

• Whip Around Question: If you had the chance to defeat any villain from a movie, comic book, or video game, who would it be?

• Who is your favorite superhero, and what is one good characteristic they embody?

• What is a virtue or trait that you admire in other people?

• Was it easy or hard for you to identify virtuous actions in our activity? Do you think that it is hard or easy to make those decisions in real life? Why?

• Why should we strive to live virtuous lives as Christians?


Eighth-Grade Adaptation

Use the following questions for a more challenging discussion for eighth-grade youth:

• Do you think that people in society celebrate good or bad behavior? Why?

• What is an example you have seen of society glorifying a behavior that is not virtuous?

• Do you think that living a virtuous life makes people happier? Why or why not?

• If someone were to look at your life from the outside, would they see you making efforts to live a virtuous life? Why or why not?

• What is one thing you want to do this week to grow in virtue and in imitation of Jesus?

SEND

Lectio Divina with Philippians 4:8 (20 min)

Gather the youth back to the large group. Hand out notecards, pens, and highlighters to each youth. Project or display the Scripture verse from Philippians 4:8 so all the youth can see. Ask the youth to copy down the Scripture verse onto their notecard. Once all the youth have copied down the verse, use the following to lead the youth through a time of modified lectio divina, praying with the Scripture verse.

Begin with the Sign of the Cross and ask the Holy Spirit to inspire the youth as they pray.

Read the Scripture verse one time, slowly asking the youth to read along with you and simply listen to what is being said.

Read the Scripture verse again slowly and, this time, ask the youth to underline any words or phrases that stand out to them.

Read the Scripture verse a third time slowly and ask the youth to confirm the words that stood out to them this time by highlighting those words.

Ask the youth to turn the notecard over and write down one word or phrase that stood out to them in particular and then reflect/write down the answer to the following questions, “Why did that word or phrase stand out to me?” and “What could God be trying to tell me through these words?”

If the youth are comfortable, ask them to turn to the person sitting next to them and take a few minutes to share what stood out to them, as well as what they think God is trying to tell them through that part of the Scripture passage. Consider having a few youth share with the large group.

Close the Edge Night by praying a Hail Mary as a large group. Following the prayer, give the youth their weekly challenge.

Weekly Challenge (5 min)

Memorize the Scripture passage Philippians 4:8.


EDGE NIGHT PROCLAIM

GETTING STARTED

This teaching is provided to give you an example of how to present this topic in an age-appropriate way, making it relevant to middle school youth. If the youth are ready to take it deeper, incorporate a few of the Going Deeper call-out boxes, picking the ones the youth would relate to the most. If there are Hispanic/Latino youth in the youth group, incorporate the applicable suggestions from the Hispanic Inculturation call-out boxes.

TEACHING GUIDE

Fascinated

Begin by asking the youth who their favorite superhero is and why. Have a few of them share their answers with the large group, then share your answer. Write your thoughts here:

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• Many of the most successful movies of all time are movies about superheroes. Looking at the top 30 highest-grossing movies of all time, ten of them are movies about superheroes. Of all the thousands of movies that have been created, and found success, the ones that continually draw the largest crowds and make the most money are ones about superheroes.

• The fact that some of the top-grossing movies in our society are about superheroes reveals a certain cultural obsession with these types of characters. Their influence has extended to everything from movies, to toys, to games, to cereal boxes, and even to whole theme parks. Superheroes are everywhere, and the vast majority of us know at least a little bit about one or more of these superhero characters.

• It can be easy to understand this fascination with superheroes on a base level, after all, superheroes have really cool powers — they can fly, climb, control things with their minds, run fast, are really strong, and possess awesome weapons and tools. But, it is these different elements, along with their particular character storylines, that create entertaining action-packed movies.

• We are fascinated by superheroes, but it’s not just because of their superpowers. Oftentimes, the villains that superheroes face off against have superpowers and cool abilities as well, but we are drawn to root for the heroes. Why? What is it that draws us to the heroes rather than the villains?



Have some of the youth share why they think we are fascinated by superheroes. Write your own thoughts here:

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• While the villains can be interesting characters, the majority of people are still drawn to the heroes. One of the main reasons for this is likely because the heroes protect what is good, and deep down inside we want to see good triumph over evil.

Ask the youth if they would rather be a superhero or a supervillain. Have them shout out their answers.

• Do you want to be a hero or a villain? It is easy to joke about being a villain because some of them are pretty interesting and do have really cool powers, but when it comes to real life most of us don’t want to be the bad person. We want to do good; we want to have a positive impact on others; we want to make the world a better and more just place.

Hispanic InculturationYouth in Hispanic/Latino households generally grow up listening to amazing stories from their parents, grandparents, aunts, or uncles showing the beauty of their family history and their family line. Hispanic/Latino youth see their families as their foundation and protectors, and family stories can become like those of superheroes. It is these family members who are the reason why Hispanic/Latino youth are where they are, and their families teach them to value morals and how they present themselves to others. Allow the youth the time to reminisce about the importance of their family members who have helped, supported, and guided them in their personal/spiritual lives.

• The superheroes are the ones who stand for what is right and defend those in need. While some of the characters may have complicated stories, we see them fight for what is good and, in some cases, even sacrifice themselves for the good of others. These are appealing qualities that draw us into their stories and inspire us. Heroes protect what is good, and we all want to be known as someone who does the same.

Good Habits

• The good qualities that we see in superheroes are also qualities that the Church has always promoted as the way to grow in holiness. These qualities are called virtues.

• A person who lives out these virtues consistently chooses what is good, and the more they decide to do what is right, the easier it becomes. (CCC 1803)

• The opposite of a virtue is a vice. A vice is a strong tendency to do something that is sinful and to build up a habit of sinful action or behavior. (CCC 1865-1866)


• A virtuous person knows, chooses, fights for, and defends what is good. A person who gives into vice does the opposite. Superheroes often exemplify virtue, whereas supervillains exemplify vice.

• We call someone virtuous when they consistently choose what is good. In its simplest sense, virtue can be defined as a habit of doing good. On the other hand, vice is a habit of doing bad.

Share a story about a good habit you have and how it became easier and easier to do the more you did it. Write your thoughts here:

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• Habits are formed by consistently choosing to do or not to do something. If you want to start waking up when your alarm goes off, you do so by actually waking up when your alarm goes off. The first time can be really difficult, and it can continue to be hard for a while. But the more you do it, the easier it becomes to choose to do it. It may still be hard to get up, but it is easier to make the choice to do it.

• The same thing is true when it comes to doing good. There are certain habits that we can grow in that make the choice to do good easier and lead us to be people of virtue.

Created for the Good

Read Wisdom 8:7

• There are four virtues that we will be discussing during this semester — prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. They are called The Cardinal Virtues and they are foundational for living a life full of making good decisions. They are called cardinal virtues because they are really important, and all other virtues build around these four. (CCC 1905)

• You may wonder why you should care about virtue or living a virtuous life. Superheroes make it seem really cool in their action-packed movies, but in real life, it is sometimes so much easier to not choose what is good. Choosing what is good can lead us to lose friends or be even judged by our classmates. It can seem a lot more fun and adventurous to disobey our parents or do anything that feels good even if it has bad consequences.

• When we are tempted to throw virtue to the wind and leave it as something for the movies, we have to remember that we are created by God who is good, for God who is good. The more we do what is good, the happier we will be because that is what we were created for.

• God knows us, He loves us, and He wants what is best for us. And ultimately what is best for us is to follow Him in doing what is good and avoiding what is sinful.

• He gives us the virtues for this very reason. They help to guard what is best in us and help us to live in accordance with it. They are guideposts pointing out the way to a happy and fulfilling life.


• As the Book of Wisdom says, there is nothing more profitable or useful for human beings than the virtues. They don’t restrict our freedom or make us boring, rather they make us truly free. They elevate our lives and help us to live towards a higher calling. They help us to really be like the superheroes we adore. We may not have superpowers, but we can fight for what is best in this world and live for something greater than ourselves.

Going DeeperThere is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, commonly referred to as the “Two Ways” (e.g., Deuteronomy 30:11-20, Psalm 1). It contrasts the way of the wise with the way of the foolish, or the way of the righteous with the way of the wicked. In essence, it is about the way of virtue and the way of vice. It shows us that the way of the virtuous leads to a fulfilling life and happiness, while the way of those who choose vice leads to hardship and ultimately death.

• As human beings, we are drawn to the good because God is good. We are created by God to know Him and to love Him, and the virtues help us to do this. They help us to live in a Christ-like way, to become like God, and they keep us rooted in our relationship with Him.

• While you may not be entirely convinced right now, choosing to be virtuous — to do good and stand up for what is good — will truly help us to find happiness, fulfillment, and purpose for our lives. Lasting happiness, that is not fleeting or shallow, comes only from our relationship with God and growing in holiness, following the path that He has given to us.

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ScriptureProverbs 14:8,15, 19:21; Sirach 19:20-23; John 16:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:21

Catechism1806


GOAL

The goal of the Edge Night is to use the example of Black Panther to help the youth understand the virtue of prudence and know what is best for themselves and for others in everyday situations.

GATHER

The youth play a mimicking game with actions that are based on the movie, “Black Panther.” The purpose of this game is for the youth to have fun and enter into the theme of the Edge Night.

PROCLAIM


• The virtue of prudence helps us choose what is right in every situation and do what is good in the best way.

• Black Panther exemplified the virtue of prudence when he revealed Wakanda’s technology to the world in the proper way.

• By cultivating prudence, we can be confident in the good God wants us to do for ourselves and others, as well as the bad things He wants us to avoid.

BLACK PANTHERHow Do I Know What is Right?


BREAK

The youth receive a handout focusing on their own “origin story,” and reflect on a specific talent, gift, or skill that they can prudently turn into a gift for others.

SEND

The youth enter into a prayer experience focusing on Christ as the light of the world. This helps the youth to understand how prudence is related to distinguishing between right and wrong, ultimately allowing them to see the world more clearly.

WEEKLY CHALLENGE

Take home your notecard from the Send activity and discuss what you wrote down with your parents or another trusted adult so that you might work with them to make a prudent decision.

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EDGE NIGHT SET UP

SET UP

Print copies of the My Origin Story - Prudence handout for the Break activity. Handouts can be found on the August 2021 Edge USB or online at lifeteen.com under Edge Support: August 2021. For each of the Edge Nights in this semester that teaches a specific virtue, the youth will be given a handout that has to do with their own “origin story.” These handouts provide ways to reflect and process how to apply the specific virtue to their lives as middle schoolers. The goal is that they learn to apply the virtues while they are still young and form good habits that influence them for the rest of their lives, hence the title “Origin Story.”

