Appreciating Diversity
It can be a challenge to see every person as an individual rather than stereotyping them as part of an ethnic, racial, or religious group. What does it mean to go beyond tolerance and genuinely appreciate that everyone is not the same?...
Terrorism: A New Threat
Since the September 11, 2001 attack on the United States, terrorism has become the biggest concern of the 21st century. Security, suspicion, and uncertainty have become part of the ordinary routine. How has terrorism changed our lives? How can our Catholic faith help us to cope with fears and to face this “new” kind of threat?
Video Game Addictions
Video games can be entertaining and provide a welcome distraction from the stresses of everyday life. But for some, the games can become alternate realities into which they retreat, withdrawing from their real lives, real friends and family...
If You Lived in Africa
You would think that a day in the life of an African teenager living in a rural village is completely different from that of an American teenager. Simple necessities like clean water and food are hard to come by. Despite the radically different living conditions, there are many things African and American teens do have in common…
Living Your Faith in the Public Arena
Would your public actions demonstrate to others that you are a disciple of Jesus? Does your faith influence your opinion and your willingness to take a stand on important issues? His Catholic faith has inspired our Spotlight guest, three time Emmy-Award winning actor Martin Sheen, to become an activist for a number of...
When a Christian Dies
As Catholic Christians our ultimate hope is to be united with God in heaven. This means not only living a faithful life, but also passing on through death. While modern culture seems afraid of death, our faith reminds us that there is nothing to fear. The funeral rites of the Church help us to give thanks for the lives of our loved ones...
Internet Concerns: Privacy and Predators
While the Internet brings a world of information to our doors and allows us to connect with friends and relatives, it can also have its dangers. Users need to take precautions to avoid having their identity stolen and misused, and protect themselves from on–line predators. How can our faith and the Bible guide us in these situations?
Perilous Parties
A party usually means having a good time with friends, but sometimes the simple fun we expected becomes a nightmare. Illegal or dangerous activities, like underage drinking, experimenting with drugs, and sexual assault can turn a good party into a “perilous” party. How can our faith help us to make the right choices when it comes to...
What is Our Response-Ability?
It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the natural disasters, violence, refugee crises, and other problems we see and hear about in the news. We wonder what kind of effect our little efforts could possibly have when the needs of people are so great? It seems there will always be people who suffer and people who cause the suffering...
Depression in Teenagers
According to the National Center for Health and Wellness, as many as one in eight teenagers are affected by depression. Between three and five percent of the teenage population experiences depression each year, but less than a quarter of those individuals will receive proper treatment. What are the signs of a clinical depression and how...
Praying with Music
Music has a huge influence on how we define ourselves and according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the average teenager spends two and a half hours a day listening to music. Do we ever think about how music can help us to grow closer to God…or even if music can be a form of prayer?
Being a Reconciler at Home
Belonging to a family has its ups and downs, its frustrations and joys. In all of it, we share each others burdens and successes. Does your family deal with the difficulties peacefully or is there a lot of conflict in your home life? What are some ways our faith can help to move your family in the direction of reconciliation and peace?
Christmas: Holiday or Holy Day?
Christmas is a joyful time when Christians celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ, the Savior, into the world. In the United States, the focus has gradually been placed on decorating and entertaining, on gift giving and getting, on Santa and snowflakes and all the rest. Have we lost sight of the entire origin and meaning of...
Standing Strong AGAINST Gangs
Gangs recruit new members by offering a powerful sense of belonging during a time in life when teenagers are defining their identity. Once initiated into a gang, they find themselves in a world of crime, violence, and feuds before they realize what is happening; and walking away is not an easy option...
Poverty in America: Is There an Answer?
Tens of millions of people in America lack housing, food, clean water--some of the basic necessities of life. How can it be, in a country where so many people have so much, that so many others live without? Our generation has an obligation to respond to this question.
2007-2008
Select Season:
Moral Decision Making
When facing tough decisions, we often turn to our conscience, an internal spiritual compass that leads us in the right direction. All the while, we live in a culture that is full of distractions and thinking that influences us--often leading us down the opposite path. Award winning singer/songwriter and youth minister, Steve Angrisano...
Violence in School
If studying, dating, and extra-curricular activities weren’t enough to think about, many teenagers worry about being hurt or attacked while at school. Reports of violence in our schools appear on the evening news with alarming frequency. Schools have taken steps to prevent violence; police presence, metal detectors, and zero-tolerance...
Looking Different: Judging Others
Most of us would admit to making quick judgments about people who look different. We develop attitudes about people who go to extremes with tattoos, body piercings, unusual hair colors--and we might even treat them differently. No one knows this better than special guest, Fr. Bob Lubic, who is known as the “Punk Priest” because of the...
Using People to Get Ahead
Have you ever purposefully taken advantage of someone’s kindness to get a better grade? Or pretended to be friends with someone to get invited to a party or other event? Perhaps you were the one who was “used?” It takes honesty to admit when you’ve gotten ahead at someone else’s expense. Our Christian faith has some...
Serving God
Do you ever think about your purpose in life? Catholics believe that the purpose of every human being is to know, love and serve God; and that when we do this we know true happiness. Special Guest, Contemporary Christian singer/songwriter Matt Maher shares what he thinks it means to truly be a “servant of God”...
Sibling Rivalry
More than 80 per cent of us grow up with siblings. We share a home, experiences, parents, religion, friends, even DNA. All of this sharing can be great, but often it also leads to conflicts and competition between brothers and sisters. Are there ways to work through the clashes that arise without screaming and yelling or losing...
Chastity
All of us are called to the virtue of chastity whether we are single or married, young or old, celibate, widowed or divorced. Often misunderstood, it is not the same as abstinence. Rather, being a chaste person means to live in a way in which you are in tune with your spiritual potential and integrate your sexuality into...
Teen Mentors
We all can probably name a few people in our lives who have helped to shape who we are and what we believe-- family, teachers, pastors, coaches and community leaders. One group we often forget is our peers. Teenagers influence each other and those who are younger than they are in powerful ways. What we say and...
Dangerous Dressing
Like it or not, the way you dress makes an impression on people. In the best case, your clothes and your style express who you are and what is most important to you. Sometimes, often without thinking, what we choose to wear can send the wrong message about us and about the way we want to live. Clothing with...
The Media: Reporting or Creating the News?
It can be a mistake to accept everything you hear or read “in the news” as the complete and unbiased truth. There seems to be a tendency toward sensationalized stories and items that will be “entertaining.” How can we become more savvy when it comes to understanding the truth behind the...
