A publication A publication for teens to for teens to spread the spread the

Catholic Catholic message message

through good through good deeds and deeds and

worksworks

The Glenmary Sisters, founded by Father William Howard Bishop in 1941, are a religious community of women

working to establish a Catholic presence in the home mission areas of rural and small town America where it is not yet

present in its fullness. Working in cooperation with the Glenmary Priests and Brothers, the two communities remain

independent of each other. Teen Kinship is an annual magazine published by the Glenmary Sisters to help teach young

adults how to live better lives as Catholics and about the needs of the home missions.

Glenmary Sisters

Teen Kinship

Volume 10

Glenmary Sisters President: Sister Sharon Miller Magazine Editor: John Calhoun II

Glenmary Sisters – Attn: Teen Kinship P.O. Box 22264 – Owensboro, KY 42304 Phone: 270-686-8401 www.glenmarysisters.org

Letter from the Editor Dear Reader:

Thank you for your interest in the tenth

edition of Teen Kinship, the magazine devoted to

the Catholic Church of tomorrow. This issue is

presented online for your convenience. Please

feel free to print as many copies as you wish.

In this issue, we’ll look at The Beatitudes.

We, as Christians, should all follow these

examples.

Thank you for your interest in Teen

Kinship. Also, please make sure to check out our

website at www.glenmarysisters.org.

God bless,

John Calhoun II Director of Youth Programs

What Exactly are The Beatitudes?

Blessed are they who mourn

Blessed are the meek

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In This Issue

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Blessed are the pure of heart 6

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Blessed are the poor in spirit

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for justice

Blessed are the merciful

Blessed are the peacemakers

Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice’s sake

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In general terms, the Beatitudes are the account of eight blessed ideals preached about by Jesus on

the Sermon on the Mount. The lessons are recorded both by Matthew and Luke.

The word Beatitude means to be blessed or happy. This comes

from ‘Beatus’, a Latin word that means a state of happiness. And, if we

follow these lessons taught by Christ, we are guaranteed happiness in

many ways.

While the Matthew and Luke accounts of these teachings from

Jesus are slightly different, the overall meaning is the same.

The Beatitudes continue to be one of the most well-known passages in the Holy Bible. In fact,

many religions other than Christian know of the Beatitudes.

In this issue of Teen Kinship, we will be looking at the Beatitudes from the account of Matthew

(Matthew 5:3-12). We’ll look at the meaning of each, learn what some of the words mean, and even have a

few activities.

What Exactly are The Beatitudes?What Exactly are The Beatitudes?

When Jesus spoke of being poor, he was not referring to material possessions;

rather he meant spiritually.

“Poor in Spirit” means to be humble. By this, “being humble” means that we

realize all our gifts and blessings are from God. Being humble allows us to be open to

God’s will and it gives us inner peace.

Does this mean that a person who is wealthy or financially successful cannot be poor in spirit? Not at

all. The blessed are the poor “in spirit” who are ready to serve God, even if they are currently rich and happy.

At the same time, some who are financially poor may not be poor “in spirit” if they are not ready or willing to

accept God’s will.

So remember, if we are truly poor in spirit, the Lord promises us a place in Heaven.

Blessed are the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of HeavenBlessed are the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of Heaven

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Ask your youth director to consider a trip to a home mission. The Glenmary Sisters can set up an individualized

mission trip plan for your youth group. Call or email today.

john@glenmarysisters.org

270-686-8401 ext. 30

Blessed are they who mourn; they shall be comforted Blessed are they who mourn; they shall be comforted

Jesus asks us to mourn, but this doesn’t mean we should necessarily be sad all the time.

When we are humble, as we are called to be in the

first Beatitude, we appreciate all the blessings and gifts that God

has given us. This, in turn, helps our love for Jesus grow. But,

when we begin to think about the sins we have committed and

perhaps even the sins of the world, we may begin to mourn.

St. Gregory describes another reason to mourn. When we

think about the fact that we were created in God’s image and

likeness and compare that to our current condition, one can’t help

but mourn.

But Jesus does not want us to be sad all the time. This is why when we do mourn for our sins or our

failings, or the sins of the world, we are comforted.

Mourning helps make us stronger and creates a desire to better ourselves.

Do you think Jesus means that if we are meek, we will receive free property?

Not exactly.

