2018 MayLT Dead PDF Full

1 LIFE NIGHT SERIES: DEAD; 1
SERIES
DEAD;
A LIFE NIGHT SERIES
ON THE LAST THINGS
CONTENT
ABOUT THIS SERIES

IMPORTANT DETAILS ABOUT THIS SERIES
(Pg. 4)
MEMENTO MORI
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture passages have been taken from the Revised
Standard Version, Catholic edition. Copyright ©1946, 1952, 1971 by the Division
DEATH AND JUDGMENT
of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the (Pg. 10)
USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Quotes are taken from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic
Church for the United States of America (indicated as CCC), 2nd ed. Copyright
HELL-BOUND
©1997 by United States Catholic Conference – Libreria Editrice Vaticana. HEAVEN AND HELL
(Pg. 26)
Author: Jessica McMillan
Design: Ryan McQuade

SEVER
Copy Edit: Angela Hamrick PURGATORY
(Pg. 44)
Hispanic Inculturation Team: Stephanie Espinoza, Juan Aznaran, Angie Marino
©2018 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
DESTROYED
form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without SECOND COMING AND FINAL JUDGMENT
prior written permission from the publisher. (Pg. 60)
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 trademarks 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.

ABOUT THIS SERIES INTRODUCTORY MATERIAL
Each Life Night begins with a Goal, Key Concepts, Key
ABOUT THIS SERIES Terms, and Scripture and Catechism references. These
Dead; explores the Church’s teachings on life after death, sections work together to provide an overview of the
focusing on the hope we have in the victory of Jesus content and themes of the Life Night.
Christ won for us through His death and Resurrection. It
tackles difficult topics, such as death and judgment, and ABOUT THIS LIFE NIGHT
addresses the common fear of dying. About This Life Night briefly describes the Gather, Proclaim,
Break, and Send. It provides a step-by-step framework for
STRUCTURE AND METHOD the Life Night.
Dead; is a four-part series best utilized when the Life Nights
are executed in order. If this is the first programming of ENVIRONMENT
your semester, implement a Social or Kick-Off Life Night The Environment section offers ideas on how to create a
before beginning. meeting space that supports the content and main themes
of the Life Night. Not only can the environment be part
The Life Nights in this series easily flow from one to the of the evangelization and catechetical process, but the
next. However, if you would like to take a certain topic effort and creativity put into it can also make the teens
further, you can either schedule an additional midweek feel valued and welcomed.
Life Night or add a Life Night to the series itself.
MEDIA SUGGESTIONS
Between Dead; and the next Life Night Series or Curriculum Media Suggestions provide music and video clip
Guide, offer a Social Life Night to add variety. suggestions that creatively support the content and main
themes of the Life Nights. While planning, take a look at
CORE PREPARATION the media suggestions and consider weaving a video clip
Host an evening of discussion and prayer for your Core or song into the Life Night. Media communicates with our
Members. Using applicable small group questions and the hearts and minds in a unique, powerful way — especially
Proclaims from this series, address any misconceptions or the hearts and minds of teenagers.
struggles surrounding the topics of death and judgment.
Previous to the evening, ask Core Members to bring FLOCKNOTE
pictures of the deceased members of their family and/or For those parishes that also subscribe to Flocknote, Parent
friends. If they are comfortable, allow each person to tell Updates and text messages are loaded into the interface.
notable stories about them and spend time praying for Simply log in to schedule and send these communications.
the repose of their souls. If creating an altar de muertos as Find more information about subscribing to Flocknote at
suggested in the Hispanic Inculturation for the Life Night flocknote.com.
Sever, use these pictures to get it started. As a Core Team,
determine one way to begin the practice of memento mori AS YOU GET STARTED
for the time leading up to and during the Dead; series. As You Get Started offers adaptations to keep in mind as
you read through and plan the Life Night.

HISPANIC INCULTURATION Do your best to have the same Core Members leading the
Across the United States, the Hispanic population in Catholic same small groups at each Life Night. This will also contribute
parishes is large and growing. According to the National Study to greater trust and deeper small group discussions.
of Catholic Parishes with Hispanic Ministry, 38 to 40 percent
of adult Catholics self-identify as Hispanic. Additionally, HANDOUTS
Hispanics account for 71 percent of growth of the Catholic All the handouts for Life Nights are on the May 2018 Life
population in the United States since 1960. Teen USB and online at www.lifeteen.com under Life
Support: May 2018. The handouts are formatted for you to
According to the USCCB’s survey on the Hispanics in the easily print and copy on standard letter-size paper. Please
United States and the Catholic Church, 54 percent of Catholic be diligent in accessing and looking these over while
Millennials (those born in 1982 or later) are Hispanic. planning the Life Nights.
To meet this growing need, Life Teen has added a Hispanic SOCIAL MEDIA RECAP AND PACKAGE
Inculturation section to Life Nights. This section was developed The Social Media Recap and Package provides Instagram
by a group of dedicated youth ministers who serve at largely images, hashtags, and tweets that both you and your teens
Hispanic parishes throughout the United States and Mexico. can use to engage social media throughout the week. They
recap the main themes and remind teens of the important
We recognize that not all Hispanic communities are the aspects of the Life Night. Find these at the beginning of
same. It is our hope that this section assists youth ministers every Life Night and on the May 2018 Life Teen USB.
in adapting to the needs of their specific community by
providing insight into the Hispanic culture. PARENT LETTER
The Parent Letter contains Content Overview and
PROCLAIM Conversation Starters for each Life Night. The Parent Letter
In this series, you will find two versions of the Proclaim for not only includes and equips the parents in the formation
each Life Night. The Proclaim Outline lays out the key terms and catechesis of their teens but also provides them with
and main points quickly so the person giving the Proclaim can an opportunity for ongoing conversion and catechesis.
expand upon them with his or her own insight and ideas. The
Proclaim Details offers a more robust version of the teaching The Parent Letter can be emailed in advance or after a Life
with examples, ideas for a personal testimony, and suggested Night. It can also be handed out at the end of a Life Night.
expansion on the key points. Use them both to help write a Consider having Core Members at the doors and in the
Proclaim that fits your youth group and local community. parking lot during pick up passing out Parent Letters and
looking out for the safety of the teens.
SMALL GROUPS
In order to hold the teens accountable for attending all The Parent Letter is available in both English and Spanish.
the Life Nights in the series and to build a sense of trust If you have a bilingual community, we recommend
and community, it is recommended to break teens into double-side printing the Parent Letter in both English
small groups on the first Life Night. Have them stay with and Spanish. Teens, and sometimes even Core Members,
these groups throughout the duration of the series. This have the tendency to grab any handout, not necessarily
will allow for deeper conversations and a greater sense the right handout. We want the right handout to get in
of openness among the teens. the hands of parents. Also, if the word gets out in your

community that you are handing out bilingual materials, __________________________________________________
the Spanish speaking community will feel more welcomed __________________________________________________
and encouraged to become involved.
__________________________________________________
USCCB FRAMEWORK __________________________________________________
For parishes using the USCCB framework for high school __________________________________________________
catechesis, this series will work with your Paschal Mystery __________________________________________________
semester. __________________________________________________
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Notes: __________________________________________
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LIFE NIGHT OVERVIEW ABOUT THIS LIFE NIGHT
This Life Night begins with a Gather activity in which teens

MEMENTO MORI create their own “memento mori” artwork using dirt paint.
A LIFE NIGHT ON DEATH AND JUDGMENT The Proclaim reflects on our strained relationship with time,
which ends in death and a particular judgment. The Break
GOAL gives teens time to create a bucket list geared toward a life
with Christ. The Send is a prayer for a happy death.
The goal of Memento Mori is to acknowledge the reality of
death and judgment as a consequence of original sin but ENVIRONMENT
instill joy and hope in Jesus as our loving and merciful judge.
For this Life Night, create an environment centered around
KEY CONCEPTS time. Gather hourglasses and clocks to place around the
room. Play a countdown or count up on a screen, and have
• Jesus conquers the evil of death through His own death clock sound effects in the background. On the walls, post
and Resurrection, giving us hope for eternal life. quotes from saints and Catholic prayers about death. Use the
following to get started:
• In Baptism, we die sacramentally with Jesus and are
given the opportunity for new life in Him — physical death • What is death but the burial of sin and the resurrection
completes this process. of goodness? (St. Ambrose)
• Now and at the hour of death. (The Hail Mary)
• Immediately after death, each person faces a particular
• Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done. (The Lord’s Prayer)
judgment before Jesus; the result of our judgment —
heaven, hell, or purgatory — is determined by faith in Him • The sting of death is extinguished in Christ. (Cardinal
and the actions we have taken to live out our faith. Joseph Ratzinger, aka Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI)
• Memento mori. (ancient Christian saying)
• Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
KEY TERMS: SCRIPTURE: CATECHISM: (Ash Wednesday liturgy; Genesis 3:19)
Baptism Genesis 2:16-17 1008
Hebrews 9:27 1010 MEDIA SUGGESTIONS
Eternal Life 2 Timothy 1:9-10 1022
Particular 1036 Mandy Mathy: “Speed Countdown Digital Clock 60 sec ( v 177
Judgment ) TIMER with sound effects HD” (youtube.com)
Randall’s Rest & Relaxation: “Clock Sound Effect = 12 Hours of

Grandfather Clock Tic Toc Pendulum Sound Of Clock Noise”
(youtube.com)
Theresa Aletheia: “Memento Mori” (spotify.com)