Test the lighting in the room for the Send to ensure the ability to dim lights as needed for the prayer activity. If the room does not allow for light dimming, consider using lamps or candles throughout the room to slowly add more light as you go through the activity.

Add to the set environment for the semester by adding cutouts or posters of Black Panther. Also create a poster with the word prudence on it along with its definition found below, if you have Hispanic/Latino youth also include the Spanish translation.

Prudence: Choosing what is right in every situation and doing what is good in the best way.

Prudencia: Elegir lo que es correcto en cada situación y hacer lo que es bueno de la mejor manera.

SUPPLIES

The following is a list of supplies needed for the Edge Night:

• B: My Origin Story - Prudence handout, one per youth

• B: Pens or pencils, one per youth

• S: Lights or lamps (as necessary)

ASSIGNMENTS


Set Up: _____________________, _____________________, _____________________



Gather:

• Opening Prayer: _____________________

• Game: _____________________

Proclaim: _____________________


Send:

• Closing Prayer: _____________________


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EDGE NIGHT OUTLINE

GATHER



Have you ever made a decision without taking very much time to think about it? Sometimes, when life is moving really fast, or when we just aren’t in the mood to think things through, we can make decisions without really knowing what we are doing. We can get lucky and have it work out, but sometimes, it can lead to big mistakes. There may be moments we wish we had taken a little bit more time because we might not have made a decision that ended so badly. Superheroes have to make many decisions. Between flying alien monsters and civilians crying for help, a superhero sometimes has numerous options of who to save and how to save them. In order to make the best decision possible, they need the virtue of prudence. Prudence helps us choose what is right in every situation and do what is good in the best way. It sometimes is as simple as taking one more second to think about our decisions before making them, but there is more to growing in this virtue than simple patience. This week at Edge, we are going to look at the virtue of prudence by looking at the example of King T’Challa, otherwise known as Black Panther. He is a superhero who exemplifies good decision making and the wisdom to properly put his plans in place.

Weekly Challenge Check In (5 min)

Ask any youth who are willing to share about their experience with the weekly challenge from the previous Edge Night: Memorize the Scripture passage Philippians 4:8.

Consider having a prize for any of the youth who have it memorized.

Wakanda Forever (10 min)

This game is played as a large group.

1. Gather all the youth together in one space and direct them to face the front of the room.

2. A core member stands at the front of the room and gives the youth instructions to follow that are themed on the Black Panther movie.

3. When the core member calls out the action, the youth must act out what they hear and yell out “Ha!” or any other action word they want to (e.g., “pow,” “boom,” “kapow”) as they perform the action.



4. When the core member yells “Wakanda Forever,” the youth must race to get in a single file line in the middle of the room and cross their arms across their chest to make an X.

5. The last two youth to get in line and cross their arms are out.

6. The game continues until one or two youth are left.

Use the following actions as an example and adapt them if necessary for your youth or based on your own favorite action moves from Black Panther.

• Spear: Pretend you’re throwing a spear

• Jab: Pretend you are jabbing forward with a spear

• Shield: Cover your face with your forearm

• Dodge Right: Slide to the right

• Dodge Left: Slide to the left

• Black Panther: Squat to the ground

Hispanic InculturationSimon Says is a very well-known game that is won essentially by the person who is the best listener and the most obedient to the leader. This can translate for Hispanic/Latino youth who are very familiar with getting “the look” from their parents. For example, imagine you are touching something at a store that you know you shouldn’t, and your parents give you “the look.” You know exactly what to do, stop touching! This mentality of “the look” is something that many Hispanic/Latino youth are accustomed to and this can also be expressed with a few other familiar phrases such as “Que estas haciendo?” “What are you doing?” or “Te estoy mirando” “I’m watching you.” In this game of Simon Says, consider incorporating some of these phrases that would be familiar to your Hispanic/Latino youth.

PROCLAIM

“Black Panther” Proclaim Teaching (10 min)


• The virtue of prudence helps us choose what is right in every situation and do what is good in the best way.

• Black Panther exemplified this virtue when he revealed Wakanda’s technology to the world in the proper way.

• By cultivating prudence, we can be confident in the good God wants us to do for ourselves and others, as well as the bad things He wants us to avoid.


BREAK

Origin Story: Prudence (10 min)

Break the youth into their small groups, begin in prayer, and give each youth a copy of the My Origin Story - Prudence handout found on the August 2021 Edge USB and online at lifeteen.com under Edge Support: August 2021.

Help the youth to think outside of the box (when it comes to their gifts and talents) as you explain to them each question on the handout. Use the following examples as a guide.

What are some gifts and talents that you have? For example: Are you a good listener? Are you the “go-to” problem solver in your group of friends? Can you find the good in any situation? Are you talented in academics, arts, sports, or music? Etc.

How can these gifts and talents glorify God? For example: Can you show the love and compassion of God to others in the way you listen to them? Can you help solve problems leading others towards God and away from sin? Can you reveal God’s blessings even in hard times? Can you give glory to God by doing your best?

What could be some good outcomes of using your gifts and talents in a prudent way? For example: You listened to your friend and they felt loved and cared for. You helped your friend make a decision that was good and not bad. You filled someone with hope when you showed them something positive that was happening in their life. You grew in your own talents and helped those around you grow in their talents. You inspired people through your art, music, sports, or academic achievements.

Allow the youth to spread out around the meeting space and instruct them to think through each question as it applies to them and write down their answers.


After the youth have completed the handouts, gather them back together and use the following to foster a time of discussion:

• Whip Around Question: If you could have any talent, what would it be?

• What was one gift or talent that you recognized in yourself?

• How did you think that gift or talent can bring glory to God?

• How do you think using that gift or talent can bring about something good?

• Why is it so important to use our gifts and talents under the guidance of prudence? What would happen if we did not?

Eighth-Grade Adaptation

Use the following questions for a more challenging discussion for eighth-grade youth:

• If someone asked you what prudence means, what would you say to them?

• Who is an example of a prudent person in your life? What do they do that makes them so prudent?


• Is there something that person does that you would also want to do when it comes to making decisions? Explain.

• What other tools do you use to help decide what is the right thing to do?

• Do you think it is possible to do something right, but in the wrong way? Explain?

• Why is it important to be prudent in both what we do and how we do it?

• How does prudence help us in our relationship with Jesus?

SEND

The Light of Christ Meditation (20 min)

Gather the youth back, as a large group, into the meeting space that has been set up for this time of prayer. As a core member or the youth minister leads the youth through the following reflection, start with the room mostly dark and then gradually make the room brighter and brighter. This reflection will help the youth to understand how light helps us to see in the same way that the virtue of prudence helps us to see the good things that we should do — choosing right over wrong. Have quiet reflective music playing in the background, give each youth a sheet of paper and a pen, and use the following to lead the youth in this time of prayer:

The room should be mostly dark. Begin with the Sign of the Cross.

“If any one walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if any one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” (John 11:9-10)

We have been given clear guidelines from God through the Church as to what is and is not a sin. We are given these instructions through the Ten Commandments, Scripture, and Church teaching — but that doesn’t always mean it is easy to know what to do all the time. Sometimes, there are a lot of different feelings, people, and outcomes involved in a decision, as well as other factors that play into what we decide to do. We may not know what is right in the situation. Doing the right thing might make us uncomfortable. Or we might be afraid to hurt someone’s feelings. It can feel like a dark place to be stuck, unsure of what to do next, but we are not alone.

Make the room a little brighter.

“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:4-5)

Jesus is the light of the world. Jesus is always with us to guide us and to provide help through our neighbors who know how to do the right things. As we begin to grow in the virtue of prudence, the first step is to stop and think before we act. We can pray and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance, we can consider how different decisions might turn out, and we can ask others for help. But we first have to recognize and learn the importance of being patient and thinking before we decide to do something.


Project the following short prayer for the youth to say along with the leader:

Jesus, Light of the World, we ask you to enlighten our hearts with the virtue of prudence, that we may have the patience to ask for your grace in difficult moments and make the right decisions.

Pause for a moment of silence. Ask the youth to write down one decision they have to make this week.

Prudence is not something that we only need in the moments when we make big decisions. It is meant to be the light of virtue that guides us throughout our entire day. When we allow Jesus Christ to be a part of our daily lives, He is always there to guide us.


Jesus says in the Gospel of John, “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).


Jesus, Light of the World, we ask you to guide us as we practice the virtue of prudence, that we may be aware of your presence and help in every moment of our lives.

Pause for a moment of silence. Ask the youth to write down one way they can invite Jesus to be a part of that decision.

As we grow in our ability to make decisions and learn more about how to be prudent, we can no longer act only on our impulses — guided by what we want regardless of whether or not it is right. We also have to think about how our actions will affect others. We begin to realize the importance of recognizing how Jesus is calling us to love those around us, even to the point of sacrificing what we want for the sake of others.


Saint Paul writes in the Letter to the Ephesians, “For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light, for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true” (Ephesians 5:8-9).


Jesus, Light of the World, we ask you to help us grow in the virtue of prudence, that we may not simply choose what is good or beneficial to us, but choose what is best, even if it means giving up something we want.

Bring the lights in the room back to their normal level. Allow some time for silence. Ask the youth to write down the name of one person who will be affected by their decision.

End with the following Scripture verse: “The night is far gone, the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:12).


Allow for a moment of silence. Ask the youth to write down what they think would be the best thing to do in regards to the decision they have to make.

If any youth are willing, ask them to share what they wrote down during the time of prayer and reflection.



Take home your notecard from the Send activity and discuss what you wrote down with your parents or another trusted adult and work with them to make a prudent decision.

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EDGE NIGHT PROCLAIM

GETTING STARTED


TEACHING GUIDE

Right Sight

Begin by telling a story about a decision you had to make that was difficult. What made the decision hard? How did you decide the best choice? Write your thoughts here:

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• We have all been in a situation where we had to make a decision. Sometimes the right things to do can be obvious, like studying for a test instead of playing video games for hours into the night. In all of our decision making, we need the virtue of prudence.

• Prudence helps us to choose what is good and to go about doing what is good in the best way. It helps us make decisions that lead us toward what is right and away from what is evil or sinful. (CCC 1806)

Hispanic InculturationPrudence may not always be the easiest virtue for Hispanic/Latino youth to recognize in their homes where comments may be both very welcoming and loving, but also sarcastic and humorous. Often, within families, this includes giving each other nicknames that are not the nicest or simply making jokes that can be intended to be sarcastic but can easily come off as offensive. For example, these nicknames and jokes can point out insecurities one might have such as calling someone gordo, flaca, enojona, metiche, or cabrona. While some families may truly believe this is a way of showing love and are OK with it, allow some space for the youth to talk about how this makes them feel and to discern if there are better ways to show love to their family members.



