Kelsey Burgans |Youth Minister

Phone: 205-803-5402

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Email: youthministry@sfxbirmingham.com

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Christ is alive and he wants you to be alive! He is in you, he is with you, and he never abandons you. However far you may wander, he is always there, the Risen One.  Taken from Christus Vivit, pope francis's apostolic  exhortation to young people

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21 Spiritual Resolutions to Help You Become the Best Version of Yourself This Year

Forty one percent of people will make a resolution at the start of the new calendar year. While this is admirable, we must ask if these resolutions match our priorities. If we really desire to grow stronger in our faith, we must take steps to be able to do this. Feel free to use this list to help you become the best version of yourself! However, as awesome as these things are, we recommend that you only try adding one or two at a time, so that you’re not immediately overloaded.

1. Have a designated time of prayer each day- Sure, you can pray all day long. But if you make a small sacrifice to have a regularly-scheduled time of prayer each day, you will find yourself more dedicated to your relationship with God. Whether it’s “free” prayer, the Rosary or Divine Mercy Chaplet, Ignatian meditation, lectio divina, or something else, just get praying!

2. Be a part of a community- We’re not called to go on this journey alone; we are called to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. Get to know your fellow members of the Body of Christ! For our teens, we invite you to be a part of our youth group. High school will begin meeting on Sunday, January 10, and middle schoolers meet on Monday, January 11. Find out more about our community!

3. Open God’s Word- We know that Jesus is the Word Incarnate. To understand him better and what He calls us to do as missionary disciples, we must meet Him in Scriptures. Check out Ascension’s “Bible in a Year” podcast with Father Mike Schmitz!

4. Spend time together as a family- Pope St. Paul VI called the family the domestic church. Invest in some quality time together. Take comfort from the Martins- they have several canonized saints in their family!

5. Remember to rejoice- Sometimes we forget all the good things we have going on in our lives. In Birmingham, we most likely will have more than adequate shelter, we know what time we’ll probably eat next, and we know that we have clean water. We may get mad about slight annoyances in our day- someone who cuts us off in traffic, a friend who doesn’t immediately respond to our message, or even when we run out of something we “need”- but we’re extremely blessed! We rejoice not in these gifts but in the ultimate gift- a God who loves us so much that He died for us so that we can have eternal life with him.

6. Research the leadership history of the Church- Want to learn more about the popes? You’ll get to learn about the good, the bad, and the ugly from Flocknote’s “Popes in a Year” plan.

7. Serve- We know that we serve because God calls us to share His love with our neighbor. Let us be His hands and feet. Consider being a part of Catholic Youth on Mission. Our next service day will take place at Our Lady of Fatima on Saturday, January 16. RSVP here!

8. Don’t give in to comparison- It’s easy to envy people when we see they have the things that we want for ourselves. This is not healthy. A person may have the body that you desire, the friends you want, or even the life you’d think you want to have, but we can fail to forget what God has blessed us with. God created only one of you, so don’t waste your life by trying to make it like someone else’s. He’s equipped you with the gifts and talents that you’ll need in your life, just as He’s blessed the person that you might be jealous of for their gifts/talents. Know that only YOU can accomplish your mission.

9. Adopt a patron saint- If you want to study and choose a patron saint to adopt for the year, that’s great! If you’d like one “assigned” to you, check out Jennifer Fulwiler’s saint name generator!

10. Take advantage of the resources brought to you by FORMED- Not only does our parish have a subscription to FORMED (click here for how to access FORMED for FREE), but you can receive daily reflections, see our youth ministry features for parents and teens, and turn off the “junk” you find on other streaming platforms. You can find things for faith formation, family movie nights, and so much more!

11. Check out the Catechism- Also brought to you by Flocknote, Catechism in a Year is a great tool for you to learn why we believe what we believe.

12. Tithing- Don’t give God what’s left; give him what’s right. We’re called to share our time, talent, and treasure with the Lord. Are we spending adequate time with the Lord each day? If He’s given you an incredible voice, discern if He’s calling you to become a reader at Mass or a member of the choir. Are we supporting the growth of His church? These are questions we must ask ourselves.

13. Pray a novena- Have trouble remembering or committing to pray for nine straight days? Pray More Novenas has several novenas through the year. They also offer retreats through the year!

14. Learn from the past- It can be hard to look back and see how hard we’ve come with God’s help without the temptation to go back again. However, if we don’t identify the “near occasions of sin”, how will we know what do stay away from? And, if we do stray from the course, may we immediately seek His forgiveness in the sacrament of Reconciliation.

15. Receive the sacraments- This is the best way to encounter the Lord. If you can’t join us at St. Francis Xavier for any reason, visit masstimes.org  to see times for Confession and Mass. Don’t forget to confirm if the times are right by visiting the church’s website.

16. Create a journal of “God-winks”- Sometimes it can be hard to recall all the ways that God communicates to us. Try to find one way each day in which the Lord speaks to you. Perhaps it’s a beautiful sunset, maybe it’s a stranger’s smile or words. God wants you to know that He’s still madly in love with you!

17. Attend Mass- This one goes without saying. Whether you attend virtually or in-person, make the effort to be a part of when Heaven and earth meet. If attending virtually, we invite you to behave as you would at Mass. Don’t eat breakfast together while watching Mass, actively participate! Click here and scroll down to see Mass times at St. Francis Xavier.

18. Fast- Not just for Lent, fasting can be something to help you take your mind off things so that you can focus more on God. While food is the most popular thing to fast from, you could fast from screens, negative forms of media, or even gossip. What are you willing to give up for the Lord? Perhaps this could even lead to breaking addictions!

19. Evangelize- St. John Paul II said to evangelize is to teach the art of living. When is the last time you invited someone to church or youth group? If Jesus really is the best thing in your life, wouldn’t you want to share Him with others? This article has some great tips to not make it awkward.

20. Perform a random act of kindness (or several)- Recently, the owner of the New Orleans Saints paid off the Christmas layaway debts of those at a Birmingham-area Walmart. Inspired by the love that Jesus has for others, may we be motivated to show love to those who may not look, think, or live like us.

21. Be humble- Our resolutions should be about glorifying God, not ourselves. However, humility doesn’t mean constantly “downing” ourselves. God doesn’t make junk, and you, my friends, are NOT junk. He’s given you many talents and gifts- will you please use them to honor Him? Realize that everything comes from Him. Perhaps praying a Litany of Humility will allow us to depend more on Him and less on ourselves.

This time while living in a pandemic may have caused us to take a deeper look at our lives and find out what is working in our lives and what is not. While there’s nothing wrong with getting healthier or more organized, we know that these things won’t bring us permanent happiness. We know that while we can’t do these things on our own, we know that God can give us the necessary grace to be able to accomplish our goals. Please know of our prayers as you continue to grow in holiness, too. We’re here to help you on your journey! Have a specific prayer request? Email youthministry@sfxbirmingham.com so that our CORE teams can be praying for you and your family!

St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church abides by the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama Youth Protection Program. Through annual training, our students are reminded that they are made in God's image and carry dignity. To review the materials associated with our Safe Envioronment/Sexual Abuse Prevention, please click here. For more information about becoming a chaperone and earning Youth Protection certification, click here.