SOCIAL MEDIA HASHTAGS: Muerte” in their home, while for others it involves occasional
#LT_MementoMori or regular participation in the so-called prayers and practices
surrounding the cult. Because it so subtly confuses traditional
AS YOU GET STARTED... Catholic sentiments surrounding death, most take part in it
without realizing its dangerous proximity to satanic spirituality.
For a more successful Gather, consider making works of
“memento mori” art at a Core Team meeting before the Life Be sure to clearly express to the teens that the “Santa Muerte”
Night. This gives everyone an experience of making the dirt devotion is condemned by the Church and has no place
paint before the Gather and gives the teens ideas as they in the life of a Catholic. If you attain knowledge that there
begin their own designs. are families of your teens who have any affiliation with this
devotion, consider involving your pastor in a conversation
For a Gather with a larger group, consider playing minute to with them in order to determine the intensity of the devotion,
win it games using the hourglass timers around the room. to help remove it from their lives, and to gain awareness of any
Game ideas are found online by searching “minute to win it negative consequences that might result from the exposure
games for teens.” to it.
For a parish suffering from a tragic death, consider scheduling Cultural Insights
the crisis Life Night When It’s Dark after Memento Mori. If A first generation or recently arrived Hispanic teen may not
this death was the result of depression and suicide, consider know what is meant by a bucket list, so be sure to take a
referring to the issue Life Night Fear vs. Dreams. moment to explain that at the start of the Break. Be aware
that the items might look differently for these teens as well —
HISPANIC INCULTURATION where a typical teen might include things like playing in the
By Stephanie Espinoza NFL, becoming a doctor, or going to law school, an immigrant
Contributors: Juan Aznaran, Angie Marino teen might list things like obtaining permanent residency for
their parents, graduating high school, or helping pay bills in
Important Notes for Pastoral Care their home.
While celebrations like Día de los Muertos and the cultural
Catholicism of places like Mexico and Central America foster Notes: __________________________________________
a joyful and respectful view of death, there are certain regions __________________________________________________
that have taken views toward death too far. Devotion to “la
__________________________________________________
Santa Muerte” or “Saint Death” has recently grown, especially
through the prevalence of drug cartel-related media that __________________________________________________
often depicts the skeletal female figure, but has been officially __________________________________________________
condemned by the Vatican. This cult movement worshipping __________________________________________________
death has trickled its way into well-meaning Hispanic/Latino __________________________________________________
Catholic homes under the veil of it being a recourse for those
__________________________________________________
seeking protection from the law — which explains its popularity
with drug lords but also has made it a kind of “patron saint” __________________________________________________
for undocumented Catholics in the United States. For some __________________________________________________
the devotion is as minimal as displaying an image of “la Santa __________________________________________________

BREAK
Bucket List (20 min)

LIFE NIGHT: MEMENTO MORI Divide the teens into small groups of six to eight with
one Core Member in each group. Begin the small group
with a prayer, and then pass out the Bucket List handout.
GATHER Handouts can be found on the May 2018 Life Teen USB
and online at lifeteen.com under Life Support: May 2018.
Welcome and Opening Prayer (5 min) Explain the activity using the following:
Gather teens in the main meeting space. Welcome them
to the Life Night, introduce any teens or Core Members A bucket list is an intentional list of goals, adventures,
attending for the first time, and begin in prayer. dreams, and achievements one wants to complete before
death. Many times, it includes things that are only geared
Dirt Painting (25 min) toward worldly achievements and goods. Right now, we
Divide the teens into small groups of six to eight with one Core are going to re-envision our bucket list to focus on those
Member in each group. Provide each group with the following: things that prepare us for eternal life. The experience of
a bowl, flour, salt, water, black Tempera paint, coffee grounds, God’s creation, and most especially our day to day life,
and the Dirt Paint Instructions handout. Handouts are found can lead us to God, so don’t exclude places you want to
on the May 2018 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com travel or personal goals for a job or education. Instead, try
under Life Support: May 2018. Provide thick parchment paper to see them in the context of your relationship with God.
or thin 12”x12” sheets of plywood for each teen. Using your handout, take some time to create a personal
bucket list that embraces life in a way that prepares you
Have each teen create a “memento mori” work of art with for life with Him in eternity.
the dirt paint. Introduce the activity using the following:
Once teens have finished their bucket list, use the
In Genesis 3:19, God tells Adam, “You are dust, and to following questions to facilitate discussion:
dust you shall return.” We are reminded of this passage
every year on Ash Wednesday as we receive ashes on our • What is one thing on your bucket list that you are most
forehead. During this Life Night, we will learn the benefit of excited about? How can it orient your life toward God?
reflecting on the reality of death. Right now, we are going • Spend time sharing any other goals or dreams on the
to create a piece of art to serve as this reminder for us. bucket list.
Using the dirt paint, draw a skull and somehow incorporate • Goals and dreams often take time to achieve. As time
the words “memento mori” in your drawing. passes, some of our goals and dreams will remain the
same while others will evolve and change. With this in
PROCLAIM mind, how can we keep eternity at the forefront of this
process?
“Memento Mori” Teaching (15 min)
The Proclaim Outline and Proclaim Details can be found on • Why is death a fearful and difficult reality to face? Lead
pages 18 to 24. the teens to the conclusion that we are made for life,
which is offered to us by God through our baptism.

• What are some concrete things you can do to die to _______________________________________________
yourself each day? ________________________________________________
• How can the phrase “memento mori” prepare you for ________________________________________________
eternity? ________________________________________________
________________________________________________
SEND
________________________________________________
Prayer for a Happy Death (10 min) ________________________________________________
Gather the teens into the main meeting space and have ________________________________________________
a few teens share a couple of things on their bucket list. ________________________________________________
Challenge all the teens to implement the practice of
memento mori by placing their dirt art in a prominent place _______________________________________________
or finding something else to serve as reminder of their ________________________________________________
death. Then, project the following prayer to pray together: ________________________________________________
________________________________________________
O God, great and omnipotent judge of the living and the
________________________________________________
dead, we are to appear before you after this short life
to render an account of our works. Give us the grace to ________________________________________________
prepare for our last hour by a devout and holy life, and ________________________________________________
protect us against a sudden and unprovided death. Let us ________________________________________________
remember our frailty and mortality, that we may always live
________________________________________________
in the ways of your commandments. Teach us to “watch and
pray” (Luke 21:36), that when your summons comes for our ________________________________________________
departure from this world, we may go forth to meet you, ________________________________________________
experience a merciful judgment, and rejoice in everlasting ________________________________________________
happiness. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. ________________________________________________
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Notes: ___________________________________________
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PROCLAIM OUTLINE MEMENTO MORI
• Memento mori is an ancient Latin phrase which means
“remember your death,” or “remember that you have
MEMENTO MORI to die.” It is a long suggested practice to help order
our time in this life.
• Death is a tough reality for all of us, though. God never
KEY TERMS
intended for us to suffer it; we experience death as
a result of sin. Whether or not we place our hope in
Baptism: The first and chief sacrament of
Christ, it is a painful event.
forgiveness of sins because it unites us with Christ,
who died for our sins and rose for our justification.
HOPE IN GRIEF
Eternal Life: Living forever with God in the happiness
• By dying on the cross, Christ transformed death into
of heaven, entered after death by the souls of those
something that works for our good. We take part in His
who die in the grace and friendship of God.
new plan for death through the Sacrament of Baptism.
Particular Judgment: The eternal retribution
• In Baptism, we die with Christ sacramentally, and physical
received by each soul at the moment of death, in
death completes the process of our new life with Him.
accordance with that person’s faith and works.
TEACHING POINTS PARTICULAR JUDGMENT

• At the moment of death, we are immediately judged
TIME AND ETERNITY by Jesus Christ. The result of our judgment — heaven,
• Ask the teens if they have experienced a moment where hell, or purgatory — is determined by faith in Him and
time seems to stand still, and ask a few to share this the actions we have taken to live out our faith.
experience with the large group. • The truth of our immediate judgment should inspire a
• Our relationship with time is a strained one. In certain healthy fear in us — the realization that it is possible
moments, time feels as if it stops. In others, there never to spend eternity without God.
seems to be enough.
• We often see time as an enemy, but if we embrace life as DIE EVERYDAY
God intends, time can become a great friend. • Practices of sacrifice and service are actually practices
• Look at an hourglass. It serves as a reminder that our of death. They are not just nice things to do when we
time is limited but also points to the fact that our time have the time or required hours to clock for school,
goes somewhere. The sand does not disappear but is Confirmation class, or a resume.
stored for the future. How we spend our time now is an • We are dying to ourselves, to our own desires, and
investment in who we will be in our lifetime and where placing someone else before us. These small deaths
we will spend eternity. are incredible preparation for the moment we breathe
our last breath, the moment we leave time behind
and enter into the natural state we were created for
— eternity.