• One aspect of prudence is being able to identify what is right and what is wrong. It helps us to choose to avoid sinful behavior.

Going DeeperSin is an offense against truth and reason, and it damages our relationship with God. Minor sins, also called venial sins, weaken our relationship with God while grave sins, also called mortal sins, break our relationship with God entirely. Because sin directly and negatively affects our relationship with God, and our relationship with others, it is important to avoid sin and to confess our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. (CCC 1849-1851)

• Prudence helps us not only decide what is right or what is the best, but how

to do what is right in the best way. For example, if we are invited to a friend’s birthday party and want to get them an amazing present, prudence can help us decide the best way to get that present — buying it rather than stealing it.

Black Panther

Project an image from the movie Black Panther. Ask the youth to raise their hands if they have seen the movie, then call on a few youth to share with the rest of the group their favorite part of the movie.

• In the movie Black Panther, we see the current Black Panther, T’Challa struggle with choosing what is best. Having recently become king of technologically advanced Wakanda, much responsibility has been placed on his shoulders. Historically, Wakanda had remained hidden from the world which kept them safe, but now things are changing.

• T’Challa is faced with the decision of how best to protect Wakanda while also aiding those in need out in the world. The villain in the movie, Killmonger, wants to be king of Wakanda so he can use their technology to arm the oppressed people of the world and help them fight against their oppressors. Killmonger’s end goal is that Wakanda would rule the world through domination and that people would know who they really are.

• After a lot of internal struggle and external fighting, T’Challa eventually decides to share Wakanda’s technology with the world so that they can help others.

• At first glance, Killmonger has good intentions for what he wants to do. He desires to help the people in the world who are poor, oppressed, and in need. However, Killmonger reveals through his actions a right way and a wrong way to go about doing something that is good. Arming all of the oppressed people so they can fight against the people in power would potentially free them, but it would also cause a lot of harm and would have dangerous consequences.

• Instead of closing off Wakanda like his predecessors had done or starting wars all over the world like Killmonger wanted to, T’Challa chooses to share information with other nations in order to begin outreach work that might truly help other people throughout the world.


• T’Challa not only realized that Wakanda needed to help others, but he also saw that there was a right and wrong way of going about it. In the midst of many different options, he saw what was good and could envision the best way to go about achieving it. Namely, he practiced prudence.

The Voice of Conscience

• We can learn through the character of T’Challa the importance of practicing the virtue of prudence. He had to make a big decision that affected a large number of people, and he needed to know both the right thing to do and the right way to do it.

• It is important that we know where to turn in order to learn what is right and what is wrong, so we can make good decisions. Luckily, we have the guidance of the Catholic Church who, over the past 2,000 years, has been studying what God has revealed to us about good actions and passing it down from generation to generation. The Church has much to teach us about what makes something good and what makes something a sin.

• We can learn to distinguish between a good action and a sinful action through things like the Ten Commandments, the Examination of Conscience, and the teachings of Jesus Christ directly from Scripture. We can also turn to the wisdom and guidance of those who are older than us and have a strong faith or even those who have gone before us in our faith and are now saints in heaven. (CCC 1854)

Share with the youth a few different specific tools or opportunities they have available to them at your parish that can help them as they continue to form their conscience. Write your thoughts here:

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• All of these different tools can help us to form our conscience, which is the little voice inside our head or the gut feeling we get that directs us in our actions. The more time we spend growing in our knowledge of what is right and wrong, the more we will be able to make prudent decisions quickly and the more we will be able to trust our conscience. (CCC 1778)

Going DeeperBecause of original sin, our conscience is not automatically well formed, and we often struggle with temptation to sin. Sometimes our past choices and our life experiences can also cloud our conscience which makes it even more difficult to make the right choices. In order to remedy this, we have to form our conscience and continually turn to the Sacrament of Reconciliation when we fall into sin.

Read Psalm 119:105


• God’s word is meant to be a light for us. Like a lamp in a dark room or a light post on a road, it points out the way we need to be going and helps us see things clearly. The more we listen to God’s word and the more we allow it to mold our hearts and minds, the more clearly our conscience will guide us to what is good.

• When we know what God wants for us, it is easier for us to see and choose it in our own lives. The more we listen to and stay rooted in the Word of God, the more clearly we can see that path that God wants us to take.

• When we spend time with God in prayer and Scripture, we will strengthen our relationship with Him. The more that we love God, the less we will want to hurt that relationship through sin, and we will grow in our strength and resolve to avoid sin. This will ultimately help us grow in making prudent decisions that keep this relationship with God at the forefront of our minds.

• In addition to taking the time to form our conscience, there is one very concrete thing we can do to be more prudent when making decisions. We have probably all heard the old sayings “think before you speak” or “think before you act.” Although these sayings can be written off as simple and commonplace, they contain great wisdom. They show us one easy way to exercise prudence — to simply think before we act or make a decision.

Share a story about a time you failed to think before speaking or acting, and what you would have done differently if you had. Write your thoughts here:

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• What we do when we are hanging out with our friends, what we are looking at when we are alone on our phone, how we respond to our parents — we can often find and choose what is best in every situation just by taking a few seconds to think about it.

Inform the youth that you will pause in silence for 10 seconds

• Ten seconds is all it takes to make a better decision and help us choose what is right and avoid sin. Next time you are faced with a decision, just take ten seconds to think through these two questions: “what does God want for me?” and “what does God want for others?” These two questions can help lead us to the good God desires for everyone and will help point our feet in the right direction.

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ScriptureProverbs 25:16, 28; Ecclesiastes 5:10; Sirach 18:30-32, 37:27-31; Matthew 16:24-26; Galatians 5:22-24; Titus 2:11-12

Catechism1809


Edge Support August 2021: “Super Save or Super Fail” (lifeteen.com)

GOAL

The goal of this Edge Night is to use the example of Dr. Strange to show the youth how temperance frees us to choose what is good and for the youth to begin fostering this virtue so that they can more freely choose what is good in their own lives.

GATHER

The youth watch an interactive game that leads them through different outcomes of different choices. The purpose of this game is for the youth to have fun and continue to think about how they make decisions and the consequences of actions.

PROCLAIM


• The virtue of temperance helps us to moderate our desires and actions so we can freely choose the good God desires for us, not just what we want.

• Doctor Strange began to exercise the virtue of temperance after he realized what was truly worthwhile in the world, and it continues to be a necessary part of his duty as a protector of Earth.

DOCTOR STRANGEHow Do I Choose What is Good?


• In a culture that glorifies having an excess of whatever we desire, temperance helps us imitate Jesus by overcoming our excessive desires so that we might be free to do and choose what is good as He did.

BREAK

The youth receive an Origin Story handout focusing on things they may often spend too much time or attention on and how they can learn to exercise temperance in the midst of those moments. The purpose of this activity is to give the youth concrete ways to learn temperance in their daily lives.

SEND

The youth reflect on a variety of Scripture verses that speak of the goodness of God and the good things He desires for us. The purpose of this is for the youth to continue to understand that God wants what is good for them and temperance helps them to find that good.

WEEKLY CHALLENGE

Choose one thing this week that you spend too much time doing and spend some of that time doing another good activity instead.

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EDGE NIGHT SET UP

SET UP

Download the video for the Gather activity and print copies of the My Origin Story - Temperance handout for the Break activity. Videos and handouts can be found on the August 2021 Edge USB or online at lifeteen.com under Edge Support: August 2021. For each of the Edge Nights in this semester that teaches a specific virtue, the youth will be given a handout that has to do with their own “origin story.” These handouts provide ways to reflect and process how to apply the specific virtue to their lives as middle schoolers. The goal is that they learn to apply the virtues while they are still young and form good habits that influence them for the rest of their lives, hence the title “Origin Story.”

Add to the set environment for the semester by adding cutouts or posters of Dr. Strange. Also create a poster with the word temperance on it along with its definition found below, if you have Hispanic/Latino youth also use the Spanish translation.

Temperance: Moderating our desires and actions so we can freely choose the good God desires for us, not just what we want.

Templanza: Moderar nuestros deseos y acciones para que podamos elegir libremente el bien que Dios desea para nosotros, no solo lo que queremos.

SUPPLIES


• G: “Super Save or Super Fail” video

• G: Projector screen or TV with audio

• B: My Origin Story - Temperance handout, one per youth


ASSIGNMENTS


Set Up: _____________________, _____________________, _____________________



Gather:

• Opening Prayer: _____________________

• Game: _____________________

Proclaim: _____________________


Send:

• Closing Prayer: _____________________


Notes: ____________________________________________________________________________

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EDGE NIGHT OUTLINE

GATHER



When we are faced with decisions, it is important that we know how to choose what is right and to go about doing what is good in the best way. That is practicing the virtue of prudence, that we learned about last week. This week we are going to look at the good things in our lives and the choices we have to make in how we spend our time. We will learn how to practice the virtue of temperance. In order to help us understand the virtue of temperance, we are going to look at Dr. Strange, a superhero whose life was turned upside down when he lost the use of his hands. His example will show us the sacrifice and discipline it takes to live a life of temperance but also the happiness that comes when we learn how to moderate our desires and actions.


Ask any youth who are willing to share about their experience with the weekly challenge from the previous Edge Night: Take home your notecard from the Send activity and discuss what you wrote down with your parents or another trusted adult and work with them to make a prudent decision.

Alternative Timeline (10 min)

This game is played in small groups.

1. Download and set up the video “Super Save or Super Fail” from the Resources section. Throughout this video, the youth will see the consequences of different actions.

2. As the video begins, instruct the youth to do a certain action based on what choice they think should be made — for example, if the youth thinks “x” should be done, they do air karate chops, or if they think “y” should be done, they pretend like they are flying.

3. Youth should be shown the outcomes from each decision, and where their choice led.

4. There is no winner of this game, it is intended solely to be a fun activity.



PROCLAIM

“Doctor Strange” Proclaim Teaching (10 min)


• The virtue of temperance helps us to moderate our desires and actions so we can freely choose the good God desires for us, not just what we want.

• Doctor Strange began to exercise the virtue of temperance after he realized what was truly worthwhile in the world, and it continues to be a necessary part of his duty as a protector of Earth.

• In a culture that glorifies having an excess of whatever we desire, temperance helps us imitate Jesus by overcoming our excessive desires so that we might be free to do and choose what is good as He did.

BREAK

Origin Story: Temperance (10 min)

Break the youth into their small groups, begin in prayer, and then give each of the youth a copy of the My Origin Story - Temperance handout found on the August 2021 Edge USB and online at lifeteen.com under Edge Support: August 2021.

Allow the youth to spread out around the meeting space and instruct them to think through each question as it applies to them and write down their answers.



• Whip Around Question: Would you rather have the superpower to speed up time or slow time down?

