Jackson Youth Group

09/09/2026

The Gospel today gives us Luke's account of the beatitudes in his Sermon on the Plain.

Jesus presents four blessings and four woes, which highlight the paradoxical nature of our Christian lives.

Jesus says blessed are the poor, those who are hungry, those who weep, and those who are hated.

Then he says, woe to those who are rich, who are filled now, who laugh, and those who are spoken well of.

The point of our life is simple: God.

We have to look at our lives through the lens of eternity.

This earthly life is short, but eternity is forever.

We have to start living for heaven now.

Part of living for heaven now will entail suffering.

But we can confidently carry our crosses with Jesus, who shows us the meaning of redemptive suffering.

He tells us to rejoice and leap for joy, for our reward will be great in heaven.

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09/08/2026

Today the Church celebrates the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

This is one of only three birthdays the Church celebrates, along with Jesus and John the Baptist.

As with all Marian feasts, Mary always directs us to Jesus and his salvific work.

St. Augustine said, "Through her birth the nature inherited from our first parents has changed."

We celebrate Mary's birthday because she had a unique and singular mission in God's plan of salvation.

God chose to enter our world through our blessed mother.

Mary's mission didn't end with the birth of Jesus.

She was his greatest disciple and is our own model for following Jesus.

At the end of her earthly life, she was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.

She is the Queen of heaven and earth, and she continually prays on our behalf.

She is the greatest of mothers.

Entrust yourself to her, and don't be afraid of loving her too much. You'll never love her more than Jesus loves her.

09/06/2026

In the Gospel for this 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus lays out the steps for reconciliation.

What Jesus gives us is incredibly helpful considering the difficulty of human relationships.

It's important that we attempt to reconcile when we've sinned against someone or they've sinned against us.

As Christians, we're not called to be doormats, but speak out against injustice or ask for forgiveness when we've failed.

We should strive to live in harmony with those in our lives.

Unforgiveness and hatred can create discord and pain in our families and community.

Living in peace with others goes both ways.

We all make mistakes, but we have to ask for forgiveness as much as we forgive those who seek our forgiveness.

God desires great things for us, both as individuals and collectively, as a species.

Let's be people of mercy, always ready to ask for forgiveness and always ready to forgive those who hurt us.

09/03/2026

Today's Gospel gives us the famous story of the miraculous catch of fish.

After a long night of catching nothing, Jesus tells Simon Peter to put out into deep water for a catch.

They caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to tear, and they filled two boats.

After this, Peter, James, and John left everything and followed Jesus.

A certain line from this Gospel became a favorite of John Paul II.

"Duc in altum" or "Put out into the deep" was his rallying cry as he led the Church into the third millennium.

He used this phrase to urge believers not to be complacent, but to deepen their spiritual lives.

Like Peter, putting out into the deep is meant to move us out of our comfort zone, with complete trust in the Lord.

What God calls us to might seem scary and way beyond our abilities.

But he's there, giving us the strength, if only we're willing to take a leap of faith.

Don't be afraid. Duc in altum. Put out into the deep.

09/01/2026

The Gospel today reminds us of the reality of demons.

It's important to not go to one extreme or the other when we consider the demonic.

Some are so terrified that they see demons under every rock, while others don't consider them at all.

The truth is that demons exist and they want to take as many souls to hell as they can.

St. Paul teaches us how we ought to engage in this spiritual warfare.

He says, "Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil."

Then a very important consideration: "For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens."

We have an enemy, and it's not those we don't like.

Our enemy is Satan and his army of demons.

Have a healthy, balanced consideration of the demonic.

And put your trust in our Lord Jesus Christ, who has already won the battle for us.

08/31/2026

In today's Gospel, Jesus goes to the synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth.

There, he reads from the prophet Isaiah, and says that Scripture is fulfilled in their hearing.

Jesus read, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord."

In response to this good news, the people Jesus grew up with attempted to kill him.

It's a sad response, but it's great news if we consider what Jesus came to do for us.

Jesus came to give us glad tidings, free us from our captivity to sin, give sight to our blindness, let those oppressed be free.

By proclaiming a Jubilee, Jesus is saying that he wants to free us from sin and death, and give us rest in him.

May this good news fill us with joy today.

And may we find our peace, purpose, and rest in our Lord Jesus Christ.

08/30/2026

This 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time gives us a great meditation on discipleship.

Jesus says, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me."

Jesus gives us the difficult truth that being his disciple is not easy, but it's the journey most worth taking.

Let's be honest, nothing else in life truly matters.

Sports, academics, friends are all great, but if your life is not centered on a relationship with Christ, something is off.

"What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?"

So, where does that leave us?

As a new school year begins, we need to reprioritize what is most important in our lives.

We don't have to do heroic things, but we can faithfully attend Mass, read Scripture, pray, forgive.

It's not easy, but "life with Christ is a wonderful adventure" (JPII).

Let's start that adventure anew.

08/25/2026

In today's Gospel, Jesus issues a harsh rebuke of the scribes and Pharisees.

It's a stark message that we ought to take to heart.

Jesus rips into them for being so focused on minor things and not the important things such as judgment, mercy, and fidelity.

They're more concerned with exterior things, "but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence."

While it's easy to rag on the Pharisees, it's more crucial that we find ourselves in the Pharisees.

Jesus is perfect. He's God. We're not. If we're honest with ourselves, we all have similar tendencies as the Pharisees.

What are the minor, insignificant things we obsess over?

Where are we failing to show mercy to others?

What is keeping us back from having a deeper relationship with Christ?

These are the questions we ought to be asking ourselves, so that Christ may have the highest priority in our lives.

08/24/2026

Happy feast of St. Bartholomew!

Scholars identify him as Nathanael in John's Gospel, which we read today.

Jesus says of Nathanael (Bartholomew), "Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him."

In amazement, Nathanael says, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

What an incredible profession of faith that Bartholomew carried with him his entire life.

His love for Jesus Christ gave him the courage to preach the Gospel in India and Armenia in those turbulent, anti-Christian times.

This intense love of Christ led to his eventual horrific martyrdom.

He was flayed alive and then beheaded, and is often depicted as such in religious art.

This is the kind of love that we're called to.

What are you willing to die for?

The answer to that question will shape the way we live, and let us see what we truly love.

And that love beyond all telling is waiting for you at every Catholic Church around the world.