PROCLAIM DETAILS However, if we embrace life as God intends, time can become
a great friend. Look at an hourglass. We flip it over, most
often while playing a game, and immediately watch the top
MEMENTO MORI half — the sand running out. Rarely, though, do we focus on
the place it goes. An hourglass does serve as a reminder that
our time is limited, but it also points to the fact that our time
goes somewhere. The sand does not disappear but is stored
TEACHING for the future. How we spend our time now is an investment
in who we will be in our lifetime and where we will spend
TIME AND ETERNITY eternity. How do you spend your time? Do you live your life
to store up for your time with God in eternity?
Time is such an interesting thing. In certain moments, it feels
as if it stops. In others, there never seems to be enough. MEMENTO MORI
C.S. Lewis, a famous Christian author, wrote to a friend and
said the following of time:
Memento mori is an ancient Latin phrase, which means
“remember your death,” or “remember that you have to
Consider projecting the quote as you read it.
die.” It is a long suggested practice to help order our time in
“If we complain of time and take such joy in the seemingly this life. It is represented in the history of art as a skeleton,
timeless moment, what does that suggest? It suggests skull, or hourglass. In the Church, we celebrate All Souls
that we have not always been or will not always be purely Day, Dia de los Muertos, and feasts of saints on the day
temporal creatures. It suggests that we were created for they died. Quite often, we hear phrases during Mass or in
eternity. Not only are we harried by time, we seem unable, prayers linked to preparation for death.
despite a thousand generations, even to get used to it. We
are always amazed by it — how fast it goes, how slowly it Refer to the phrases posted around the room, and ask the
goes, how much of it is gone. Where, we cry, has the time teens if they can think of any others.
gone? We aren’t adapted to it, not at home in it. If that is so,
it may appear as a proof, or at least a powerful suggestion, Death is a very difficult reality for all of us, though. God
that eternity exists and is our home.” never intended for us to suffer it; we experience death as a
result of sin. Whether or not we place our hope in Christ, it
A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken
is a painful event.
CCC 1008
Ask the tens to share an experience they have had where time
seemed to stand still.
Some of you may have dealt with the expected or unexpected
Our relationship with time is a strained one. On the one hand, death of family members and friends. Unfortunately, we may
we act as if we have as much of it as we want. We are careless experience the shock of a tragic accident involving students
with it and make hazardous choices, an attitude that coined at our school or in our community. The topic of death may
the phrase, “You only live once.” At certain points, though, we be very sensitive for you right now, or you are struggling
spend life grasping at time, worrying about how little we have to see God’s goodness because of it. Sometimes, well-
— when you have a test the next day, a friend visiting from out intentioned people try to bring comfort with phrases such
of town, or a family member on their deathbed. We often see as “It was God’s will,” or “Everything happens for a reason.”
time as an enemy. It can make the sting of death and our grief worse because
God seems to be the cause of such terrible pain in our lives. The practice of memento mori is arguably the best way to
It is important not to dismiss the burden of death because it take up that responsibility. It might seem a bit depressing or
is not what God intended; in a sense, it is not natural. strange. It may be difficult because of fear or the freshness
of grief from a loss, but remembering our death leads us
HOPE IN GRIEF to life. As Christians, it leads us deeper into the hope of
the Resurrection, a reality that fully unites us with God and
In order to reveal God’s intent, Christ enters into the terrible reunites us with those we love. By remembering our death,
experience of death Himself. By dying on the cross, He we can orient our temporary lives toward life beyond death.
transforms death into something that works for our good.
We are able to take part in His new plan for death through PARTICULAR JUDGMENT
the Sacrament of Baptism.
Philippians 1:21 For many reasons, there is a lot of confusion regarding
what happens when we die.
When we are baptized, we are dunked or sprinkled with
holy water. It is an action meant to represent death. We die Ask the teens to share different ideas of life after death.
to our old self, who is stained with original sin and unable
to enter into the Kingdom of God, and become His adopted The Church teaches that all experience a particular
son or daughter. We now have the opportunity to share judgment at the moment of death. We are immediately
in His divine life for all of eternity. In Baptism, we die with judged by Jesus Christ, who opened the gates of heaven
Christ sacramentally, and physical death completes the for us through His death and Resurrection. The result of our
process of our new life with Him. judgment is determined by our faith in Christ and how we
CCC 1010, 2 Timothy 2:11 expressed that faith during our life. We are judged on how
we served God in the people around us. We are judged by
The gift of Baptism offers us hope and transforms something the kind of daughter or son, sister or brother, spouse, and
so ugly into the most beautiful moment we can experience neighbor we were throughout our life. We are judged by
as a Christian. It is proof that God goes to every length to the mercy we offered when we were hurt or offended, and
make His divine life possible for us. As we learn to trust in the mercy we seek for ourselves.
His plan and timing for our life, we also have to trust that
we will each experience death at a moment that is perfect Read the story of the good thief in Luke 23:32-43.
for our salvation.
Many people and world religions have different ideas about
Notice, however, that Baptism only offers us an opportunity what happens to us when we die. We know, through Christ
for eternal life. It is not magic or a ticket we pull out of and His Church, what happens. We will not become an angel
our wallet at death. It requires our cooperation. We are still or ghost. We will not be sent back to Earth to re-experience
responsible for living our life in a way that the grace of the life as a cow or a king. We will not receive our own planet or
sacrament can flourish and grow in us. even cease to exist. We will instantly see our life measured
CCC 978 by Christ’s. Immediately, or through a period of purification,
we will enter the joy of heaven or immediately enter the
eternal suffering of hell.
CCC 1022

The truth of our immediate judgment after death should CORE TEAM OVERVIEW
inspire a healthy fear in us. Healthy fear is not a crippling fear;
it is the realization that it is possible to spend eternity without
God. It is even considered one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit — MEMENTO MORI: Death and Judgment
Fear of the Lord. It pushes us to seek His will every day and to
live a vibrant and heroic life of service and sacrifice. GOAL: The goal of Memento Mori is to acknowledge
the reality of death and judgment as a consequence of
DIE EVERYDAY original sin but instill joy and hope in Jesus as our loving
and merciful judge.
When we think about it, practices of sacrifice and service
are actually practices of death. They are not just nice things GATHER (30 MIN):
to do when we have time or required hours to clock for Welcome and Opening Prayer:_______________________
school, Confirmation class, or a resume. We are dying to Dirt Painting:______________________________________
ourselves, to our own desires, and placing someone else
before us. It can be done in the smallest actions. We can
PROCLAIM (15 MIN):
allow our sibling to choose the show or movie to watch
or put our phone down to have a conversation with our “Memento Mori” Teaching: __________________________
parents or a friend in need.
BREAK (20 MIN):
List other ways the teens at your particular parish can Bucket List: _______________________________________
sacrifice and serve others.
SEND (10 MIN):
These small deaths are incredible preparation for the Prayer for a Happy Death:__________________________
moment we breathe our last breath, the moment we leave
time behind and enter into the natural state we were created
for — eternity. Notes: ___________________________________________
________________________________________________
In the next three Life Nights, we are discussing the different ________________________________________________
states in which our souls can enter after death. Initially, ________________________________________________
it may be difficult to to explore these Church teachings.
________________________________________________
They will challenge each of us to evaluate the way we are
currently living, but the process will also lead us to claim ________________________________________________
and experience Christ’s victory and the freedom it can ________________________________________________
unleash in our hearts and lives. ________________________________________________
________________________________________________
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This Life Night begins with a fun competition that

HELL-BOUND demonstrates an ancient allegory about heaven and hell.
A LIFE NIGHT ON HEAVEN AND HELL The Proclaim encourages teens to consider the realities
of heaven, hell, and free will. The Break provides time
GOAL for an examination of conscience in which teens choose
virtuous actions to replace sinful ones, and the Send is an
The goal of Hell-bound is to clarify common misconceptions introduction to the Fatima prayer.
about heaven and hell and inspire the teens to make choices
based on love of God. ENVIRONMENT
KEY CONCEPTS The environment for this Life Night embraces the cheesy
clichés of heaven and hell. If possible, have Core Members
• Man and woman are created with free will so that they wear Halloween costume horns and all black to greet the
can choose to be in a relationship with God or not, a choice teens at the door to encourage them not to go to to the main
which God respects. meeting space. Be sure that these costumes are cartoon-like
and not scary. Any food served at the Life Night is provided
• Heaven is the “ultimate end and fulfillment of the outside and should be difficult to serve or have something
deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive missing. For example, provide gallons of water, but no cups;
happiness.” (CCC 1024) offer Oreos, but scrape out the filling; serve hamburgers
without toppings. Play a song on repeat such as “I Love You”
• Hell is the finality of our decision to choose ourselves by Barney or “Friday” by Rebecca Black.
over God.
At the door of the main meeting space, have a Core Member
dressed as St. Peter. He signs teens in, turning some away
for silly things, such as, “You didn’t take out the trash,” You
KEY TERMS: SCRIPTURE: CATECHISM: rolled your eyes at your younger sibling,” etc. He allows
Free Will 1 Corinthians 2:9 1024 others in one at a time for equally silly things such as, “You
Heaven 2 Peter 3:9 1033 did your homework,” “You cleaned up your dog’s poop,” etc.
Hell 1 John 3:14-15 In the main meeting space, have Core Members wearing
Sin white with halos and angel wings. Make the room bright and
white. Hang clouds and have a harp soundtrack playing in
the background. Place a picture of Jesus in the front of the
room. As teens enter, have them sit and stare at it.

MEDIA SUGGESTIONS with the teens the week before the Life Night. Hispanic/
Latino parents might walk up to the doors, see those outfits,
Life Teen: “Locked From the Inside” (Life Support: May and decide they will not let their teen stay for the Life Night.
2018) Additionally, have a few people who speak Spanish greeting
parents and teens to allay any concerns parents may have.
Life Teen: “Choices” (Life Support: January 2018)
Cultural Insights
Valérie Milot: B. “Smetana: Vltava (Moldau) - Valérie Milot, Hispanic/Latino kids often grow up hearing about “el Cucuy”
harp/harpe” (youtube.com) as a demon-like figure who will escort them to hell for doing
anything from talking back to their mom to stealing a piece
SOCIAL MEDIA HASHTAGS: of candy from the grocery store. There is a lot of talk in
#LT_Hellbound Hispanic/Latino homes about all the things they can do (big
or small) to end up in hell but not much to balance that with
AS YOU GET STARTED... actions they can take to spend eternity in heaven. This often
makes heaven seem unattainable and condemnation to hell
For an alternate Gather, consider playing “heaven, hell, and certain, thus fueling greater fear and anxiety around these
purgatory.” Designate a wall as heaven, the wall opposite to already intimidating topics. Keep this in mind as you pivot in
it as hell, and the middle of the room as purgatory. Ask all the Proclaim from how certain actions reflect our choosing
of the teens to begin on the wall designated as hell. Instruct heaven or hell, highlighting the reality that Jesus makes
the teens to run to the designated place as you call it out. If heaven possible for each of us.
a teen delays or touches the wall last, they have to sit down.
Play until one teen wins. Notes: ___________________________________________
__________________________________________________
For a deeper Send, consider inviting local priests to hear
confessions. Move to the church or Blessed Sacrament __________________________________________________
chapel to end the Life Night with a time of praise and worship __________________________________________________
while the teens celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
HISPANIC INCULTURATION
__________________________________________________
By Stephanie Espinoza
Contributors: Juan Aznaran, Angie Marino __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Important Notes for Pastoral Care _____________________________ _____________________
The topic of hell is taken very seriously in Hispanic/Latino __________________________________________________
households, and the reality of hell and Satan is not something
__________________________________________________
that is seen as able to be taken lightheartedly or handled jokingly.
If your Core Team is going to dress up in the costumes with __________________________________________________
horns and all black at the doors of the meeting space, consider _____________________________ _____________________
sending the corresponding Parent Letter (which explains the __________________________________________________
reasoning behind the costumes to parents in Spanish) home __________________________________________________

they never realize that they can eat if they feed one another.
During this Life Night, we are going to explore the reality
of hell, but most importantly we will talk about the beauty
LIFE NIGHT: HELL-BOUND of heaven.
PROCLAIM
GATHER
“Hell-bound” Teaching (15 min)
Welcome and Opening Prayer (5 min) The Proclaim Outline and Proclaim Details can be found on
Gather teens in the main meeting space. Welcome them pages 34 to 42.
to the Life Night, introduce any teens or Core Members
attending for the first time, and begin in prayer. BREAK
Fork It Over (10 min) Small Group Discussion (25 min)