• Of all the things you spend time doing, what do you spend the most time doing? Did this surprise you? Why or why not?

• What is something you wish you could spend more time doing?

• Do you think you spend too much time on one of these activities? Why?

• What is one way you could apply the virtue of temperance to your day to moderate how you spend your time?

• How can the virtue of temperance help you grow in your relationship with God?


SEND

All the Good Things (20 min)

Bring the youth back to the large group. Play soft reflective music in the background and use the following to introduce this time of prayer:

God wants good things for us in our lives. God created us out of love and wants us to experience His love and goodness every day of our lives. But sometimes we can become distracted and forget about God, or forget about His love. We can be preoccupied by the things we want, or just the busyness of daily life that we lose sight of what God might want for us. The virtue of temperance can help us to take a step back and make more space in our days and hearts so we can grow in our relationship with God. It is through this quieting that we might learn of the goodness He desires for us — so let us take time now to be reminded of all the good things God wants for us.

Ask the youth to spread out around the room so they are at least an arm’s length away from one another. Ask them to take a few deep breaths, close their eyes, and listen to the following Scripture verses as they are read.

Begin with the Sign of the Cross and a simple prayer asking Jesus to open the ears and the hearts of all the youth to know and experience God’s love and goodness.

Read aloud the following Scripture verses:

“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

“But God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)

“Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh.” (Luke 6:21)

Ask the youth to open their eyes. Project the verses and read through them one more time asking the youth to pick one verse that stands out to them.

Next, read through the verses again, this time focusing on one verse at a time. After reading one verse, ask the youth to stand up if that verse stood out to them. If any youth are willing, ask them to share with the group why that verse stood out to them. Do this for each of the verses.

End this time of prayer by reminding the youth that God wants good things for them and the virtue of temperance will help them live in this goodness every day.




Choose one thing this week that you spend too much time doing and spend some of that time doing another good activity instead.

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EDGE NIGHT PROCLAIM

GETTING STARTED


TEACHING GUIDE

All in Moderation

Ask a few youth to share their response to the following question: If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would you choose? Write your own thoughts here:

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• Food is good, and it is a gift from God that is both delicious and necessary for our survival. But there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Imagine if you really only could eat that one food for the rest of your life, you would be lacking in many other essential nutrients. (And, likely you would get really sick of that food.) In eating that food in excess, it loses its delicious taste.

• This can be true for almost every good thing in our lives. If we have too much of it, it is no longer enjoyable and can sometimes make us feel worse.

Give the youth a few other practical examples of this. For example — if you love running but you run too much you can hurt your body, if you love social media but you spend too much time on social media it can make you feel foggy or negatively affect your emotions, if you have a best friend that you spend too much time with you can sometimes get annoyed with one another. Write your thoughts here:

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• It is not bad to have a lot of good things in our lives, but from these different examples we can see that too much of a good thing can knock our lives out of balance and actually make those good things less enjoyable or even become destructive. That is why it is important to learn how to moderate or find a good balance of even the good things in our lives. This also allows us to have more time and space to listen to what God desires for our lives.

Hispanic InculturationIt is not wrong to desire material things, but an extreme excess of desire for material goods can be harmful to our spiritual lives. In many Hispanic/Latino households it is very common for there to be an excess of various things such as food storage containers, blankets, bedding, sheets, towels, home decorations, and kitchen utensils. It can also be very common for Hispanic/Latino families to bring attention to how beautiful various things are in their homes when there are visitors. Oftentimes Hispanic/Latino youth see their family taking better care of, protecting, and praising these items than they do their spiritual lives. With that said, take the time during the Edge Night to challenge the Hispanic/Latino youth to find opportunities in their homes to direct praise and glory to the Lord first, and slowly move away from an excessive attachment to material things.

• That is where temperance comes in. The virtue of temperance helps us to moderate our desires and actions so we can freely choose the good God desires for us, not just what we want. (CCC 1809)

• But there is more to temperance than not eating too much of what we like. While moderating food, drink, and other desires is part of it, the real core of temperance is self-mastery. It is about not being enslaved to our desires, but instead being the master of them. Temperance can lead us to true freedom.

• Temperance is tied to the will — that part of us that makes choices and acts. As human beings we have free will, we are able to choose what we do in every situation. Temperance helps strengthen our will so that we can be free to say “yes” to what God wants for us, “no” to things that are sinful, and even “no” to good things that we don’t necessarily need. (CCC 1731)

• You may have already been practicing temperance without even knowing it when you sacrifice one thing for something else that is better. For example, you sacrifice time on social media to study for a test so you can do well, or you sacrifice time with your friends to practice for the upcoming big game.

• Sometimes we have to give up doing what we want in order to get to a greater goal. This is the heart of temperance, learning how to direct our will and our choices to make the best possible decisions. (CCC 1838)

Doctor Strange

• We can look to the character of Dr. Strange to see an example of the virtue of temperance.

• In the story, Dr. Strange is a very well known but self-absorbed doctor who chases fame above all else. All he cares about is success and his own reputation. However, after a terrible accident, his hands get so wounded that he can no longer do his job as a doctor.


• After this accident that upended his whole life, Dr. Strange goes searching for healing so that he can return to his profession and luxurious life. In his quest for healing He encounters the Ancient One who introduces him to magical powers and trains Dr. Strange in mystic arts.

Hispanic InculturationThere are many different traditions that Hispanic/Latino youth may be familiar with — some of them good and some of them potentially problematic. It is important for youth to understand that just because it is a tradition or cultural thing, that does not mean they have to, or should, participate in it. For example, in many Caribbean cultures, voodoo and witchcraft can have some connections to certain aspects of Christianity. While those practices are a part of the culture, that does not mean it is something the youth should participate in because voodoo and witchcraft should not be practiced for any reason. As you discuss Doctor Strange and choosing what is good, allow the Hispanic/Latino youth to reflect on common cultural things they see in their households and whether those things are helping or hindering their relationship with the Lord.

• At a certain point, Dr. Strange is faced with a decision. He can use his skills to return to his life as a doctor where his one focus was growing in fame and fortune, or he can use his new found skills to protect the Earth from dark forces and evil.

• It is in this decision that we see an example of the virtue of temperance. While it would not have been bad for him to return to his life as a successful doctor (although he would need more temperance to moderate his desires for fame and fortune), he chooses a greater good. He uses mastery over his will that desires to a certain degree to go back to a life of luxury to choose what he knows is a greater good for both himself and for others. In choosing to let go of pursuing one good he is free to do something even better.

Free for Good

• God wants us to use the virtue of temperance to be free to choose the greatest good for our lives. (CCC 1733)

• The more we practice temperance in small ways — like saying no to eating more than we need to, or saying no to spending excessive amounts of time on social media — we will then be able to practice temperance in bigger decisions in our lives.

Give the youth a few examples from your own life where practicing temperance in small ways has helped you to use temperance to make bigger decisions. Write your thoughts here:

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• God has blessed us with a lot of good things in our lives — family, friends, homes, adventures, activities, food, and more — and when we practice temperance in finding balance in all these things we find a greater freedom in our lives.

• When we are free from our attachments to even good things, then we will be more willing to follow God when He directs us on the path He has planned for us. When we are able to discern how to spend our time, we can find more opportunities to listen to all the good things that God wants for our lives. (CCC 2559)

• If we don’t spend time with God in prayer, we will never know what He wills for us, and if we cannot control our wants and desires, we will be so enslaved to them we may not be able to make choices for a greater good.

• The virtue of temperance takes time to learn, and just like prudence, it takes time to grow and strengthen the muscles of our will to be able to choose the best way to spend our time and give of our gifts and talents. (CCC 1810-1811)

• Never lose sight of the truth that God desires good things for you, and the virtues of prudence and temperance will help to direct you towards those good things.

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ScriptureLeviticus 19:15; Deuteronomy 16:18-20; Psalm 37:27-31; Proverbs 21:15; Isaiah 1:16-17; Matthew 25:40

Catechism1807


GOAL

The goal of this Edge Night is for the youth to begin to choose — just as Captain Marvel does — to seek justice, fight for the common good, and act in ways that uphold the God-given rights of each person.

GATHER

The youth play a game of “elbow tag” based on the Skrull characters from the movie Captain Marvel. The purpose of this game is for the youth to have fun and enter into the theme of the Edge Night.

PROCLAIM


• The virtue of justice helps us give every person what is rightfully theirs and ultimately treat them the way God desires them to be treated.

• Captain Marvel is an example of justice because she uses her power to fight for the common good and those who need protection.

CAPTAIN MARVELHow Do I Treat Others Fairly?


• Each of us is called to be fair in our daily interactions with others, bringing peace to those around us and treating them as Jesus would, according to the dignity they have in God’s eyes.

BREAK

The youth work through their Origin Story handout reflecting on how to put into action the Corporal Works of Mercy. The purpose of this handout is to help the youth see the heart of the work of justice and that justice is something we do out of our love for God and our neighbor.

SEND

The youth pray the Litany of Humility to help them remain focused on the fact that while we can do good works, it is Jesus who is the savior and all our good works should point others to Him and not to us.

WEEKLY CHALLENGE

Choose one work of mercy to do this week with your family or friends.

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EDGE NIGHT SET UP

SET UP

Print copies of the My Origin Story - Justice handout for the Break activity. Handouts can be found on the August 2021 Edge USB or online at lifeteen.com under Edge Support: August 2021. For each of the Edge Nights in this semester that teaches a specific virtue, the youth will be given a handout that has to do with their own “origin story.” These handouts provide them with a way to reflect and process how to apply the specific virtue to their lives as middle schoolers. The goal is that they learn to apply the virtues while they are still young and form good habits that influence them for the rest of their lives, hence the title “Origin Story.”

Add to the set environment for the semester by adding cutouts or posters of Captain Marvel. Also create a poster with the word justice on it along with its definition found below, if you have Hispanic/Latino youth also use the Spanish translation.

Justice: Giving every person what is rightfully theirs and ultimately treating them the way God desires them to be treated.

Justicia: Dar a cada persona lo que le corresponde por derecho y, en última instancia, tratarla de la manera que Dios desea que sea tratada.

SUPPLIES


• B: My Origin Story - Justice handout, one per youth


• S: Litany of Humility handout

ASSIGNMENTS


Set Up: _____________________, _____________________, _____________________

Gather:

• Opening Prayer: _____________________

• Game: _____________________



Proclaim: _____________________


Send:

• Closing Prayer: _____________________


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EDGE NIGHT OUTLINE

GATHER



Justice is a word we hear a lot. There are many people who do good work to create a more just world and to help those in need. It is good for us to promote a just society, but what does it actually mean to be a just person? How does justice actually take root in our hearts? What does it have to do with our relationship with others, and what does it have to do with our relationship with God? This week we will be diving into the virtue of justice through the example of the character, Captain Marvel.


