Jackson Youth Group

10/24/2026

When bad things happen to good people.

In the Gospel, some people come to Jesus and essentially ask him the age old question: why do bad things happen to good people?

It's a legitimate difficulty, and hard for many to reconcile with an all good, loving God.

While this isn't meant to be exhaustive, let's consider a few things that can point us in the right direction.

We always need to look to the example of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Though he was perfect, the best of us, he endured the most suffering, experienced the worst of humanity.

Out of Jesus's suffering came the greatest good: our salvation.

Because as the Church teaches, God only permits evil insofar as he will bring about a greater good.

We may not see the good that comes out of a terrible situation.

But we know that God works all things for good. ALL things, even the bad.

So take heart. Your suffering isn't for nothing.

It's all part of the masterpiece that God is making of your life.

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10/22/2026

Happy Feast of St. John Paul II!

There is so much that could be said about his life and legacy, but I'd like us to consider three things.

Let's consider three of his great loves:

The cross, Mary, and young people.

St. JPII had a very difficult life, and suffering was his constant companion.

His strength came from his love for Jesus and the cross, bearing his sufferings until the very end.

He was 8 years old when his own mother died, and he had a lifelong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

His papal motto was "Totus Tuus" ("Totally Yours") signifying his total consecration to Jesus through Mary.

Lastly, he deeply understood that young people aren't just the future of the Church, but are the Church now.

He started World Youth Days (WYD) to respond to the spiritual hunger of young people.

At WYD 2000 he said, "Young people of every continent, do not be afraid to be the saints of the new millennium!"

So, go be saints, and do not be afraid!

10/21/2026

The Gospel today continues Jesus's discussion on the need for spiritual vigilance.

He compares the unpredictability of the second coming to a thief breaking into a house.

Jesus says, "If the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."

A good, honest question to ask ourselves is if Jesus came today, would I be ready?

If not, what's holding me back?

Are we too attached to our worldly comforts and attachments?

Do we actually want to be with Jesus in Heaven for all eternity?

Life is too short; there's no time to waste.

We need to start living for eternity now.

Live every day joyfully in anticipation of the life to come.

Where Jesus longs to fulfill all your desires.

10/20/2026

In today's Gospel, Jesus stresses the need for daily vigilance and readiness.

He says, "Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master's return from a wedding."

Jesus says that we need to be ready to open immediately when the master comes and knocks.

He will come on an unknown day and unknown hour. Will we be ready?

We must keep our lamps lit with faith, grace, and good works that must not be extinguished by complacency or sin.

Our Lord's return is something we actively await, not something to be passively dreaded.

We await Jesus's return through prayer, sacraments, and loving our neighbors.

It's meant to be a joyous awaiting.

In the great reversal in the story, Jesus says the master will have the servants wait at table and he will serve THEM.

This foreshadows the Eucharist and the heavenly banquet, in which Christ humbly serves those who remain faithful to him.

10/19/2026

Today is the memorial of the North American martyrs.

We especially commemorate St. John de Brebeuf, St. Isaac Jogues, and their companions.

These missionary priests went out to evangelize the Native Americans in the new world.

They were caught between the warring tribes and ritually tortured and killed.

Truly inspiring is the story of St. Isaac Jogues, a bright man of learning who gave up a career to work among the Hurons.

He and his companions were captured and imprisoned for 13 months, being led from village to village.

They were beaten, tortured, and forced to watch as their Huron converts were mangled and killed.

He managed to escape, but several fingers had been cut, chewed, or burnt off.

The pope gave him permission to offer Mass with his mutilated hands.

Despite his imprisonment and torture, he wanted to go back to the missions and minister to the Hurons.

It was there that he was captured again, and this time beheaded.

May these brave martyrs inspire us with that same courage in our proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ.

10/18/2026

The Gospel for this 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time leaves us with a lot to consider.

Where do your loyalties lie: with God or the world?

Trying to trap Jesus in speech, they ask him if it's lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not.

They think they have him, because if he says yes, then he appears to be a Roman sympathizer, but if no, then an enemy of Rome.

Exposing their hypocrisy, Jesus asks them to show the coin that pays the census tax.

Handing him the Roman coin, they prove that they themselves, though Jewish, had loyalty to the Roman invaders.

As the coin bore Caesar's image and inscription, Jesus gave them a mic drop response.

He said, "Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."

This has become one of the most commented on passages in Scripture.

Jesus highlights that we have obligations to the state, but most importantly to God.

So, do your civic duties, but above all, and most importantly...

Give God everything, because we owe him our entire lives.

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10/15/2026

Happy Feast of St. Teresa of Avila!

She was the first female Doctor of the Church, and heavily influential in the Counter-Reformation movement.

St. Teresa teaches us a lot about friendship and the spiritual life.

She was close friends with St. John of the Cross, and wrote extensively on prayer and contemplation.

The Catechism quotes her often in its section on prayer.

For example, "[contemplative prayer] is nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us" (CCC 2709).

St. Teresa ought to be a model for us on prayer and the spiritual life.

Prayer was so important for her because it was nothing other than spending time with he who she loved above all things.

May she inspire us to go deeper in our relationship with Christ.

That we would strive to grow in our prayer life, to better know and love the good Jesus.

Jesus waits for us in the Eucharist.

Be like St. Teresa and spend time with him whom your heart desires.

10/14/2026

St. Paul presents us with an important question today from the first reading.

Will we be guided by the Holy Spirit, or live in the works of the flesh?

The works of the flesh include hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outburts of fury, acts of selfishness.

St. Paul says that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Contrarily, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

The fruit of the Spirit is a good litmus test, not only for our spiritual life, but for all the things we engage with.

We need to ask ourselves important questions, like:

Is the fruit of the Spirit present in my relationships, the shows I watch, the music I listen to, the media I engage with?

Are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc. all present in my life?

Or am I consumed with hatred, jealousy, selfishness?

God wants us to be happy.

So will we follow the works of the flesh, or the guidance of the Holy Spirit?

10/13/2026

Today is the 109th anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun.

This event was connected with the appearances of Our Lady to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal.

During the third apparition, Mary showed the children a vision of hell.

She told them to pray the Rosary every day, and make sacrifices.

Our Lady told the children that she would reveal herself on October 13 and perform a miracle so that all may believe.

This is what became known as the Miracle of the Sun.

The event was witnessed by thousands of people, and testimonies abounded.

There was concurring testimony of extradionary solar phenomena from secular reporters, government officials, and skeptics.

Witnesses say they saw the sun dance or zig-zag in the sky.

Additionally, hundreds of spontaneous cures and physical healings were reported on-site.

This is important because it shows God vindicating and putting his divine stamp of approval on the Catholic Church.

And the message of Fatima? Repent, sacrifice, and pray the Rosary every day.

10/12/2026

In today's Gospel, Jesus calls the crowd an evil generation for seeking a sign.

He tells them that no sign will be given to them, except the sign of Jonah.

Jesus points out that the people of Nineveh repented at Jonah's preaching, and there is something greater than Jonah here.

Much more should the people repent at the preaching of Jesus.

The Gospel puts before us an important question.

What is your faith life based on?

Is it based on wonders, signs, spectacles?

Or is it based on the good Jesus, who promises eternal life to those who repent and believe in him?

Jesus calls us to repent, pick up our crosses, and follow him.

We trust in Jesus, who desires to lead us to the heights of Heaven and happiness.

Ask yourself today how you're going to live.

Will you seek signs, or put your faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and his promises?