Previous to the Life Night, create extremely long forks — Divide the teens into the small groups from the Gather
long enough to be unable to feed yourself with it — by activity with one Core Member in each group. Begin the
taping a plastic fork to the end of a wooden dowel. Have small group with a prayer, and then use the following
one per teen. questions to facilitate discussion, beginning with a round
of “would you rather” questions:
Divide the teens into groups of six to eight and distribute
the forks. Have the teens sit in a circle and place a bowl • Would you rather spend eternity with an exposed booger
of marshmallows in the middle. As a team, each group in your nose while at school or spinach in between your
competes to be the first to eat all of the marshmallows. front two teeth while with your crush?
Explain the following rules only: They cannot move from • Would you rather spend eternity constantly hearing nails
their spot or move the bowl, and they must hold the fork at on the chalkboard in the distance or hearing deafening
the end of the stick. (Ideally, the teens are unable to feed microphone feedback for ten minutes every two hours?
themselves and can only complete the task if they feed one • Would you rather spend eternity getting to pick the
another.) radio station in the car or always having dibs on the
remote control?
Transition into the Proclaim using the following: • Would you rather spend eternity always having the
desires of your heart fulfilled or never questioning your
Sometimes, our perception of hell is somewhat comical. We self-worth? Spend time with this question if it sparks
make light of it with little devil horns and images of fire. We conversation. Regardless, share that both of these are
may joke saying, “My hell will be (insert the most annoying realities in heaven, so we don’t ultimately have to choose.
or aggravating thing in your life).” All of these may express • What images, movies, or songs come to mind when you
a particular, watered down aspect of hell, but the game think about heaven and hell?
we just played can give us greater insight. An old allegory • How do these images influence our understanding
conveys hell as many people sitting around a table with of heaven and hell? How do they conflict with Church
long spoons. They are starving but cannot feed themselves. teaching?
Because they are so turned in on themselves, for eternity,

• What questions come to mind when you think about Project and pray the Fatima prayer together:
heaven and hell? Spend time addressing these questions.
For a Core Member who is uncomfortable or unable to O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of
answer certain questions, write them down and give hell and lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are
them to the youth minister. in most need of thy mercy. Amen.
• Describe what it looks like to have a healthy fear of hell.
How does a healthy fear of hell push us toward heaven? Notes: ___________________________________________
Be sure to emphasize that healthy fear is not paralyzing.
__________________________________________________
It’s recognizing that hell exists, and we can actually
spend eternity without the love and joy offered by God. __________________________________________________
• How can knowledge of heaven and hell make you more __________________________________________________
attentive to the choices you make throughout each day? __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
SEND
__________________________________________________
Cut & Fill Examination of Conscience (15 min) __________________________________________________
Gather the teens into the main meeting space. Pass out the __________________________________________________
Cut & Fill Examination of Conscience handout and a pen __________________________________________________
to each teen. Handouts can be found on the May 2018 Life __________________________________________________
Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com under Life Support:
__________________________________________________
May 2018. Challenge them to spend time examining the
choices they have made thus far and make an appointment __________________________________________________
to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Be sure to __________________________________________________
provide them with times for weekly confession or any __________________________________________________
upcoming penance services. __________________________________________________
Fatima Prayer (5 min) __________________________________________________
Use the following to transition into prayer: __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
In 1917, Our Lady began appearing to three shepherd __________________________________________________
children in Fatima, Portugal. During these apparitions, she
__________________________________________________
urged the children to pray and sacrifice for the conversion
of sinners and peace in the world. She asked them to pray __________________________________________________
the rosary daily and gave them a prayer to include with __________________________________________________
each decade. It is a simple prayer that we can memorize __________________________________________________
and pray with the rosary or on its own throughout our day. __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________

PROCLAIM OUTLINE • At the moment of death, our decision to cooperate
with grace, or not, becomes a permanent choice with
eternal consequences.
HELL-BOUND
I CHOOSE MYSELF
KEY TERMS
• The Church teaches that hell exists and is not contrary
to our image of a loving God. He unceasingly offers us
Free Will: The power of the will to determine itself
grace to live according to His will. God doesn’t send us
and to act of itself, without compulsion from within or
to hell. We choose our sin over Him, and He respects
coercion from without.
our choice.
Heaven: Eternal life with God; communion of life and
• Once in hell, a person permanently excludes himself
love with the Trinity and the communion of saints.
or herself from communion with God and those who
Hell: The state of definitive self-exclusion from love Him.
communion with God and the saints, reserved
• Consider playing the video “Locked From the Inside”
for those who refuse, by their own free choice, to
found in the Media Suggestions.
believe and be converted from sin, even to the end
of their lives.
BEYOND IMAGINATION
Sin: An offense against God as well as a fault
against reason, truth, and right conscience. • While we seldom acknowledge the existence of hell,
many also fail to reflect on the glory of heaven. We
TEACHING POINTS hear the words “eternal rest” or “eternal worship” and
imagine eternal boredom.
BECAUSE I DESERVE IT • Ask teens to share different images of heaven.
• We often have the perception that getting to heaven or • We have many of images of heaven, and although they
going to hell is based on a formula. If I am good, God may represent part of what heaven is, they fall short
lets me into heaven. If I am bad, God sends me to hell. If — they may even dilute the beautiful reality of heaven.
we stick with the formula, we always deserve hell.
• Heaven is “the ultimate end and fulfillment of the
• Read Genesis 2:16-17. deepest human longings, the state of supreme
• Adam and Eve make a decision with a clear consequence. definitive happiness.” (CCC 1024)
In choosing to sin, man sentences himself. • Most of the time, we aren’t even aware of our deepest
• It is not about what we deserve but about how closely longings, and happiness seems so fleeting. We always
we are conformed to Christ. Heaven and hell hinge on a long for more — more affirmation, more love, more
relationship, not a formula. purpose.
THE CHOICE IS YOURS • The greatest reality of heaven is God’s complete presence
and our total union with Him. Not only will we not have
• God created man to be in a loving relationship with Him, to suffer, be embarrassed, or experience loss, we will
which necessitates free will. We make choices, and every desire nothing because God will be enough for us.
choice is one to love God or not.

A NEW EQUATION __________________________________________________
• We can’t earn heaven. God gives us the ability to enter _________________________________________________
into eternal life through Jesus’ Passion, death, and _________________________________________________
Resurrection. We enter into and can partake of that new _________________________________________________
life through the grace of Baptism. He changes up the
_________________________________________________
equation: Sinful humanity plus grace equals the ability
to be before Him. _________________________________________________
• Grace is a gift that we have to unwrap and use. It requires _________________________________________________
cooperation on our part. It requires a choice. _________________________________________________
• Our choices lead us closer to the joy of heaven or further _________________________________________________
from it. Furthermore, the choices we make bring aspects _________________________________________________
of heaven or hell into our lives now. What reality will you _________________________________________________
choose to live? _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Notes: ___________________________________________ _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ __________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ __________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________

PROCLAIM DETAILS THE CHOICE IS YOURS
God created man to be in a relationship with Him. He created

HELL-BOUND us to love Him and be loved by Him. A loving relationship
necessitates free will, or the ability to choose. Just like Adam
and Eve, we are given the gift of free will. We make choices,
TEACHING and every choice is one to love God or not.
BECAUSE I DESERVE IT A person who chooses to love God seeks His grace to live a
life that continually grows in faith, hope, and charity. He or
If you receive allowance for doing chores, but don’t do the she makes choices that are geared toward the will of God and
chores, do you deserve the allowance? If someone rarely good of others. Sin is the choice we make to love ourselves
shows up for practice, do they deserve to start on gameday? over God. We turn away from Him or completely reject Him.
In sinning, we offend God and wound ourselves and others. At
Consider including other examples relevant to your the moment of death, our decision to cooperate with grace, or
particular teens. not, becomes a permanent choice with eternal consequences.
We often have the perception that getting to heaven or I CHOOSE MYSELF

going to hell is based on a formula; “A” plus “B” equals “C.”
In a sense, our formula is based on what we deserve. If I Ask the teens if they have ever heard from someone, or
am good, God will let me into heaven. However, if I am bad, thought themselves, that hell does not exist. Follow up the
God will send me to hell. Here’s the hard truth: if we stick question by asking about objections to the existence of hell.
with the formula, we always deserve hell. Humanity plus sin
always equals the inability of man to be in the presence of There are plenty of arguments against the existence of
God, which is hell. hell. Some say it is merely a punishment our parents or the
Church threaten to keep us out of trouble or an antiquated
In Genesis, we read about Adam and Eve making a decision idea that people don’t bother speaking about anymore. The
that had a clear consequence: “You may freely eat of every more significant struggle is reconciling the idea of a good
tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and merciful God with the image of eternal fire and suffering.
and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it Does He really send or allow people to go there?
you shall die.” Because of their decision, and every decision
we make in choosing to sin, man sentences himself. Consider playing the video “Locked From the Inside” found in
the Media Suggestions.
Genesis 2:16-17
In His deep love for us, God alters the equation by making The Church teaches very clearly that hell exists and that
death something that can unite us with Him for all eternity. its existence is not contrary to our image of a God who is
It is no longer about what we deserve, but how closely love. God is unceasingly offering us the grace needed to live
we are conformed to Christ. Heaven and hell hinge on a according to His will, and the decisions we make allow us to
relationship, not a formula. be more or less receptive to grace. Sin is always a selfish act
and a rejection of grace. We turn in on ourselves and cannot
see the needs of other people or God’s own desire for our life.