Ask any youth who are willing to share about their experience with the weekly challenge from the previous Edge Night: Choose one thing this week that you spend an excessive amount of time doing and spend some of that time doing another good activity.

Secret Invasion (10 min)

This game is played in a large group.

1. Assign one youth to be the hero and one youth to be a Skrull. Skrulls are characters from the movie Captain Marvel. They are shapeshifters that can transform their appearance to look like anyone else.

2. The objective of the game is for the Skrull to avoid being tagged by the Hero and for the Hero to tag the Skrull.

3. Have all of the youth, except for the Hero and the Skrull, find a partner and link arms at the elbow. Pairs of youth spread out around the room.

4. The Hero goes to one side of the room and the Skrull goes to the opposite side of the room.

5. When the game begins, the Hero tries to tag the Skrull. The Skrull, however, can run and link arms with one of the pairs of youth. When a Skrull links elbows with a pair of youth, the youth whose arm was not linked to the Skrull then becomes the Skrull and must unlink from the pair and run around avoiding the Hero.



6. The game continues until the Hero tags the current Skrull and they swap roles, and the game begins again.

7. Play for as long as time allows.

PROCLAIM

“Captain Marvel” Proclaim Teaching (10 min)


• The virtue of justice helps us give every person what is rightfully theirs and ultimately treat them the way God desires them to be treated.

• Captain Marvel is an example of justice because she uses her power to fight for the common good and those who need protection.

• Each of us is called to be fair in our daily interactions with others, bringing peace to those around us and treating them as Jesus would, according to the dignity they have in God’s eyes.

BREAK

Origin Story: Justice (15 min)

Break the youth into their small groups, begin in prayer, and give each of the youth a copy of the My Origin Story - Justice handout found on the August 2021 Edge USB and online at lifeteen.com under Edge Support: August 2021.

Allow the youth to individually think through the ways they are already doing or could be doing, each of the Corporal Works of Mercy. After five minutes, ask them to share some of their ideas during this time of reflection and finish going through the list brainstorming together as a small group.

Small Group Discussion (15 mins)


• Whip-Around Question: If you could rid the world completely of one form of suffering what would it be?

• Which one of the Corporal Works of Mercy were you already doing in some small way? Which one have you never experienced?

• Why do you think Jesus asks us to do these things in particular? How do they show love for our neighbor?

• What is one Corporal Work of Mercy that you want to try doing with your family sometime this month?


Eighth-Grade Adaptations

Use the following for a more challenging discussion for eighth-grade youth:

• What do you think about when you hear the word justice?

• What are some examples you have seen in the world of people doing works of justice?

• How do you think our faith plays a role in how we approach doing works of justice?

• How do you think doing the Corporal Works of Mercy could help you grow in your relationship with Jesus? How can it help you grow in your love of neighbor?

• Which Corporal Work of Mercy do you find the most challenging? Why? How could you rise to the challenge and do this work of mercy?

SEND

Exhortation and Litany of Humility (10 min)

Gather the youth back into the large group, and use the following to introduce the time of prayer:

It can be easy to get caught up in the good works that we do and seek attention from others for what we do. We can also think it is up to us to be the heroes in the story of making our world a better place. While it is important to do good things for others, we have to remember that God is always the main hero of the story. Our role is to serve our brothers and sisters in the world, especially those most in need, and to glorify God, not ourselves. We are not the savior of those in need. God is. We are blessed to be called by God to work towards justice in the world, but that does not make us any better than those we serve — having all the same dignity and worth but our stories just playing out differently. When we serve others, we are not the judge nor are we superior to them. We are humble servants, and we need to remember to be humble in whatever way we serve. To help us remember this, we are going to pray the Litany of Humility as a group. As we pray, listen carefully to the words of this prayer, and respond with the appropriate responses.

Project the Litany of Humility below. Before praying through the litany, read it together as a group and ask the youth if there are any words in the prayer that they do not understand — or go through the prayer and pick out words to explain you know already they may not understand. Once you have done this, lead the youth through praying the litany.

The Litany of Humility By: Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val y Zulueta

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed, deliver me, O Jesus.From the desire of being loved, deliver me, O Jesus.From the desire of being extolled, deliver me, O Jesus.


From the desire of being honored, deliver me, O Jesus.From the desire of being praised, deliver me, O Jesus.From the desire of being preferred to others, deliver me, O Jesus.From the desire of being consulted, deliver me, O Jesus.From the desire of being approved, deliver me, O Jesus..From the fear of being humiliated, deliver me, O Jesus.From the fear of being despised, deliver me, O Jesus.From the fear of suffering rebukes, deliver me, O Jesus.From the fear of being calumniated, deliver me, O Jesus.From the fear of being forgotten, deliver me, O Jesus.From the fear of being ridiculed, deliver me, O Jesus.From the fear of being wronged, deliver me, O Jesus.From the fear of being suspected, deliver me, O Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

After the prayer, ask any youth who are willing to share what stood out to them the most in the prayer and why. This could be something that really challenged them or brought them peace.



Choose one Work of Mercy to do this week with your family or friends.

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EDGE NIGHT PROCLAIM

GETTING STARTED


TEACHING GUIDE

Through God’s Eyes

Ask some of the youth to share what they think of when they hear the word justice. Write your own thoughts here:

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• The word justice can be used in a lot of different ways and we may have seen many different examples of justice in our own lives and communities. We hear people talk about social justice, justice for the poor, justice for the oppressed, injustice, etc. But what does justice really mean — especially in regards to living out our faith?

• Justice, simply put, is giving God and others what is due to them. Let’s break this open, starting with God. (CCC 1807)



Hispanic InculturationDiscussing the virtue of justice with Hispanic/Latino youth can be difficult as many of them have had a variety of experiences of injustice, depending on their communities or family history. For many Hispanic/Latino youth it can be hard to understand and deal with their emotions surrounding the topic of justice. There can be difficulty in understanding how to process horrible and tragic situations they see through the news or in their own communities and what they can actually do about those situations. A large quantity of Hispanic/Latino households face the reality of immigration and larger issues of justice within their cultural communities. In teaching the virtue of justice during the Edge Night, boldly share the beauty of God’s desire for justice and giving to each what is due to them. This definition of justice can help the youth understand how standing up for what is right, and for the rights of others, is something that can make an impact not just in their own communities but everywhere.

• God created us and He sustains us. Through the sacraments and His Church, God shares His grace and mercy with us. Even when we sinned, God did not leave us to fend for ourselves but sent His only Son Jesus Christ to save us and restore our relationship with God. In short, God has done everything for us. (John 3:16, CCC 1)

• Justice is directly related to recognizing how much God has done for us. The first part of justice is giving God what is due to Him. Since He has given everything to us, it is fitting that we try to give Him everything in return. We should love Him, serve Him, and follow Him with our whole heart, our whole mind, our whole soul, and all of our strength. (CCC 2083, Luke 10:27)

• When we can give to God what is due to Him, we can begin to understand what it means to give to others what is due to them.

• Every single person has God-given rights and dignity that do not change and cannot be taken away by their own action or the actions of others. Just like you and me, every person is created, loved, and cared for by God. Treating others with justice means that we treat them in accord with the way that God sees them. This includes upholding their dignity and worth as a person, as well as doing what we can to care for them and provide for their needs. (CCC 2401)

Captain Marvel

• Most superheroes, in one way or another, live out part of the virtue of justice. They fight for the common good and for the dignity and rights of each person. However, one superhero who takes this to a universal scale is Captain Marvel.

• To summarize a long story, Captain Marvel was a normal human training to be a pilot, but one day she ended up in an explosion that resulted in her having superpowers. After that, she lost her memory, couldn’t remember who she was, and was taken to another planet where she was trained to be a great warrior.

• While fighting against her ruthless enemies, Captain Marvel realized who she really was and that these people weren’t enemies at all but refugees who were fighting to survive and find a home. She thought she was fighting an enemy, but in reality, she was fighting those who needed her protection most.


• After this discovery, Captain Marvel helped these refugees find a new home and resolved to patrol the universe fighting for those in need and protecting those who cannot protect themselves.

• Captain Marvel realizes that there are people in the world who are not being treated fairly, and she does something about it. This is how she is an example of the virtue of justice. She upholds the dignity of each person and does what she can to protect the common good.

For the Other

• While we do not have any superpowers, and may not be able to fight huge battles for the good of others, we can make a big difference by upholding the dignity of others in small ways every day. (CCC 1700)

• Justice is not always about momentous events, but rather about the way we treat the people around us in normal, everyday situations. While there are some landmark occasions throughout history that are great victories for justice, what really can change the world is how we treat those around us.

• Each person is worthy of our care, attention, love, and respect. We have an obligation to uphold their dignity, and at times to fight for the common good. This is what God does for us, and it is what He desires us to do for others. Even more than that, Jesus tells us that what we do to our brothers and sisters in need, we do to Him. (CCC 2447)

Read Matthew 25:31-40.

• You may be thinking, “I don’t really see a lot of hungry, thirsty, or naked people that often and I can’t visit people in prison so what does this have to do with me?” Jesus’ words, while referring to specific Works of Mercy, apply to the people we encounter each and every day as well. While it is important that we do acts of mercy like going to help at soup kitchens, donating our clothes, or giving money to organizations — at the heart of it, we are called to treat each person as if they were Jesus.

Give the youth some other practical ways they can live out these Corporal Works of Mercy that they might not immediately think of. For example, attending a funeral, visiting their grandparents in a nursing home, sharing lunch money with someone at school, or praying for prisoners. Writer your own thoughts here:

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Going DeeperJesus’ commands from this parable in the Gospel of Matthew have traditionally been known as the Corporal Works of Mercy. In addition to these, however, the Church has developed Spiritual Works of Mercy as well. These are good things we can do for our neighbors that don’t help their material needs but their spiritual needs. They include actions like bearing wrongs patiently, forgiving injuries, and admonishing sinners. These are additional ways we can live out justice with the people in our lives. Teaching our friends about the faith, forgiving people who hurt us, being patient with those who annoy us — all of these are ways we can treat others according to their dignity and help uphold their good.

• If we just think about the people we see every day, we can see that there are

plenty of ways to live out justice. One easy first step is thinking of those in our school who are made fun of or bullied. They do not deserve to be treated this way, and it is our responsibility to speak up on their behalf. It may be hard to stick up for them, but it is the right thing to do.

• We can also show justice in the way we use our social media. Spreading lies about others or shaming them is not treating them the way God would want us to, and it is not the way we want others to treat us.

