Youth

“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come”.
–Ecclesiastes 12:1
Youth is such an important stage in our lives because that is when we are discovering ourselves, building our identity and experiences that soon mould us into who we are. What we do and experience in our youth can influence our life and personality all together sometimes. So what does this bible verse in particular trying to imply?

Knowing our Creator in our youth is so important in discovering our identity. We live in a society where we have social media, friend’s circles, movies and TV shows that are all trying to tell us who we are and how we should live our lives. However, that can all sometimes leave us feeling confused, insecure and sad from not being able to fit into society’s norms. It is really important that in our youth we have a firm ground on our foundation and identity in Christ. That before we are anything else, we are sons and daughters of Christ and that we are loved unconditionally by our Almighty Father. This way we stop seeking approvals from the world and people around us who will never fully satisfy the love and acceptance that we crave.

That love can only be filled by God.

“I write to you, young people, because you are strong and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world”. – 1 John 14-15

Therefore in our youth, let us build our identity that we are so loved to the point of death by Our Father and that is the only love and acceptance that will last. This way, rather than seeking others approval, we set our standards soaring high for we have God, the Almighty creator, Jesus the prince of peace and the Holy Spirit, always ready to fight our battles in the life ahead.

Preparation for marriage

During Jesus’s life, before He made any decisions, He made sure to always pray beforehand and He was God himself.
“One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God” – Luke 6:12.
Therefore, it is important for us to pray as well before we make one of the most important decisions in our life, Marriage.
How are some of the ways we can also practically prepare for marriage? Here are some examples:

• Join a marriage preparation prayer group or start one on your own with some of your friends that also want the same. Even if it is just two people, spend time early on to pray for your spouse and your future family.

• Prayer is so important during discerning about a potential spouse as well. Spend time in Adoration and Holy Mass and give this intention to God. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time before making a decision. Persistent prayer is key to discerning if a person is the one God has for you but make sure to not get attached to the person during this time as well so you don’t mistake your voice with God’s.

• Read plenty of books that will help you for the preparations of marriage. Come examples are: “A Catholic handbook for engaged and newly married couples” by Frederick W. Marks, “Theology Of The Body For Beginners“ by Christopher West.

• If you have discerning a person as your future spouse, before marriage it is really important to pray together, read bible together, learn all the teachings of the catholic church about marriage and family life together, try to attend mass together but most importantly attend regular confessions. Confession is so important for preparation of marriage as it is so important to leave behind any past baggage before entering into this sacred covenant together.

• Litany and 52 day rosary are things couples do to help them grow but during all these, it’s so important that right until the day of the marriage, we have to be open to God’s ways. Only on the day of the wedding that you become one. So let’s all pray for each other and help each other to prepare for this sacrament together to glorify God in our marriages.