Consequently, we isolate ourselves from others and presence and our total union with Him. In heaven, nothing
God. We think we can satisfy our own needs. We also keeps us from knowing and experiencing His love and
convince ourselves we are not wrong, so we never ask for returning it fully. Not only will we not have to suffer, be
forgiveness. Because of our free will, God cannot and will embarrassed, or experience loss, we will long for nothing
not force us to desire Him or to ask for His mercy. God because God will be enough for us.
doesn’t send us to hell, we choose our sin over Him, and CCC 1024
He respects our choice. Once in hell, a person permanently
excludes himself or herself from communion with God and A NEW EQUATION
those who love Him.
John 3:19 Although the Church states that someone is in heaven
(the process of declaring someone a saint) the Church will
BEYOND IMAGINATION never declare that someone is in hell. We believe and trust
in the mercy of God. “Indeed, God did not send the Son
While we seldom acknowledge the existence of hell, most into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the
of us also fail to reflect on the glory of heaven. We hear world might be saved through Him. Those who believe in
heaven referred to as “eternal rest” or “eternal worship” Him are not condemned; but those who do not believe
and we may imagine eternal boredom. We just sit and stare are condemned already, because they have not believed
at God or have an eternal praise and worship session. It in the name of the only Son of God.”
lacks excitement and drama and eventually gets old. 1 John 4:8, CCC 1033
Ask teens to share different images of heaven. Follow up by While there is absolutely nothing we can do to earn heaven,
asking them if they have ever had an experience of immense God gives us the ability to enter into eternal life with Him
beauty. Allow time for them to share. because of Jesus’ Passion, death, and Resurrection. We
enter into and can partake of that new life through the
We have many different images of heaven, and although grace of Baptism. Jesus changes the equation: Sinful
they may represent part of what heaven is, they fall short humanity plus grace equals the ability to be before Him.
— they may even dilute the beautiful reality of heaven. All By establishing the Church, grace is freely offered as a gift
of the beauty and joy we encounter on Earth, whether in from God. We don’t earn it, but we still have to unwrap
nature or our relationships, is just a reflection of what we it and use it which requires cooperation on our part. It
will encounter in heaven. requires a choice.
1 Corinthians 2:9, 13:12
Daily we make choices that lead us closer to the joy of
Heaven is “the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest heaven or further from it. When we enter into heaven or
human longings, the state of supreme definitive happiness.” hell, it will be familiar to us because of the life we live on
Most of the time, we aren’t even aware of our deepest Earth. The choices we make bring aspects of heaven or
longings, and happiness seems so fleeting. We always long hell into our lives now. What reality will you choose to live?
for more — more affirmation, more love, more purpose.
Even our relationship with God requires for us to constantly
seek greater depth. We strive to love and trust Him more,
have better times of prayer, and recognize His presence in
our life. The greatest reality of heaven is God’s complete

Notes: ___________________________________________ CORE TEAM OVERVIEW
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ HELL-BOUND: Heaven and Hell
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ GOAL: The goal of Hell-bound is to clarify common
misconceptions about heaven and hell and inspire the teens
__________________________________________________
to make choices based on love of God.
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ GATHER (15 MIN):
__________________________________________________ Welcome and Opening Prayer: _______________________
__________________________________________________ Fork It Over: ______________________________________
__________________________________________________
PROCLAIM (15 MIN):
__________________________________________________
“Hell-bound” Teaching: _____________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ BREAK (25 MIN):
__________________________________________________ Small Group Discussion: ____________________________
__________________________________________________ • Begin with a round of “would you rather” questions found
on page 31.
__________________________________________________
• What images, movies, or songs come to mind when you
__________________________________________________ think about heaven and hell?
__________________________________________________ • How do these images influence our understanding of heaven
__________________________________________________ and hell? How do they conflict with Church teaching?
__________________________________________________ • What questions come to mind when you think about
heaven and hell? Spend time addressing these questions.
__________________________________________________
For a Core Member who is uncomfortable or unable to
__________________________________________________ answer certain questions, write them down and give them
__________________________________________________ to the youth minister.
__________________________________________________ • Describe what it looks like to have a healthy fear of hell.
__________________________________________________ How does a healthy fear of hell push us toward heaven?
Be sure to emphasize that healthy fear is not paralyzing.
__________________________________________________
It’s recognizing that hell exists, and we can actually spend
__________________________________________________ eternity without the love and joy offered by God.
__________________________________________________ • How can knowledge of heaven and hell make you more
__________________________________________________ attentive to the choices you make throughout each day?
__________________________________________________
SEND (20 MIN):
__________________________________________________
Cut & Fill Examination of Conscience: ___________________
__________________________________________________
Fatima Prayer: _____________________________________

This Life Night begins with a race that requires teens to

SEVER complete tasks to detach from one another. The Proclaim
A LIFE NIGHT ON PURGATORY teaches about the purpose of purgatory and offers tools
to help sever unhealthy attachments to sin. The Break is
GOAL a time of reflection followed by an opportunity to sign
Mass intention cards for recently deceased members of
The goal of Sever is to help the teens recognize the need the parish community. The Send is a guided Way of the
for purification before entering heaven and to explain the Cross meditation for the souls in purgatory.
practices of penance, almsgiving, and indulgences as part of
that process. ENVIRONMENT
KEY CONCEPTS Keep the heaven scene from Hell-bound set up in the main
meeting space. Make the entrance to the main meeting
• Heaven is total and perfect union with God which leaves space noticeably narrower while still being able to pass
no room for the disordered attachment to created things through. As teens get ready to enter, make them step off
caused by sin. to the side or in a separate room to empty their pockets
and leave their jackets and purses. Be sure to include cell
• In purgatory, one is assured of heaven but first must go phones. Label this area “extra baggage.”
through a process of purification to be conformed to Christ.
MEDIA SUGGESTIONS
• Those in purgatory are aided in the process of
sanctification by the rest of the body of Christ through Life Teen: “The Trouble Line” (Life Support: May 2016)
penance, almsgiving, and indulgences.
Ascension Presents: “What You Should Know About
Purgatory” (youtube.com)
KEY TERMS: SCRIPTURE: CATECHISM:
Purgatory 2 Maccabees 12:46 958 Hillsong Young & Free: “In Your Eyes (Acoustic) - Hillsong
Mark 9:43 1030 Young & Free” (youtube.com)
Sanctification 1 Corinthians 3:15 1032
Temporal Revelation 21:27 1471-1472 SOCIAL MEDIA HASHTAGS:
Punishment #LT_Sever
AS YOU GET STARTED...
For an alternate environment, consider blocking the entry

way to the main meeting space with a ribbon. Have the teens
wait outside and begin the Life Night with a ceremonial
ribbon cutting.

For a Send without physical Stations of the Cross, consider
creating a slideshow of images for each station to project
in the main meeting space.
LIFE NIGHT: SEVER
For an extended application of the Proclaim, consider
planning a trip for the youth to visit a local cemetery
between November 1 and November 8. A plenary indulgence GATHER
is available for the souls in purgatory when one devoutly
visits and prays during these dates. If time allows, plan to Welcome and Opening Prayer (5 min)
clean untended grave sites. Gather teens in the main meeting space. As teens enter,
have them immediately get into small groups. Welcome
HISPANIC INCULTURATION them to the Life Night, introduce any teens or Core Members
By Stephanie Espinoza attending for the first time, and begin in prayer.
Contributors: Juan Aznaran, Angie Marino
Race to Detachment (15 min)
Important Notes for Pastoral Care Give each small group yarn and instruct them to sit in a
When praying traditional prayers like the Our Father, Hail circle and tie their hand to the hand of the person to the
Mary, or Glory Be, consider that Hispanic/Latino teens have right. Once done, the small group should be completely
probably learned them in Spanish and not in English. It is attached without any breaks. The groups are then given
a good practice to project the prayers or provide a printed tasks for each person to complete. As each task is
copy. For this Send, give each teen the Way of the Cross for completed by every person in the group, the group can
the Souls in Purgatory handout found on the May 2018 Life choose one person’s string to be cut off by a Core Member.
Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com under Life Support: Those who become detached can offer help to those who
May 2018, which already includes the text of the prayers for are not, but each person must complete the task. As the
the teens to follow. group becomes more detached, it should get progressively
easier for them to complete each task. The first group to
Cultural Insights finish wins. Use the following or create tasks more suitable
Consider enhancing the environment for this Life Night by for your youth group:
creating an altar de muertos, or altar for the dead, to be a
focal point for the Life Night and, in particular, for the Send. • Tie a piece of ribbon into a bow
Place the Mass intention cards for the recently deceased on • Walk through a hula hoop
the altar and position the altar in a prominent place in the • Take a selfie with everyone in it (just one for the whole
meeting space. Have the Core Team bring in photos of their group)
loved ones who have passed away. Add a crucifix, flowers, • Toss a water balloon or tennis ball to someone in the
and candles to complete the altar (for more details about group without dropping it
Día de los Muertos or what makes an altar de muertos, see • Seal an envelope
the Life Teen blog post “Celebrating Death: the Tradition of • Drink a cup of water
Día de los Muertos” found online at lifeteen.com). If possible, • Sharpen a pencil
keep this piece in your main meeting space throughout the • Do the Macarena
year as a reminder of our responsibility to pray for the dead.