• Even the way we treat our family can be an opportunity for us to live out justice. We can honor and obey our parents and be kind to our siblings. We are called, as followers of Christ, to bring peace and life to the world and to every person, not to add to the hurt, suffering, and injustice.

Read Micah 6:8.

• God wants us to be just, to love others, and to walk humbly with Him. It may be hard at times, but if we stay rooted in God, we can truly live out the virtue of justice. We just need to remember how He cares for each person, and how much He has done for us. If we keep these two things at the front of our minds, they will help us live the virtue of justice.

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ScriptureJoshua 1:9; Psalm 27:1-3, 13-14; John 16:33; 1 Corinthians 15:58, 16:13; James 1:2-4; 1 John 4:17

Catechism1808


GOAL

The goal of this Edge Night is for the youth to begin to foster the virtue of fortitude, using Black Widow as an example, so that they can stay constant in their efforts to do the right thing even when it is difficult.

GATHER

The youth compete in a series of timed obstacle team games based on Black Widow’s background as a spy. The purpose of this game is for the youth to have fun and get into the theme of the Edge Night.

PROCLAIM


• The virtue of fortitude helps us persevere when things are difficult and choose what is good even when it is hard.

• Black Widow exemplifies fortitude in that she persevered through a rough early life, had a conversion of heart and joined the Avengers, and ultimately sacrificed herself for the greater good of humanity.

BLACK WIDOWWhat Do I Do When it is Hard to Do the Right Thing?


• With God’s help, we can live courageously as Jesus did, sacrificing for the most important things in life, and choosing what God wants for us even when it is hard or no one else is doing it.

BREAK

The youth receive an Origin Story handout focusing on how fortitude is necessary to live out the other three virtues discussed in previous Edge Nights giving the youth practical ideas on how to grow in each virtue. The purpose of this is for the youth to understand how all the virtues work together and practically apply them to their lives.

SEND

The youth pray a rosary focusing on the Sorrowful Mysteries and Jesus Christ’s great example of fortitude. The purpose of this time of prayer is for the youth to grow in their relationship with Christ and appreciation of all He has done for them.

WEEKLY CHALLENGE

Using your handout from the Break activity, choose one thing to do to grow in each of the virtues this week and have the courage to actually do it.

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EDGE NIGHT SET UP

SET UP

Gather all the materials for the Gather game and do any necessary setup for each of the obstacles.

Print copies of the My Origin Story - Fortitude handout for the Break activity. Handouts can be found on the August 2021 Edge USB or online at lifeteen.com under Edge Support: August 2021. For each of the Edge Nights in this semester that teaches a specific virtue, the youth will be given a handout that has to do with their own “origin story.” These handouts provide them with a way to reflect and process how to apply the specific virtue to their lives as middle schoolers. The goal is that they learn to apply the virtues while they are still young and form good habits that influence them for the rest of their lives, hence the title “Origin Story.”

Add to the set environment for the semester by adding cutouts or posters of Black Widow. Also create a poster with the word fortitude on it along with its definition found below, if you have Hispanic/Latino youth also use the Spanish translation.

Fortitude: Having the courage to move forward and persevere when things are difficult and choose what is good even when it is hard.

Fortaleza: Tener el coraje de seguir adelante y perseverar cuando las cosas se ponen difíciles y elegir lo que es bueno incluso cuando es difícil.

SUPPLIES


• G: Timer

• G: String or yarn

• G: Ink pad

• G: Post-It notes, two per youth

• G: Poster board

• B: My Origin Story - Fortitude handout, one per youth




ASSIGNMENTS


Set Up: _____________________, _____________________, _____________________

Gather:

• Opening Prayer: _____________________

• Game: _____________________

Proclaim: _____________________


Send:

• Closing Prayer: _____________________


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EDGE NIGHT OUTLINE

GATHER



The most common command that God gives in the Bible is “Be not afraid,” or “Do not fear.” This is because God calls His people to do great things and overcome a variety of challenges, but they are not alone. He also promises to always be with them, so they do not need to fear. This week at Edge, we are going to talk about the virtue of fortitude and how it helps us persevere when things are difficult and choose what is good even when it is hard. In order to understand this virtue a little more, we are going to look at the character of Black Widow who is not afraid to do the right thing, even if it requires her to sacrifice herself.


Ask any youth who are willing to share about their experience with the weekly challenge from the previous Edge Night: Choose one work of mercy to do this week with your family or friends.

Spy Games (15 min)

Break the youth into small groups. Each small group rotates to each of the following games based on Black Widow’s background as a spy.

Between the Laser Beams1. String yarn around a hallway creating a web.

2. Each member of the small group has to weave their way through the yarn in order to make it from one end of the hallway to the other.

3. Start a timer and record how long it takes for the youth to make it through the obstacle. Every time a youth touches the yarn with any part of their body, add 30 seconds to their overall time.

4. Record how long it takes each group to make it through the obstacle and the small group who makes it through in the shortest time wins.



Matching Fingerprint1. Instruct each youth in the small group to put their thumbprint on two

sticky notes, using a provided ink pad. Consider asking youth to put a number on the back of each of their sticky notes to ensure they match up the correct fingerprints.

2. Each youth keeps one copy of their thumbprint and gives the other copy to their core member.

3. The core member shuffles up the sticky notes and places them at random on a wall.

4. Set a timer for one or two minutes to see how long it takes the small group to find their matching fingerprint.

5. When the time is up, count how many youth have a clear matching fingerprint and add up the matches to get their total points.

6. The small group with the most points at the end wins.

Crack the Code1. Give the youth the following riddle in order to unlock the code.

2. Start a timer and see how long it takes them to figure out the correct code.

3. The small group that cracks the code the fastest wins.

Use the following riddle as an example or create one of your own:

682 - one number is correct and placed correctly614 - one number is correct but placed incorrectly206 - two numbers are correct but wrongly placed738 - No numbers are correct780 - one number is correct but placed incorrectly

The correct answer is 042.

PROCLAIM

“Black Widow” Proclaim Teaching (10 min)


• The virtue of fortitude helps us persevere when things are difficult and choose what is good even when it is hard.

• Black Widow exemplifies fortitude in that she persevered through a rough early life, had a conversion of heart and joined the Avengers, and ultimately sacrificed herself for the greater good of humanity.

• With God’s help, we can live courageously as Jesus did, sacrificing for the most important things in life, and choosing what God wants for us even when it is hard or no one else is doing it.


BREAK

Origin Story: Fortitude (15 min)

Break the youth into their small groups, begin in prayer, and then give each of the youth a copy of the My Origin Story - Fortitude handout found on the August 2021 Edge USB and online at lifeteen.com under Edge Support: August 2021.

Allow the youth to work through the handout, and then use the following questions to discuss the choices they made.

• Which items on the list did you highlight?

• Why did you choose the things that you did?

• Do you anticipate facing any challenges in doing what you have set out to do? How so?

• How do you think the virtue of fortitude will help you do these things?

SEND

Ignatian Meditation on Christ’s Passion (20 min)

Gather the youth back into the large group and use the following to introduce a guided meditation on Christ’s Passion using the Sorrowful Mysteries of the rosary:

Our ultimate model for the virtue of fortitude is Christ, who endured incredible suffering and died to save us from sin and death. It can be easy to overlook how difficult and scary it must have been for Jesus to leave the Last Supper knowing what suffering laid ahead of Him. It is in these moments that we see the greatest example of fortitude. Jesus knew the ultimate good and that His death would lead to life for the whole world. He had the courage to move forward and persevere even when things were difficult and His suffering immense because He knew the good that would come from it and He trusted in God’s will.

Instruct the youth that you will be reflecting on the Sorrowful Mysteries of the rosary. Take a few minutes to explain to the youth how to pray the rosary and the purpose of reflecting on different mysteries of the rosary while we pray. Pass out rosaries to each of the youth and consider projecting images to go with each Sorrowful Mystery as you pray. Then use the following prompts before each of the decades of the rosary.

The First Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden

And going a little farther, He fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee; remove this cup from me; yet not what I will, but what thou wilt.” (Mark 14:35-36)

Imagine yourself there in the garden with Jesus. Is it dark? Is the sun just setting? Is it hot? Is there a breeze through the trees? Is it quiet? Imagine praying next to Jesus as He prays, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee; remove this cup from me; yet not what I will, but what thou wilt.”


Even though He knew it would cause much suffering, Jesus, filled with the virtue of fortitude, chose to be obedient to the Father’s will, and chose to endure His Passion and Death for our sake.

The Second Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar

“So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas; and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.” (Mark 15:15)

Imagine yourself next to Jesus after the scourging. Are you able to look at His beaten body? Are there other people around looking at Him? Are there guards close by? Is it hot and dusty? Or is it cool out? What is the look on Jesus’ face? Are you able to look Him in the eye? What do you feel at this moment?

See how tired He is, and how heavy He is breathing. But still, He presses on for the love of us, for love of you.

The Third Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning of Thorns

“And they clothed Him in a purple cloak; and plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on Him.” (Mark 15:17)

Imagine looking at Jesus’ face. This is the face of love. The face of a man who would endure anything for us. Spend time looking upon Jesus’ face, crowned with thorns, and persevering towards our redemption. What expression is on His face? Who else is there looking at Him? What do you feel as He looks back at you?

The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross

“So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha.” (John 19:17)

Imagine being in the crowd as Jesus walks past. What is it like on the road? What do you hear? What do you see? Can you feel the crowd pressing on around you? Are you sad or fearful? What is it like knowing that He carries the cross for you out of love? Imagine walking next to Jesus, one step at a time along the road, and just be with Him as He carries the cross.

The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord

“And when they came to the place which is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left.” (Luke 23:33)

Imagine being at the foot of the cross. What is it like? Do you see Mary and the beloved disciple next to you? Is it cold out? Is it hot? Do you feel the rumble of the ground as Jesus dies? What do you hear around you?

We know that Jesus rose from the dead and His death was not the end. But the journey to glory required persevering through the suffering He endured. Spend a couple of minutes sitting at the foot of the cross, looking upon Jesus who loves you so much that He died for you.


End this time of prayer with the following simple prayer:

Jesus, we love you, and we thank you for enduring your Passion for us. Help us to grow in the virtue of fortitude, to suffer through our trials with you, and to know you are with us as our model and help. Amen.


SuggestionsIf your youth have a hard time sitting still for extended periods of time, make this prayer more interactive inviting the youth to lead prayers, or consider doing a walking rosary.


Using your handout from the Break activity, choose one thing to do to grow in each of the virtues this week and have the courage to actually do it.

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EDGE NIGHT PROCLAIM

GETTING STARTED


TEACHING GUIDE

The Strength of the Virtues

Tell a story about an experience you had in trying to reach a certain goal — whether you achieved or not and what led to your success. Write your thoughts here:

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• When it comes to setting goals, the difficulties usually are not in our intention or desire to reach that goal, but rather our ability to do the work that it takes to get there. When we start after a goal it can be easy to lose motivation when things get difficult.

