Our Lady of Victory Youth Ministry, State College, PA (2026)

03/03/2022

Happy Lent!

If you haven’t already, take some time today to reflect and pray about what God is asking you to do this Lenten season to prepare your heart for the glory of Easter.

Need some accountability? Share your Lenten resolutions in the comments and say a prayer for the person above you to have a fruitful Lent. I’ll be praying for everyone who sees this post, too.

Check back in for more updates throughout the coming weeks as we start to get this page back up and running!

Photo by James Coleman on Unsplash

07/18/2021

In today's Gospel [Mark 6:30-34], Jesus tells his apostles to come away to a deserted place and rest after working tirelessly spreading teachings of Jesus.⁠
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For many of us, summer can be a great opportunity to rest. On top of that, Sunday is commanded to be a day of rest.⁠
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So today, this Sunday, I want you to do 2 things:⁠
1) Go to a quiet place by yourself to pray. Even if it's only for 5 minutes.⁠
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2) Spend at least at hour doing something truly restful and rejuvenating. Maybe it's reading, maybe it's coloring or creating something, maybe it's taking a walk outside. ⁠
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Whatever it is, make some time for rest and prayer today ⭐🙏⁠⁠⁠
Photo by Jan Padilla on Unsplash⁠

07/11/2021

In today's Gospel [Mk 6:7-13], Jesus sends his Apostles out in pairs to preach repentance. Along the way, they also drive out demons and heal the sick 👏

We too are called to share in this mission of going out and preaching the Good News, loving our neighbor, and serving them as we go. Maybe it's not physically healing the sick, but perhaps you drop off a meal to someone who's not feeling well. Maybe it's not driving out demons, but you could pray with someone going through a rough time right now. Maybe it's not yelling on a street corner "REPENT NOW", but reaching out to a friend who hasn't gone to confession in awhile and offering to go together sometime soon.

What's something you can do to serve others and show them Jesus' love this week? 🤔

06/20/2021

Today's Gospel tells the story of Jesus calming the storm after his disciples freak out and scold Jesus for sleeping 😤😱😴

There's so much to dissect in this short passage so my challenge for you today is to slowly read the Gospel [Mark 4:35-41] and imagine yourself in the scene. What do you hear, smell, see, and feel as you are on the boat in the midst of the storm? What emotions come up? Are you freaking out with the rest of the disciples? Are you the one shaking Jesus awake? Take time and imagine the scene playing out 🌊

Maybe you feel angry at Jesus for being asleep, joining in with the other disciples as they say: "Do you not care that we are perishing?" Maybe there's a storm going on in your life that you feel like Jesus is sleeping through.

Or maybe you sit in awe at God-made-flesh in front of you who literally just commanded the wind and sea to calm and be still. Maybe you take time to contemplate the power and majesty of the Lord who walks with you.

Whatever it is you resonate with from the Gospel, make sure to sit with the image for a bit and bring it to God today 🙏
Photo by Torsten Dederichs on Unsplash

06/13/2021

In today's second reading [2 Cor 5:6-10], we hear:" Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at home or away."

There's multiple ways you could interpret this verse but I want to use it on a super practical level. Summer has begun, which means many of us will be away on vacation, camps, or just 'away' from our normal routines. This can often mean we "forget" about our prayer life or time spent with God.

Take some time today to think: In what way can I aspire to please God during this time of summer break? How can I bring Him into my new routines, vacations, camps, etc.?🤔
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

06/06/2021

"ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪꜱ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ꜱᴏ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴜᴄʜᴀʀɪꜱᴛ. ɪꜰ ɢᴏᴅ ʜᴀᴅ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴘʀᴇᴄɪᴏᴜꜱ, ʜᴇ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ɢɪᴠᴇɴ ɪᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴜꜱ." -ꜱᴛ. ᴊᴏʜɴ ᴠɪᴀɴɴᴇʏ

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (or Corpus Christi). A central tenant to our faith, but one that is very difficult to wrap our heads around: that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist at Mass ❤

Just as preparations are made in the church for the Eucharistic celebration (the priest prepares a homily, the eucharistic ministers are assigned, the church is set-up, etc.), we too are asked to prepare ourselves to receive the Eucharist.