Transition into the Proclaim using the following: souls by not buying a coffee or snack. The money saved can
be brought to youth group and given to the youth minister
As we go through life, it is easy to become attached to what as their donation.
we have, our own plans, and especially sin that is habitual.
We will learn during this Life Night that we cannot enter SEND
heaven with disordered attachments. We have to sever
them in order to love the way God loves. As our Gather The Way of the Cross for the Souls in Purgatory (20 min)
game demonstrated, we experience a greater freedom and Gather the teens at your parish’s Stations of the Cross.
ease in life the more we sever the disordered attachments Pass out the Way of the Cross for the Souls in Purgatory
that hold us back. handout found on the May 2018 Life Teen USB and online
at lifeteen.com under Life Support: May 2018. Transition
PROCLAIM into prayer using the following:
“Sever” Teaching (15 min) The Way of the Cross is a prayer that allows us to walk
The Proclaim Outline and Proclaim Details can be found on through Jesus’ suffering as He makes His way with the
pages 50 to 57. cross on which He will be crucified. The process of
purification in purgatory is taught to be one of suffering,
BREAK also. We have an incredible privilege and ability to offer
prayers and sacrifices that aid in this process. At this time,
Individual Reflection (10 min) we are going to unite our prayer in the Way of the Cross
Pass out the Attached Reflection handout found on the May to the needs of the souls in purgatory.
2018 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com under Life
Support: May 2018. Allow the teens time to spread out in Delegate the readings to different Core Members and
the room, read through the questions, and reflect on their teens. Then, lead the teens through the prayer by walking
answers. Consider playing reflective music in the background. to each station or encouraging them to turn to each
station from their pew.
Mass Intention Cards (10 min)
Previous to the Life Night, gather enough Mass intention Notes: ___________________________________________
cards for the people in your parish who have recently
________________________________________________
passed away. You can get this list and the cards from
the parish secretary. Let him or her know that you will ________________________________________________
schedule dates and provide a donation for the Masses ________________________________________________
after the Life Night. ________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Explain to the teens that offering a Mass for someone who
________________________________________________
has passed away is a powerful way to pray for his or her
soul. Consider taking up a collection within the youth group ________________________________________________
at the next Life Night as a donation for the Masses being ________________________________________________
offered. Between now and then, encourage the teens to ________________________________________________
practice almsgiving by making a small sacrifice for these ________________________________________________

PROCLAIM OUTLINE • Souls in purgatory suffer, but it is a hopeful and joyful
suffering. It is a suffering different than that of hell and
more like the pain we experience when working out or
SEVER going through a growth spurt.
KEY TERMS GIVE ME PROOF

• In the Book of Maccabees, Judas, a righteous man,
Purgatory: A state of final purification after death offers prayers for his soldiers who have died. While
and before entrance into heaven for those who died preparing to bring their bodies home, Judas and other
in God’s friendship but were imperfectly purified. soldiers discover they have practiced idolatry.
Sanctification: The process of being made holy. • From the beginning, the Church has implemented the
Temporal Punishment: A penalty imposed on us, same prayer of Judas for the holy souls who enter the
either on Earth or in purgatory, by which we satisfy cleansing fire of purgatory.
the temporal debt we owe to God for our sins.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
TEACHING POINTS • We can aid the souls of those in purgatory and purify
our own hearts through works of penance, almsgiving,
LINGERING EFFECTS and indulgences.
• Forgiveness is separate from consequences. The initial • Acts of penance and almsgiving are ancient practices
consequence of sin is that we turn away from God or in the Church that help us detach from material goods.
completely sever our relationship with Him. Through Practicing acts of penance, such as fasting from certain
Reconciliation, we receive His total forgiveness and foods, giving up time on social media, or sleeping
mercy. without a pillow, help keep our natural instincts in their
• There is a second consequence to sin called temporal proper place. Almsgiving is a material sacrifice that
punishment, which is an unhealthy attachment to created reminds us that all we have is given by God and should
things. It is a punishment we inflict on ourselves because be used to serve Him.
the thing we become attached to can never satisfy us. • An indulgence is the “remission of the temporal
• To enter heaven, we have to rid ourselves of all unhealthy punishment due to sins” which have already been
attachments. We cannot fully love God if other things confessed and forgiven. A plenary indulgence offers us
come before Him. complete remission of temporal punishment. A partial
indulgence offers partial remission for our sins.
NO PAIN, NO GAIN • To receive an indulgence, we have to pray or do the
• We get rid of disordered attachments by purifying our prescribed action along with receiving the Eucharist,
hearts through a process of sanctification. going to confession, and praying for the intentions of
• When a person dies in God’s friendship but still suffers the pope.
from the effects of sin, he or she is sanctified through • Ask the teens if they have ever received an indulgence
purgatory. At this point, a soul is guaranteed heaven and what prayer or practice they said or did to receive
but must wrestle with the wrongs he or she has done. it. Give examples of indulgences.

• As we frequent these practices, grace abundantly ________________________________________________
works in our hearts and those of the souls in purgatory ________________________________________________
for whom we offer it. Once released into heaven, these
________________________________________________
souls are great allies who can offer intercession for us
that is constant and uninhibited by sin. ________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Notes: ___________________________________________ ________________________________________________
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
_______________________________________________ ________________________________________________
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
_______________________________________________ ________________________________________________
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________

PROCLAIM DETAILS your car tire. Arriving that way is probably extremely
undesirable. If you have the opportunity to change or clean
the stain, would you not take it?
SEVER
An unhealthy attachment also means that we put it before
healthy things. It creates disordered priorities. We cannot
TEACHING fully love God if other things come before Him. Are we okay
with missing Mass on Sunday to make it to a football game?
LINGERING EFFECTS Do we often replace our time for prayer with social media
binges? Are we so concerned with feeling important and
Have you noticed that when we do something wrong, we confident that we make others feel unimportant and small?
can say we are sorry and be forgiven, but there are usually
still lingering consequences? If you throw a party at your NO PAIN, NO GAIN
house while your parents are away, you can say you are
sorry and legitimately promise never to do it again, but We get rid of our disordered attachments by purifying
you still have to clean up, replace broken things, and our hearts. It’s a process known as sanctification — the
probably spend weeks being grounded to make up for it. atonement offered for our sin through Jesus’ suffering
Forgiveness is separate from consequences. and death is applied to our souls. While we can purify our
hearts in this life, a soul who has died without fully doing
Our souls face the same result when we sin. The initial so finishes the process through a state called purgatory.
consequence is that we turn away from God or completely Either way, the process of purification offers us great hope
sever our relationship with Him. As a remedy, we can go that we are never too far gone. God always forgives us
to Reconciliation and receive His total forgiveness and when we seek Him, and with His grace, we can reorient
mercy; our relationship with Him is strengthened and our hearts completely toward Him again. Not only does
restored. However, there is a second consequence to sin He guide us back, but He gives us the opportunity to make
called temporal punishment, or an unhealthy attachment right the things that we have done wrong.
to created things. It is a punishment we inflict on ourselves
because the created things that we become attached to A soul in purgatory has died in God’s friendship but still
can never satisfy us. We either suffer by spending time suffers from the effects of sin. At this point, heaven is a
grasping at it with no fulfillment or from the pain of having guarantee. First, though, the consequences of sin must be
to detach ourselves. dealt with. Souls in purgatory do suffer, but it is suffering
CCC 1472 accompanied by hope and joy because they know that
they will eventually be able to enter the joy of heaven. The
To enter heaven, we have to be rid of all unhealthy suffering of purgatory is different than that of hell and
attachments. Unfortunately, we are not magically changed more like the pain we experience when working out or
at death; if not dealt with now, we carry wounds, stains, going through a growth spurt. It is a spiritual suffering
and baggage with us when we die. Aside from it being that results from realizing the love of God and our lack of
impossible to have with us in heaven, we wouldn’t want to love for Him during life on Earth. It is a process of being
bring it there anyway. Imagine having to show up at prom conformed to the image of Christ through the grace He
after spilling an entire plate of food on your lap or getting a won for us in His suffering, death, and Resurrection.
giant grease mark on the front of your shirt after changing CCC 1472

GIVE ME PROOF material sacrifice that reminds us that all we have is given
by God and should be used to serve Him. Ultimately, both
Some may argue that purgatory is not Scriptural and does of these practices offer us freedom by severing unhealthy
not exist. Through study of the teaching, though, one attachments.
can see that purgatory not only makes sense but is very CCC 2043
Scriptural. In the Book of Maccabees, a righteous man
named Judas, offers prayers for his soldiers who have died. Indulgences have a tough reputation in the history of the
While preparing to bring their bodies home, Judas and Church. An indulgence is the “remission of the temporal
other soldiers discover tokens of idols beneath the clothes punishment due to sins” which have already been
of the dead men. This means that they had committed the confessed and forgiven. In mercy, the Church offers many
sin of idolatry. In response, Judas says, “It is a holy and opportunities to receive an indulgence.
wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may CCC 1471
be loosed from sins.” From the beginning, the Church has
implemented the same prayer of Judas for the holy souls Ask the teens if they have ever received an indulgence and
who enter the cleansing fire of purgatory. what prayer or practice they said or did to receive it. Some
Maccabees 12:46, 1 Corinthians 3:15, 1 Peter 1:7 common examples are visits to a church on the day of its
consecration, visits to a church or oratory on All Souls’
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Day, and the renewal of baptismal promises.
During our life, we can aid the souls in purgatory and purify There are two types of indulgences: plenary and partial.
our own hearts through works of penance, almsgiving, and A plenary indulgence offers us complete remission of
indulgences. These are tried and true ways for us to detach temporal punishment. To receive a plenary indulgence,
from material goods and heal the wounds caused by sin. we have to pray or do the prescribed action along with
That being said, along with helping the souls in purgatory receiving the Eucharist, going to confession, and praying
reach heaven, we can remove the consequences of sin now for the intentions of the pope. A partial indulgence is
so that we do not have to suffer in purgatory later. We can offered when the above things are not present, and it
be so conformed to Christ in this life that we go straight to does just what it sounds like — it offers partial remission
heaven when we die. for our sins.
CCC 1032
As we frequent these practices, grace abundantly works
Acts of penance and almsgiving are ancient practices in in our hearts and can aid the souls in purgatory, if we offer
the Church that help us in several ways. We know that we it for them. Once released into heaven, these souls are
all have important natural instincts like eating, sleeping, great allies who offer intercession for us that is constant
and procreating. If left unchecked, these desires quickly and uninhibited by sin. During this Life Night, we will have
turn into gluttony, laziness, and lust. Practicing acts of a couple of opportunities to aid these suffering souls. We
penance, such as fasting from certain foods, giving up encourage you to not only take advantage of this time of
time on social media, or sleeping without a pillow, help prayer, but make it a part of your everyday life.
discipline our bodies and keep our natural instincts in their CCC 1459-1460
proper place. In the same way, we need to have money
to provide for ourselves, but it is really easy to become
attached to it and the things it can buy. Almsgiving is a