• This semester, we have talked about the importance of doing the right things, choosing what is good, and upholding the dignity of others. In many ways, the goals that we set focus on some aspect of working towards what is good for ourselves and others and engaging with the virtues of prudence, temperance, and justice.

Ask the youth to share about a goal they have set to achieve something good for themselves, and a goal they have set to do something good for someone else.

• It is good to make goals, and it is good to exercise all of these virtues. But these three virtues on their own are missing one element: the virtue of fortitude.

• Fortitude gives us the courage to move forward and persevere when things are difficult and choose what is good even when it is hard. (CCC 1808)



Hispanic InculturationAs you begin to talk to your youth about fortitude and courage, be aware of the unique stories of each of their families. Many may have experienced a range of different difficulties firsthand, such as the deportation of parents or close family members, language barriers, leaving a home country and family, parents working multiple jobs, discrimination, and single-parent homes. Be mindful of the multitude of situations your Hispanic/Latino youth and their families may have gone through. Their lived experiences provide a great opportunity to encourage the Hispanic/Latino youth to reflect on the fortitude their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other family members have exhibited and to see how far the courage of their family members has taken them.

• Many times, we do not reach our goals simply because we are lacking in fortitude. We give up when it gets hard, or someone or something stands in our way and we lose the courage to follow through with what we are doing.

Give the youth a few practical examples of how this could happen. Perhaps they made a goal to get better grades, but when they faced the hard reality of studying more, they slowly gave up on the goal. Or maybe they set a goal to spend more time with their family, but then a friend made fun of them for being too into their family and they lost the courage to follow through on that decision. Write your own thoughts here:

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• We all need fortitude in our lives to put the rest of the virtues into practice. Fortitude on its own cannot do much, but when coupled with the other virtues it helps us to persevere through hardships and overcome our fears so that we can live a life pursuing what is good. (CCC 1805)

Black Widow

• Black Widow is a great character example of the virtue of fortitude, perseverance, and strength.

• As a young girl, Natasha Romanoff began her training as a spy with the KGB (which was a secretive Russian security agency). Her training was grueling, and she had to endure a lot of hardships.

• Eventually, she broke away from that life and joined the Avengers —a team of superheroes that fight on Earth’s behalf against its enemies. She spent years as an Avenger, fighting to protect Earth even during the most difficult and trying times.

• It took fortitude to persevere through the difficulties of her early life and to spend years fighting against all sorts of different threats, but where we really see this virtue in Black Widow is in the final moments of her life.


• To summarize a complicated story, after a villain named Thanos wiped out half of all life in the universe, Black Widow and the remaining Avengers had to go back in time and retrieve some very powerful stones — known as Infinity Stones — in order to undo what Thanos did. She and another Avenger named Hawkeye, who were dear friends, were sent to retrieve one of the Infinity Stones known as the Soul Stone. After both Avengers realize that one of them has to die in order to retrieve the stone, they each try to be the one to sacrifice themselves so the other doesn’t have to.

• In the end, Black Widow succeeds and offers her life to get the Soul Stone, which eventually leads to the Avengers being able to bring back all of the people that Thanos had wiped out.

• Without the virtue of fortitude, Black Widow would never have been able to persevere through all of the hardships she faced, nor would she have had the courage to sacrifice her life for others. She was probably scared to die, but her commitment to the good was greater than her fear.

• She didn’t give up when things got hard, but she persevered in courage and remained steadfast because she knew that what she was fighting for was worth the cost.

To the End

• While Black Widow’s sacrifice is a great example of fortitude, we have an even greater example in Jesus.

• When we look at the life of Jesus, we see that He endured great hardships throughout His life. He was tempted in the desert by Satan and was persecuted by the religious leaders of his time. He traveled tirelessly, oftentimes without rest or a sense of home. And, after the Last Supper, He was betrayed by one of his closest friends, abandoned by many of His disciples, mocked, scourged, and crucified. (Matthew 4:1-11, John 5:17, Luke 22:47-48, John 18-19)

• All of this Jesus endured for the salvation of the world. He is the model we follow. Jesus knows what it is like to experience hardship, and through Him, we receive the grace that we need to face hardship, fear, and adversity. Jesus is our great example and a reminder of why it is worth fighting for what is good and the impact that our actions can have on the lives of others. (CCC 520)

• We are called to imitate Jesus and to give our lives for the sake of what is good, no matter how hard it is. But how can we do this? How can we stand up for what is good like Jesus did? We likely won’t be put to death for what we believe, but we will face hardships as we practice virtue and it will demand a lot from us.

Going DeeperWhile we may not have to give up our lives for our faith, many Christians have done this, both in the past and in the present day. They are called martyrs, a word that derives from the Greek word for witness. Why are they called witnesses? Because their sacrifices witness the fact that the love of God is stronger than the power of death. They are great examples of fortitude, and great witnesses to us of courage, steadfastness, and perseverance. We are called to follow their example of courage and strength as we seek to live out the virtue of fortitude. (CCC 2473)


• Every day presents opportunities for us to choose the good as Jesus did. Every day we have the choice to follow what God wants for us.

• Speaking up when someone is being made fun of, doing your homework when everyone else is cheating on it, saying no to hanging out with your friends because you know they aren’t doing something good, making the Sign of the Cross, and praying before you eat at lunch, going to Mass and youth group even when you don’t feel like it — all of these are simple moments of choosing what is good, but they require a lot of courage and commitment to follow through with them.

• Every time we persevere when things are hard, take courage and face something we are afraid of, or choose what is good even though it costs us, we grow in fortitude.

• Slowly but surely, we can become stronger and more courageous by doing the hard things. The more we choose the good in situations like these, the more we strengthen our fortitude and resolve to do it the next time. It will be hard at first, and honestly, it may still be hard years down the road, but the choice to do the right thing will get easier as we grow in our practice of living out the virtues. (CCC 1804)

Read John 16:33.

• Jesus tells us not to be afraid but to take courage. He has already overcome the world, and He has promised to be with us always. In Him, we can find the strength to persevere in doing good.

• Whenever you are afraid or feel alone, ask Jesus to be with you and to give you courage. Whenever you feel like giving up, ask Him to be your strength. You can conquer and be strong in Him.

• Your family, friends, peers, communities, and our world need someone who is willing to stand up for what is good and true, even if it is hard. God has created you to be a hero, and heroes always have to fight, but in Jesus, we will always find victory.

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ScriptureProverbs 11:3; Wisdom 8:7; Galatians 6:7-10; 2 Peter 1:5-11

Catechism1810-1811


GOAL

The goal of this Edge Night is for the youth to realize that they are called to embody all four cardinal virtues and begin to foster those cardinal virtues in their lives, with God’s help.

GATHER

The youth play a superhero-themed game where heroes and civilians team up in different groups throughout the game. The purpose of this game is for the youth to have fun and connect to the theme.

PROCLAIM


• Each of us, as Christians, is called to develop each of the four cardinal virtues by asking God to help us practice them in our daily life.

• As we get older, we become more aware of our strengths, weaknesses, and personality, and it is important to recognize where we need each virtue to help us choose what is good and follow God’s will for our lives.

ENDGAMEHow Do I Live a Virtuous Life?


• With the grace of Jesus Christ and our own free choice, we can practice and grow in the virtues and imitate what is best about superheroes.

BREAK

The youth break into small groups and share about virtuous people and saints they look up to, and who in their life will support them as they grow in virtue. The purpose of this is for the youth to see real life examples of virtuous people, be inspired to live virtuous lives, and recognize who is there to help them.

SEND

The youth minister leads the youth through an examination based on the four cardinal virtues. The goal is for the youth to be able to see where they can grow, but also where they are already living out these virtues in their lives.

WEEKLY CHALLENGE

At the end of every day this week, take five minutes to reflect on how you lived out a virtue and where in your life you can work harder to live out that virtue.

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EDGE NIGHT SET UP

SET UP

Gather the materials needed for the Send activity. Add to the set environment for the semester by adding cutouts or posters of the Avengers or any other Marvel superhero characters.

SUPPLIES


• S: Blank sheets of paper, one per youth

• S: Pens or pencils, one per youth

ASSIGNMENTS


Set Up: _____________________, _____________________, _____________________

Gather:

• Opening Prayer: _____________________

• Game: _____________________

Proclaim: _____________________


Send:

• Closing Prayer: _____________________


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EDGE NIGHT OUTLINE

GATHER



Over the past couple of weeks, we have been talking about the virtues and how living out these virtues is good and can lead us to happiness. The four virtues we specifically discussed are called the cardinal virtues, and they are prudence, temperance, justice, and fortitude. This week we are going to dive into the simple question, “how do I live a virtuous life?” It might seem simple at first — and we can see how the superheroes we have been talking about exemplify these virtues very well — but living the virtues is not always easy. This week we will dive into how we can continue this journey of growing in these virtues.


Ask any youth who are willing to share about their experience with the weekly challenge from the previous Edge Night: Using your handout from the Break activity, choose one thing to do to grow in each of the virtues this week and have the courage to actually do it.

Endgame (10 min)

This game is played as a large group.

1. Instruct the youth to break into groups of three. Within those groups, choose two youth to be the heroes and one to be a civilian. Choose one core member to be the game leader.

2. The heroes create a forcefield around the civilian by reaching out their arms and touching hands over the civilian creating a sort of roof.

3. Ask all the groups of three to “get into position,” forming their forcefield above the civilian.

4. When a core member at the front of the room shouts “hero,” all of the heroes must find another hero to create a forcefield with over a different civilian. The civilians do not move.

5. The last group of three to form is out.



6. When the leader says “civilian,” all of the civilians must find a new pair of heroes to protect them. The heroes do not move.


8. When the leader says “endgame,” everyone runs and finds a new pair of three.


10. Continue with any random pattern of hose commands until there are two groups of three left as the winners.

PROCLAIM

“Endgame” Proclaim Teaching (10 min)


• Each of us, as Christians, is called to develop each of the four cardinal virtues by asking God to help us practice them in our daily life.

• As we get older, we become more aware of our strengths, weaknesses, and personality, and it is important to recognize where we need each virtue to help us choose what is good and follow God’s will for our lives.

• With the grace of Jesus Christ and our own free choice, we can practice and grow in the virtues and imitate what is best about superheroes.

BREAK

Who’s on Your Team? (15 min)

Break the youth into their small groups, begin in prayer, and then give each youth a piece of paper and a writing utensil. Ask them to reflect and write down their answer to the following questions.

1. Who is one person you do not personally know (e.g., celebrity, musician, public figure, influencer) that you think has, at some point in their lives, reflected one of the virtues?