As the first Beatitude calls us to be humble, the third Beatitude calls us to be

meek, or have self-control. This self-control can come in many forms: not throwing a

fit when you don’t get your way, not giving in to temptations, and so on.

Being meek, however, does not mean that you are weak or that others should push you around. A

better way to look at being meek is an example by Grady Scott of Pastoral Resources. He explains that

meekness is a great power under control. We, as human beings, are full of great power that can be

controlled.

Another way we can be called meek is to be obedient to the Lord.

What does inheriting the land have to do with being meek? The land to which Jesus is referring is

the kingdom of Heaven, the same promise from the first Beatitude.

We all know how it feels to be hungry or thirsty when we need food or drink, but Jesus calls us to be

hungry for justice, or righteousness.

When Jesus says “hunger” and “thirst”, he means “to desire”

or “try to obtain”. An easier way to understand this is to know we will

receive our fill when we desire to do right and desire to help our

neighbors do right as well.

We all know what is right and wrong. We have been given

many examples in scripture. When we try to do what is right, the

blessings will follow and we will have our fill of those blessings.

Blessed are the meek; they shall inherit the land Blessed are the meek; they shall inherit the land

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for justice;Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for justice; they shall have their fill they shall have their fill

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Go to www.facebook.com/Glenmary Sisters. Check out the latest photos and information on the Sisters.

It has been said that one cannot see the face of God on earth.

In fact, in the Bible this thinking is mentioned by Moses (Exodus

33:20) and John (1:18). So how is it that if we are pure of heart we will

see God?

To be pure of heart really means to do things with no intention

of personal gain; for instance, washing the dishes just to be nice to

your parents or letting your brother or sister use your tablet no reason.

These are acts of pure love or good deeds that do not desire a reward. Any pure and unselfish act

brings happiness to everyone.

So where does seeing God come into this? As we know, when we do a good deed for another person,

we do that for God. So, we do see God in the people we serve.

Blessed are the pure of heart; they shall see God Blessed are the pure of heart; they shall see God

Jesus wants us to be filled with peace. When we are filled with peace, we are able to share that peace

with other people. We may only think of ourselves as one small person, but we can begin the trend of good-

will just by sharing our peace with those around us.

When we are called to be peacemakers, we are called to not only live a peaceful life but also try to

bring peace to those around us.

This is how we become children of God, by imitating God’s love and peace toward our neighbors.

Blessed are the peacemakers; Blessed are the peacemakers; they shall be called children of God they shall be called children of God

Having mercy means loving those who suffer distress. Showing compassion and love toward our

neighbor is a way to bring peace. And when we bring this mercy and love, we are living this Beatitude.

Being merciful, as Jesus directs us to do, can easily be tied to many other

examples in the Bible. For instance, we all know that Jesus reminds us that whatever we

do to the least of His people, we do that to Him. We can also relate this Beatitude to

the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.

Each time we pray The Lord’s Prayer (or the “Our Father”), we ask God to forgive our trespasses (or

wrong-doings) and we also ask for guidance in forgiving other people’s trespasses. This, too, is a wonderful

way to live this Beatitude.

Blessed are the merciful; they shall be shown mercy Blessed are the merciful; they shall be shown mercy

Learn More

Corporal Works of Mercy

1. Feed the hungry 2. Give drink to the thirsty

3. Clothe the naked 4. Shelter the homeless

5. Comfort the imprisoned 6. Visit the sick

7. Bury the dead

Spiritual Works of Mercy

1. Admonish (give warning to) sinners 2. Instruct the uninformed 3. Counsel the doubtful 4. Comfort the sorrowful

5. Be patient with those in error 6. Forgive offenses

7. Pray for the living and the dead

Has anyone ever made fun of you? It’s not a very nice feeling. Now, has anyone ever made fun of you

because of your religious beliefs?

In this last Beatitude, Jesus reminds us that there are people out there who will make fun of us and perhaps

even hurt us because of what we believe. Jesus promises that there is a great reward for those who must

suffer this sadness. The kingdom of Heaven waits.

Jesus has said many times that those who follow him will be persecuted. In fact, in John’s Gospel (12:20-21),

Jesus said, “If they persecute me, they will persecute you.” Many early Christians in the Roman era, such as

Stephen, Peter, and Paul, became martyrs.

Luckily, you will probably never be hurt for your religion. But always be proud of your faith.

Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice’s sake; Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice’s sake; theirs is the kingdom of Heaventheirs is the kingdom of Heaven

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