Notes: ___________________________________________ CORE TEAM OVERVIEW
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ SEVER: Purgatory
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ GOAL: The goal of Sever is to help the teens recognize
__________________________________________________ the need for purification before entering heaven and to
explain the practices of indulgences and penance as part
__________________________________________________ of that process.
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ GATHER (20 MIN):
__________________________________________________ Welcome and Opening Prayer:_______________________
__________________________________________________ Race to Detachment:_______________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ PROCLAIM (15 MIN):
__________________________________________________ “Sever” Teaching: __________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ BREAK (20 MIN):
__________________________________________________ Individual Reflection: _______________________________
__________________________________________________ Mass Intention Cards: ______________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ SEND (20 MIN):
__________________________________________________ The Way of the Cross for the Souls in Purgatory: ________
__________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ Notes: __________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________

During this Life Night, the Gather introduces the imagery in

DESTROYED the Book of Revelation through a trivia game. The Proclaim
A LIFE NIGHT ON THE SECOND COMING encourages joy for the reign of Jesus’ justice in the Second
AND FINAL JUDGMENT Coming and Final Judgment. The Break applies the teaching
to the teens’ lives through discussion and the assembly of
GOAL bags for the homeless. The Send reflects on the triumph of
Jesus’ Resurrection through a decade of the rosary.
The goal of Destroyed is to distinguish the Final Judgment
from particular judgment and to replace fear with excitement ENVIRONMENT
for Jesus’ Second Coming.
The environment for this Life Night is the apocalypse but
KEY CONCEPTS with a twist. In the main meeting space, create a scene of
destruction with fake fire, broken objects, and trash on
• Throughout salvation history, God prepares the hearts of the ground. Turn the furniture upside down and make it a
His people for the coming of Jesus; He does the same for struggle for the teens to find somewhere to sit. Wherever
Jesus’ Second Coming. possible, label the destruction with injustices and broken
aspects of our culture, for example, divorce, abortion, self-
• The Second Coming and Final Judgment will result in harm, abuse, poverty, racism, etc.
God’s ultimate triumph over all evil — His justice overcoming
all injustice. In the front of the room create a giant throne and label it the
Kingdom of Heaven or place an image of Jesus, Christ the
• At the Final Judgment, each person will be reunited with King. Encourage the Core Members to dress up as if they
his or her body, and Jesus, Christ the King, will separate all have survived the apocalypse by having disheveled hair,
people according to their love of the poor. a dirty face, and ripped clothing. Have one Core Member
sitting on the floor at the entrance of the main meeting
space with a cardboard sign saying, “The end is here.”
KEY TERMS: SCRIPTURE: CATECHISM:
Justice Matthew 25:31-46 1039-1040 As teens enter, have a fake radio broadcast created by the
Resurrection of the John 5:28-29 1045 Core Team, or teens, covering the events of the apocalypse.
Body Acts 24:15-16 For broadcast content, consider reading excerpts from the
Salvation History Book of Revelation. If there is a screen in your meeting space,
project television static.
MEDIA SUGGESTIONS
Relaxing Sounds: “Tv Static Noise/ Effect~10 Hr. HD 1080P”

(youtube.com)

HillsongunitedTV: “Empire Acoustic—Hillsong UNITED” During the Break, have the teens assemble the bags and
(youtube.com) include handwritten notes of prayer and encouragement.
“Glory (Let There Be Peace),” Matt Maher (Glory (Let There Cultural Insights
Be Peace) - Single, Providential Label Group, 2016) For the environment, consider including injustices Hispanic
teens may know based on the stories of their parents’
SOCIAL MEDIA HASHTAGS: or grandparents’ native countries like war, government-
#LT_ Destroyed sponsored oppression, and religious persecution. You
might also include injustices related to living as Hispanics
AS YOU GET STARTED... in the United States such as separation of families due to
immigration laws.
For a deeper Break and Send, consider omitting the bags
for the homeless and conclude the Life Night with a time Notes: __________________________________________
of Eucharistic Adoration. Invite your parish priest and music __________________________________________________
minister to lead this time of prayer.
__________________________________________________
For a Break that extends beyond the Life Night, consider __________________________________________________
scheduling an opportunity for the teens to serve the poor in __________________________________________________
your community at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter. __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
HISPANIC INCULTURATION
__________________________________________________
By Stephanie Espinoza
Contributors: Juan Aznaran, Angie Marino __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Important Notes for Pastoral Care __________________________________________________
Hispanic/Latino immigrant households in the United __________________________________________________
States have a higher poverty rate than most other ethnic
__________________________________________________
households in the United States. When discussing the
injustice of poverty at the end of the Proclaim, and then __________________________________________________
again for the “Bags for the Homeless” activity in the Break, __________________________________________________
keep in mind that poverty may not be as distant a reality __________________________________________________
for some of these teens. __________________________________________________
If there are many families in your youth group that might __________________________________________________
relate to these experiences, consider having small groups __________________________________________________
create a couple of grocery goodie bags for local families in __________________________________________________
need. Work with the parish office to identify those families __________________________________________________
who would benefit from the anonymous donation. Instead
__________________________________________________
of personal hygiene items, in the weeks beforehand and at
the start of the Life Night, collect non-perishable food items.

starting from the leader. The goal is to quickly whip
around the circle encouraging every teen to speak when
it’s his or her turn.)
LIFE NIGHT: DESTROYED • What worries do most people have about the end of time?
• How did the teaching change your perception of the
Second Coming and Final Judgment?
GATHER • Where do you need Christ’s victory in your life?
• How can you work toward greater justice in your school
Welcome and Opening Prayer (5 min) and local community?
Gather teens in the main meeting space. Welcome them
to the Life Night, introduce any teens or Core Members Bags for the Homeless (10 min)
attending for the first time, and begin in prayer. Previous to the Life Night, collect hygiene items such as
toothpaste, toothbrushes, combs, wash clothes, soap, and
Revelation Trivia (10 min) deodorant. Purchase enough gallon size Ziploc bags and
Split the teens into groups of six to eight. Give each group water bottles to have one for each teen. Consider typing a
a dry erase board or sheet of paper and a marker. Using the list of resources in your local community that assists those
How Many Scrolls Will You Eat? handout, lead the teens in in need and print one for each teen.
a trivia game based on the Book of Revelation. Handouts
are found on the May 2018 Life Teen USB and online at In small groups, have the teens assemble a bag with all the
lifeteen.com under Life Support: May 2018. As you reveal supplies. Provide paper and pen and encourage the teens
each question, the group has 30 seconds to determine an to write a note ensuring the person of their prayers and
answer and write it down. The group with the most correct asking for his or hers as well. Be sure teens do not write any
answers wins. personal or contact information on the note. Explain the
activity using the following:
PROCLAIM
Although we cannot fully rid the world of injustice, we can
“Destroyed” Teaching (15 min) work toward easing its pain. These bags are to keep in your
The Proclaim Outline and Proclaim Details can be found on car for moments when you encounter someone who is
pages 67 to 73. asking for help. Feel free to add to this bag. You can put gift
cards to restaurants, granola bars, or other little things you
BREAK think are helpful. Be sure to always have someone else with
you, like a parent or other adult, when giving the bag away.
Small Group Discussion (20 min)
Divide the teens into small groups of six to eight with one SEND
Core Member in each group. Begin the small group with a
prayer, and then use the following questions to facilitate The Resurrection (15 min)
discussion: Gather the teens into the main meeting space or chapel.
• Whip Around: What is your favorite apocalyptic show or Pass out the How to Pray the Rosary handout found on the
movie? (A whip around question is a question that can May 2018 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com under Life
be answered in one word or phrase and goes clockwise Support: May 2018. Transition into prayer using the following:

In conquering evil, one of the most powerful tools we have as PROCLAIM OUTLINE
Catholics is the rosary. This form of prayer leads us through
moments of Christ’s life with Mary as our guide. Our Lady
followed God’s will perfectly in her life and is consequently DESTROYED
the greatest enemy of Satan and his works of injustice. She
inspires hope in us and leads us to the freedom of a life
with her Son. With Mary, we are now going to rejoice in the KEY TERMS
triumph of Jesus’ Resurrection and pray in joyful anticipation
of His Second Coming. Justice: To be in “right relationship” with one another;
true justice is rooted in God’s original plan for human
Have a teen read Mark 16:1-7, and then pray a decade of the happiness and harmony.
rosary using the first glorious mystery, the Resurrection.
Resurrection of the Body: The universal return to life
Notes: ___________________________________________ of all human beings, to occur soon before the Final
________________________________________________ Judgment by God’s almighty power. Each individual
soul will be reunited with the same body with which
________________________________________________
it was united on earth.
________________________________________________
________________________________________________ Salvation History: The redemptive activity of God
________________________________________________ within human history.
________________________________________________
________________________________________________ TEACHING POINTS
________________________________________________
A HISTORY TO PREPARE
________________________________________________
• Ask the teens if they can recall what happens during a
________________________________________________ particular judgment.
_______________________________________________
• If we each undergo a particular judgment, why is there a
________________________________________________ Final Judgment? What makes it different? Will it be like
________________________________________________ the apocalypse movies? Will people disappear around
________________________________________________ us?
________________________________________________ • Salvation history is the story of God bringing us out of
________________________________________________ the darkness of sin and drawing us near to Him. The story
continues with us as we go about our day-to-day lives,
________________________________________________
and it will continue until Jesus “speaks the final word
________________________________________________ on all of history” at the Second Coming (CCC 1040). At
________________________________________________ this time, the dead will rise, the Final Judgment will take
_______________________________________________ place, and the current world will pass away.
________________________________________________