2. Who is someone you know personally that you have seen living out the virtues in their daily life?

3. Who is one saint that you look up to for the virtuous way he or she lived?

4. Who are some people in your life that you know will support you as you strive to live virtuously?

After the youth have reflected and answered these questions, ask them to share their responses and why they chose the people they did with the rest of the small group. Close by asking them how they think all these different people who inspire, influence, and support them can help as they strive to live out the virtues.


SuggestionsAsk the core members to answer the questions for themselves prior to the Edge Night so they can give the youth their own examples to help them reflect.

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Reflecting on Virtue (20 min)

Gather the youth back to the large group. Create a prayerful atmosphere by dimming the lights and playing soft reflective music in the background. Use the following as an example to lead the youth through this time of reflection:

In order to grow in virtue, it is important for us to reflect on how we have acted and the decisions we have made in the past. If we can recognize the ways that we are succeeding in these virtues, then we can ask God for the grace to continue doing them. If we recognize where we are struggling to practice one of these virtues, then we can ask God for the grace to be attentive to the opportunities we have to practice these virtues. It is OK to know that we are not perfectly living out all of the virtues because recognizing our weaknesses is a stepping stone to growth.

Give the youth sheets of paper and writing utensils to help them write and reflect as you walk through the following questions. Also, consider printing off the questions and allowing the youth to follow along highlighting, or underlining things that they want to work on.

Begin with the Sign of the Cross, and then read each of the following questions slowly, allowing for some time of silence between each question so you can pray and reflect.

Examination of Prudence:

• Have I made good choices this week?

• When did I take the time to think about a decision before making it?

• When did I act out of what I know is right and not simply out of how I felt?

• When did I take the time to figure out how to act lovingly towards others in specific situations?

• When did I choose to make sacrifices out of love for my family and friends?

• When did I let my emotions or stress control my decisions?

• When did I exercise prudence in any other way I can remember this week?

Examination of Temperance:

• When did I say “no” to myself and what I wanted and “yes” to something someone else wanted this week?

• When did I spend time praying this week?


• When did I spend time reading Scripture this week?

• When did I choose to spend time with family and friends without distraction?

• When did I exercise self-control this week with social media, video games, or TV?

• When did I give up what I wanted for the sake of something greater?

• When did I exercise temperance in any other way I can remember this week?

Examination of Justice:

• When did I help others this week?

• When did I share my food or anything I own with others this week?

• When did I stand up for or comfort someone who was feeling alone or hurt this week?

• When was I aware of how my words and actions can affect others?

• When did I forgive someone who harmed me this week?

• When did I ask for forgiveness from those I hurt with my words or actions this week?

• When did I serve others who were in need in any specific way this week?

• Have I exercised justice in any other way I can remember this week?

Examination of Fortitude:

• When did I do something difficult this week?

• When did I persevere through any challenges that initially scared me?

• When did I stick to any projects, commitments, or tasks even if they seemed difficult?

• When did I conquer a fear this week?

• Have I exercised fortitude in any other way I can remember this week?

After the youth have had time to reflect on the questions, allow any youth who are willing to share about one of their answers to the questions.

Hispanic InculturationThroughout the series, the Hispanic/Latino youth have been given the Spanish translation of each of the virtues. As you send the youth home with the examination of conscience, encourage them to recite virtues and definitions in Spanish. This will allow them the openness to speak about what they have learned with their parents not only in English but also in Spanish.


Closing Prayer for Virtue (5 min)

Close the Edge Night by praying the following prayer for an increase in virtue.

Lord teach me how to be more prudent. Teach me to see the good and to choose it more often. Teach me to better know what I should not do and to avoid it.

Lord, teach me to practice temperance more. Teach me to better control my wants and desires. Teach me to avoid filling my life with distractions and pleasures. Teach me to make more room for you in my life.

Lord teach me to be more just. Teach me to see the dignity of others and to uphold it. Teach me to see others as you do and to treat them accordingly. Teach me to love every person as my brother and sister.

Lord, teach me to have more fortitude. Teach me to see through my fears and to do what is right. Teach me how to persevere through trial. Teach me to approach obstacles and temptations with courage.

Following the prayer, give the youth their weekly challenge.


At the end of every day this week, take five minutes to reflect on how you lived out a virtue and where in your life you can work harder to live out that virtue.

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EDGE NIGHT PROCLAIM

GETTING STARTED


TEACHING GUIDE

Called to Greatness

• Over the past few weeks, we broke open all four of the cardinal virtues. Let’s take a second to review them.

Ask the youth to summarize what they learned about each virtue. Allow a few of them to share for each virtue. Write your own thoughts here:

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• Prudence is the ability to see rightly, to distinguish between right and wrong, and to choose the best option in a given situation. It helps us to know what is good, and works with our conscience. (CCC 1806)

• Temperance is the virtue of freedom. It helps us to overcome our excessive desires and attachments so we can be free and available to do what is most important, and free to receive the good that God wants to give us. (CCC 1807)

• Justice is all about giving God and others their due. We owe literally everything to God, so we try to follow Him with everything we have. Other people are created in His image and have God-given rights, so we have to treat them accordingly. (CCC 1808)

• Fortitude is the strength of the virtues. It helps us to persevere in difficulties and to stick with things even when it is hard or we don’t really want to. It also helps us to be courageous and to overcome our fears. (CCC 1809)

• It is easy to talk about the virtues, but it is a lot harder to actually live them out. If we set out with only our own strength to live a virtuous life, we will fail. But luckily we don’t have to do it alone.



The Endgame

• It is our ultimate goal to live a virtuous life because when we seek what is good, we will bring about a greater good in our lives and in our world. Ultimately the virtues will lead us to live a holy life and achieve our true end goal of heaven and a perfect relationship with God.

Hispanic InculturationMany Hispanic/Latino families are known to go above and beyond with birthdays, graduations, weddings, baby showers, and even parties that have no real significance. Although there is nothing wrong with having large spectacular celebrations, it can become an expectation rather than something that is simply done to enjoy. For Hispanic/Latino youth, it can be easy to distract themselves with completing a big accomplishment and forget to celebrate the little accomplishments along the way. There can be a lot of pressure too from their families to go above and beyond what they have done rather than just wanting their children to do what is good. Take time to reflect with your Hispanic/Latino youth on all the virtues throughout the Edge Night and how important it is to recognize and celebrate even the small things. Remind them that each small thing is seen and loved by their heavenly Father regardless of what those on the outside might see or believe.

• But along the way, it won’t be easy. Just like every story of every superhero is filled with struggle, action, hope, joy, sadness, and fear, we too will be faced with a lot of obstacles and adventure.

• If we look at the stories of superheroes, most of them do not work alone. In many cases they work together as teams or duos in order to achieve the

greatest good — just look at the example of the Avengers.

Ask the youth to share some of their favorite groups or teams of superheroes.

• In a similar way, we are not alone, and we are given many people along the way who will journey with us as we grow in holiness and walk the paths that God lays out for us. We will find friends, family, teachers, coaches, youth ministers, core members, peers, and many others on our journey who will become a part of our story, as we continually seek to follow God and live the virtues.

• We also need God’s help. The help that He gives us is called grace. Grace is God’s life within us. It is a great gift that He shares with us that makes us capable of responding to Him. Grace helps us to be more than what we could be just on our own. (CCC 1996)

• The good news is that God wants to share this grace with us. He knows that we will be the best version of ourselves when we live according to the virtues, and He wants to help us get there. But we will only have the strength to grow in the virtues if we ask for His grace every day.

• Right now, you may feel overwhelmed at the prospect of growing in each virtue or may not even know how to begin to grow in them, and that is OK. The truth is you are probably already exercising them without even knowing it.


Take a few moments to recall different ways you and the rest of the core team have seen the youth live out virtue at the Edge Nights throughout the semester. Write your thoughts here:

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• The key to growing in virtue is to pay attention to where we are already exercising the virtues, as well as to where we need to grow in them. Are there any areas in your life where it is hard to do the right thing? Of course there are! That is probably the exact area that God wants to help you grow in.

• We all have strengths and weaknesses— things we are good at and things we struggle with a little more. The same is true of the virtues. The more we try to recognize our own strengths and weaknesses, the more clearly we can see the areas we need to grow, the areas we are already strong in virtue, and even the areas we need help and support from others.

Going DeeperSaint Ignatius of Loyola is known for something called a “particular examination of conscience.” Basically, it is a way to grow in a particular virtue or eradicate a particular vice. Instead of a general examination of conscience that focuses on all your thoughts, words, and deeds, a particular examination focuses on one specific thing. In short, it is about picking one virtue you want to grow in or one vice you want to get rid of and reviewing each day through the lens of how you either grew in that virtue or failed in it. After your examination, you ask for God’s grace to improve, and resolve to do better the next day. This is a great tool for cultivating virtue.

Grace and Choice

• The first step in growing in the virtues is simple: we have to ask God to help us. However, that doesn’t mean we just magically become virtuous because we asked God for help. Just like so many other things in life, we have to put in the work if we want to receive the reward.

• Grace, or God’s help, is essential for growth in the Christian life, but we also have to commit to trying to grow in the virtues. This is where our own freedom comes into play. We have to choose to live virtuously. Remember that virtue is really a habit of doing good, and habits are only formed with constant action over time.

• The most practical thing for us to grow in the virtues is to pick one, and then actually make the effort to grow in it. This means, when the situation arises for exercising that virtue, we actually have to put in the effort to do it.

• If we want to grow in temperance, then it will require us to say “no” to certain things. If we want to grow in justice, then when the situation presents itself, we have to uphold another person’s dignity and not just go along with the crowd. It is only by choosing to live into the virtue that we can form a habit of it.


• God doesn’t expect us to be perfect or to change everything overnight, but He does ask us to be willing to change and to put in the effort needed to become a more virtuous person. This is a lifelong process, but we can begin today. Little by little we can continue to grow in the virtues, exercising prudence when we have to make a decision, being just in the way we treat others and the way we respond to God, and being steadfast in our pursuit of what is good.

• The choice to live a virtuous life is a heroic one. It requires great strength, the ability to discern between good and bad, the freedom and discipline to say “yes” and “no” to your own desires, the choice to love and serve God and to treat others according to their dignity, the willingness to fight for the common good, and the perseverance to commit yourself unceasingly to what is good, no matter the cost.

• This is what real heroes do. They don’t parade around in capes with fancy powers fighting off supervillains. They change the world one choice at a time, one person at a time, and one moment at a time for the better. The only superpower we need is the grace God so eagerly desires to give us. With His help, the help of the people around us, and our own willingness, we can really be like the heroes we adore and live as the heroes He created us to be.

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spg: a great marvel

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