Next time before you go to Mass, think of how you are preparing yourself beforehand to receive the immense gift of the Eucharist. Maybe this looks like reading over the readings beforehand, or putting in extra effort to arrive on-time, or keeping the one hour fast before communion. After your preparations, take the time to be extra mindful of receiving Jesus with reverence and awe during communion 🙏
Photo by Jacob Bentzinger on Unsplash⁠

05/30/2021

Happy Sunday! Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity 🕊

In today's Gospel (Matthew 28:16-20), Jesus tells his disciples to go make disciples of all nations and to baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

When we make the sign of the cross, we remember that through our own Baptism, we share both in the life of the Blessed Trinity and in the Church’s mission to teach all people about Jesus.

The sign of the cross is a stand-alone prayer. Take some time today and make the sign of the cross slowly and intentionally, really meditating on what it means to be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit 🙏
beautiful print by .valerie

05/23/2021

🔥 HAPPY PENTECOST 🔥
AKA THE CHURCH'S BIRTHDAY 🥳🕊

The Psalm for today is beautiful, and a much needed prayer right now: "Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth."

Do you feel as though your soul is cared for and yielding good fruit, or is it in need of renewal? What areas of your life are in need of renewal? Pray this psalm for renewal in your life, and renewal in our world today 🙏

(also maybe have a special treat or something today 🍰🎂😊)
Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash

05/16/2021

In today's Gospel [John 17:11-19], Jesus prays to His Father for 3 things:
💕 that God will keep his disciples united as Jesus and the Father are united as one;
👊 that God will protect them from the evil one;
🕊 that God will keep them in the truth

When Jesus was praying for his disciples, he was also praying for all his future disciples (aka you and me). Take a moment today to pray for these same three things for yourself and for those you love 🙏

𝘗.𝘚. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘌𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳!! 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦!! 🥳

05/09/2021

𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖.

Between today's second reading (1 John 4:7-10) and the Gospel (John 15:9-17) , the word "love" is mentioned 15+ times, which seems excessive. But then again, God's love is excessive.

"In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins."

Today, rest in the knowledge that even before you love God, God loves you and so deeply desires that you never be separated from Him and His love.

After resting in that truth, think about a way you can take action to show someone else love this week ❤
Photo by Brigitte Tohm on Unsplash⁠
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05/02/2021

This Sunday's readings are all connected by the idea: “ᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ꜰᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ʙᴇʟɪᴇꜰ.”

In the first reading, everyone is super suspicious of Saul (the guy persecuting all the Christians) when he comes to join the disciples. But Barnabas backs him up, saying that he’s seen Saul speaking out boldly for the Lord in public, and changed his persecuting ways. His actions match his words 🙌

The second reading we hear again the commandment “love one another”. Not a passive love, but an active love in which we 𝓼𝓱𝓸𝔀 love for others. ❤

Lastly, in the Gospel [John 15:1-8], we hear Jesus say “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” If you remain in Jesus, believe in him, and act from that belief, you will bear fruit. You will notice the good coming from your actions. “By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.” 🌿

Take some time to think on these questions today: What does it mean to you when Jesus says “I am the vine, you are the branches”? Do your actions back up your words? How can your actions this week glorify God? 🤔
Photo by Evelyn Bertrand on Unsplash

04/25/2021

In today's Gospel [John 10:11-18], Jesus tells us that He is the good shepherd. Because the good shepherd genuinely and deeply cares for his sheep, he chooses to lay down his life for them 🐑💕

Jesus genuinely and deeply cares for you. He wants you to know Him as intimately as He knows you.

Spend tome time today in quiet, meditating on the image of Jesus as a shepherd. Then, try praying this prayer from St. Ignatius, to ask for generosity in caring for others as Jesus would:

"Eternal Word, only begotten Son of God,
Teach me true generosity.
Teach me to serve you as you deserve.
To give without counting the cost,
To fight heedless of wounds,
To labor without seeking rest,
To sacrifice myself without thought of any reward
Save the knowledge that I have done your will.
Amen."
Photo by Martin Bisof on Unsplash

Our Lady of Victory Youth Ministry

03/03/2022

07/18/2021

07/11/2021

06/20/2021

06/13/2021

06/06/2021

05/30/2021

05/23/2021

05/16/2021

05/09/2021

05/02/2021

04/25/2021

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