A JOYFUL CELEBRATION? • Another result of Jesus’ Second Coming is the
• Every year during Advent, we wait in anticipation for resurrection of our bodies. Not only will evil be
the coming of Christ. In the Lord’s Prayer, we pray, “Thy conquered, but we will have glorified bodies that no
Kingdom come, Thy will be done,” and in Eucharistic longer suffer from illness or death.
Prayer III, the prayers of the priest at Mass during
the Liturgy of the Eucharist, we hear, “... as we look PREPPED AND READY
forward to His Second Coming.” • We are called to stay alert because only the Father
• Consider the words surrounding these prayers and knows the day and the hour Christ will come again. In
season: come, celebrate, look forward. They are words the same way that He prepared the people of the Old
of joyful anticipation. Do we associate the Second Testament for the birth of Jesus, we can trust that God
Coming with excitement and joy? prepares our hearts for Jesus’ Second Coming.
• Much of our understanding of these events comes • In preparation, we are asked to grow in the likeness of
from the Book of Revelation. The imagery of the end Christ by serving our neighbors in their poverty.
of the world is pretty frightening, both from Scripture • Read Matthew 25:31-46.
and modern depictions. Why, then, does the Church
pray for this moment with joyful anticipation? • Poverty can take different forms. By seeking
opportunities to love and serve, we work with Christ to
destroy sin and death. Not only does this increase our
EVERYONE WILL KNOW desire for His ultimate triumph over evil, it prepares us
• It’s true that with the Second Coming there is to stand before Him, not just in a moment of judgment,
destruction, and with the Final Judgment, all of but in His glory for eternity.
our actions and thoughts are revealed. However,
the destruction is that of evil and injustice, and the
complete revelation of our lives shows God’s mercy Notes: ___________________________________________
and goodness. ________________________________________________
• Ask the teens to list injustices we suffer every day. ________________________________________________
Some examples are divorce, abortion, self-harm, ________________________________________________
abuse, poverty, and racism. ________________________________________________
• When Jesus comes again, His justice will triumph over ________________________________________________
greed that keeps others poor, acts of lust that leave
________________________________________________
us broken and used, and moments of selfishness that
cause someone else’s needs to be pushed to the side. ________________________________________________
________________________________________________
• All of the decisions we have made, both loving and
selfish, will be revealed before everyone, and we will ________________________________________________
see how God was able to make all things work for the ________________________________________________
good of those who love Him. We will all be in awe of _______________________________________________
God’s ability to work with, in, and through all things. ________________________________________________
________________________________________________

PROCLAIM DETAILS A JOYFUL CELEBRATION?
Every year during Advent, we wait in anticipation for

DESTROYED the coming of Christ. We celebrate that He came into a
particular time in history, He comes into our hearts now,
and He will come again in glory. In the Lord’s Prayer,
TEACHING we pray, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done,” and in
Eucharistic Prayer III, the prayers of the priest at Mass
A HISTORY TO PREPARE during the Liturgy of the Eucharist, we hear, “... as we
look forward to His Second Coming.”
Ask the teens if they can recall what happens during a
particular judgment. (We are judged by our faith in Christ Consider the words surrounding these prayers and season:
and how we expressed that faith during our life. We come, celebrate, look forward. They are words of joyful
receive the reward of heaven, possibly after purgatory, or anticipation. Yet, how often do we associate the Second
immediately suffer eternity in hell.) Coming, the end of the present world, or judgment with
excitement and joy?
If we each undergo a particular judgment, why is there
Much of our understanding of the Second Coming, and the
also a Final Judgment? What makes it different? What will
events preceding it, come from the Book of Revelation.
happen at that time? Will it be like the apocalypse movies?
Because of its heavy symbolism and bizarre imagery, it
Will people disappear around us?
can be really confusing and difficult to understand. There
are beasts full of eyes, a seemingly slain lamb with seven
By reading the Scriptures, we have an understanding of
horns and seven eyes, a dragon waiting to consume a
God’s plan for our salvation. The story of God bringing
child being birthed, and bowls containing plagues that
us out of the darkness of sin and drawing us near to
are poured out on to the world. The imagery of the end
Him is called salvation history. In the Old Testament, we
of the world is pretty frightening, both from Scripture
learn that God prepared the hearts of His people for the
and modern depictions. Just think about the latest
coming of Christ. At which point, He entered into history
apocalypse movie you’ve seen — who would want to live
as a baby. It is not quite what the people expected, but through that?
upon looking back at the Scriptures and prophecies, they
began to make sense of it. They saw the promises being Revelation 4:6, 5:6, 12:4, 16:1
realized and patterns taking shape. The story continued Why, then, does the Church pray for this moment with
with the Church being formed and spreading throughout joyful anticipation?
the world, it continues with us as we go about our day-to-
day lives, and it will continue until Jesus “speaks the final EVERYONE WILL KNOW
word on all of history.” We call this the Second Coming. At
this time, the dead will rise, the Final Judgment will take It is true that with the Second Coming there is destruction,
place, and the current world will pass away. and with the Final Judgment, all of our actions and thoughts
CCC 1040, 1043 are revealed. However, the destruction will be that of evil
and injustice, and the complete revelation of our lives shows
the fullness of the mercy and goodness of God.

Ask the teens to list injustices we suffer every day. If using Another result of Jesus’ Second Coming is the resurrection
the suggested environment, refer to the destruction labeled of our bodies. In death, our body and soul are ripped from
with injustices such as divorce, abortion, self-harm, abuse, one another, but God’s intention is for them to be reunited.
poverty, racism, etc. Not only will evil be conquered, but we will have glorified
bodies that no longer suffer corruption.
Can you imagine what it would be like to not have to worry
about cancer or sickness? Can you imagine a point when PREPPED AND READY
we won’t be hurt by others? When Jesus comes again, His
justice will triumph over every bit of greed that keeps others In a world that loves to predict its own end, we believe, as
poor, every act of lust that leaves us broken and used, every Catholics, that it is more important to live every moment of
moment of selfishness that causes someone else’s needs to our lives as if it will be our last. We are called to stay alert
be pushed to the side. because only the Father knows the day and the hour Christ
will come again. In the same way that He prepared the people
To have a world where love reigns, we have to face judgment. of the Old Testament for the coming of Jesus, we can trust
All of those moments we have been hurt or hurt others need that God prepares our hearts for Jesus’ Second Coming.
to be revealed and healed. At the Final Judgment, we will Matthew 24:26, 25:13
face all of the decisions we have made, whether they are
loving or selfish, and every consequence rippling out from For now, we are asked to stay alert by learning how to love.
them. The smallest details of our hearts will be revealed and We are asked to grow in the likeness of Christ by serving our
laid bare before God and every person. It is probably a very neighbors in their poverty.
overwhelming and scary thought.
CCC 1039 Read Matthew 25:31-46.
Our fear is usually rooted in what other people will think of us Poverty can take different forms. We may encounter it in
or the fear of consequences. We worry that our best friend the man on the street who has nothing or in the family who
will now know that we told one of their deepest secrets or is struggling to put a meal on the table. However, it can also
that everyone will find out we were addicted to painkillers. be found in the person who no one wants to speak to at
school or in the boss who is only concerned about money. By
Add fears applicable to your particular teens. seeking these opportunities to love and serve, we work with
Christ to destroy sin and death. Not only does this increase
More than seeing how our actions and thoughts impact our desire for His ultimate triumph over evil, it prepares us to
others, we will see how God was able to make all things work stand before Him, not just in a moment of judgment, but in
for the good of those who love Him. Our parents won’t be His glory for eternity.
there ready to ground us, and our friend’s ex won’t chew us
out for convincing our friend to break up with him or her. We Notes: ___________________________________________
will all be in awe of God’s ability to work with, in, and through __________________________________________________
all of these negative things. We will be consumed by the
extremes God goes to in order to spend eternity with us. __________________________________________________
Romans 8:28 __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________

_________________________________________________ CORE TEAM OVERVIEW
__________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ DESTROYED: Second Coming and Final Judgment
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ GOAL: The goal of Destroyed is to distinguish the Final
Judgment from particular judgment and to replace fear
__________________________________________________
with excitement for Jesus’ Second Coming.
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ GATHER (15 MIN):
__________________________________________________ Welcome and Opening Prayer: _______________________
__________________________________________________ Revelation Trivia: __________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ PROCLAIM (15 MIN):
__________________________________________________ “Destroyed” Teaching: ______________________________
__________________________________________________
BREAK (30 MIN):
__________________________________________________
Small Group Discussion:____________________________
__________________________________________________
• Whip Around: What is your favorite apocalyptic show or
__________________________________________________
movie?
__________________________________________________
• What worries do most people have about the end of time?
__________________________________________________
• How did the teaching change your perception of the
__________________________________________________
Second Coming and Final Judgment?
__________________________________________________
• Where do you need Christ’s victory in your life?
__________________________________________________
• How can you work toward greater justice in your school
_____________________________________________ __
and local community?
_______________________________________________
__________________________________________________ Bags for the Homeless :_____________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ SEND (15 MIN):
__________________________________________________ The Resurrection: _________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________


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1 LIFE NIGHT SERIES: DEAD; 1

ABOUT THIS SERIES

Design: Ryan McQuade

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This Life Night begins with a Gather activity in which teens

Randall’s Rest & Relaxation: “Clock Sound Effect = 12 Hours of

Theresa Aletheia: “Memento Mori” (spotify.com)

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Bucket List (20 min)

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TEACHING POINTS PARTICULAR JUDGMENT

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This Life Night begins with a fun competition that

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Fork It Over (10 min) Small Group Discussion (25 min)

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God created man to be in a relationship with Him. He created

We often have the perception that getting to heaven or I CHOOSE MYSELF

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This Life Night begins with a race that requires teens to

AS YOU GET STARTED...

For an alternate environment, consider blocking the entry

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KEY TERMS GIVE ME PROOF

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During this Life Night, the Gather introduces the imagery in

Relaxing Sounds: “Tv Static Noise/ Effect~10 Hr. HD 1080P”

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Every year during Advent, we wait in anticipation for

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