Jambo Youth Issue 85

For a Lighter Side of Life

Last Drop The Two Gardens It is a cycle, you know; It always was a choice To follow wherever He’d go To cry, sing psalms, rejoice; From Eden to Gethsemane The Path went many Ways From wilderness to fruitfulness Hot sun and rainy days… And still you followed closely In danger and in fun, And still you seek the answer Of how you both are One. NB: Send your questions, comments or feedback to [email protected] For further information and back issues of Jambo You(th) please check on our website: www.jamboyouth.multiply.com For Jambo You(th) in PDF log on to www.esnips.com/web/JamboYouth

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Jambo You(th) 2009

An Initiative of Jesus Youth A Missionary Movement at the Service of the Church

March 8, Sunday: Issue 85

Don Bosco Utume

Jambo You(th) is a weekly news letter aimed at helping the Youth in moulding their daily lives in Christ. Our vision is expressed in just two phrases: GOOD CHRISTIANS and

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RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS.

Features

The Pope had just finished a tour of the East Coast and was taking a limousine to the airport. Having never driven a limo, he asked the chauffeur if he could drive for awhile. Well, the chauffeur didn’t have much of a choice, so he climbs in the back of the limo and the Pope takes the wheel. The Pope proceeds onto Highway 95, and starts accelerating to see what the limo could do. He gets to about 90 mph, and suddenly he sees the blue lights of the State Police in his mirror. He pulls over and the trooper comes to his window. The trooper, seeing who it was, says, “Just a moment please, I need to call in.” The trooper calls in and asks for the chief. He tells the chief that he’s got a REALLY important person pulled over, and asks how he should handle it. “It’s not Ted Kennedy again is it?” replies the chief. “No Sir!” replied the trooper, “This guy’s more important.” “Is it the Governor?” replied the chief. “No! Even more important!” replies the trooper. “Is it the PRESIDENT??? replied the chief. “No! Even more important!” replies the trooper. “Well WHO is it?” screams the chief. “I don’t know Sir.” replies the trooper, “but he’s got the Pope as his chauffeur.”

Pep-up To the Young Points to Ponder Saint of the Week Jokes Last Drop

: Stories for Reflection : Message from the Pope : The 7 Ups for Lent : St. Dominic Savio : For A Lighter Side of Life : Two Gardens

Old Testament to New A Jewish couple had a son who was a holy terror. By the time he was ready for his bar mitzvah, he'd been kicked out of every school they put him in. Desperate, the parents went to the rabbi for advice. The good rabbi stroked his beard and meditated. Finally, he told them to enroll the boy in Catholic school. The shocked parents did as their rabbi directed and took their son to the nuns at St. Jude’s and left him there. After school, the son came home and said, "Good afternoon, Papa. Good afternoon, Mama." The young man went to the table and worked on his homework. The parents looked at each other in amazement, afraid to speak. The mother wrung her hands and the father twisted his beard all the while their boy helped serve the evening meal, bowed his head for prayers of thanks, and even helped with the dishes. No longer able to contain himself, the father asked, “We’re ever so grateful, my son, but what in Moses’ name did they do to you?” "Papa, when you left, the nun took me from class to class all day, each time saying they knew how to deal with rowdy boys. Those Catholics mean business! They got some Jewishlooking guy nailed up on a cross in every room!” Lesson: Looking at the cross can change people, at times they may not realize the true meaning of the cross and the sacrifice behind it, but it does the miracle anyway. Lent is the time for us to return to the cross, may it change our lives for the better.

www.jesusyouth.org Editor: Shyjan Sdb

Jambo You(th) 2009

40 Thoughts for Lent from Pope Benedict XVI

The 7 Ups for Lent

(These thoughts are taken form the messages of Pope from 2006 until this year)

1. Wake Up!! Decide to have a good day. "This is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalms 118:24 2. Dress Up !! The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." I Samuel 16:7 3. Shut Up!! Say nice things and learn to listen. God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. "He who guards his lips guards his soul." Proverbs 13:3 4. Stand Up!! . . . for what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything. "Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good..." Galatians 6:9-10 5. Look Up !! ... to the Lord. "I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me". Philippians 4:13 6. Reach Up !! ... for something higher. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path." Proverbs 3:5-6 7. Lift Up !! ... your Prayers. "Do not worry about anything; instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING." Philippians 4:6

1. May every family and Christian community use well this time of Lent, in order to cast aside all that distracts the spirit, and grow in whatever nourishes the soul, increasing love for God and neighbour. I am thinking especially of a greater commitment to prayer, lectio divina, recourse to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and active participation in the Eucharist, above all Sunday Mass. (2009) 2. Fasting is a great help to avoid sin and all that leads to it. (2009) 3. True fasting, as the divine Master repeats elsewhere, is rather to do the will of the Heavenly Father, who "sees in secret, and will reward you" (Mt 6,18). (2009) 4. If, therefore, Adam disobeyed the Lord’s command, "of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat," the believer, through fasting, intends to submit himself humbly to God, trusting in His goodness and mercy. (2009) 5. Fasting certainly brings benefits to physical well-being, but for believers, it is, in the first place, a "therapy" to heal all that prevents them from conformity to the will of God. (2009) 6. May the authentic and perennial significance of this long held practice be rediscovered, and thus assist us to mortify our egoism and open our heart to love of God and neighbor, the first and greatest Commandment of the new Law and compendium of the entire Gospel (cf. Mt 22, 34-40). (2009) 7. The faithful practice of fasting contributes, moreover, to conferring unity to the whole person, body and soul, helping to avoid sin and grow in intimacy with the Lord. (2009) 8. Denying material food, which nourishes our body, nurtures an interior disposition to listen to Christ and be fed by His saving word. Through fasting and praying, we allow Him to come and satisfy the deepest hunger that we experience in the depths of our being: the hunger and thirst for God. (2009) 9. Fasting is an aid to open our eyes to the situation in which so many of our brothers and sisters live…Voluntary fasting enables us to grow in the spirit of the Good Samaritan, who bends low and goes to the help of his suffering brother. (2009) 10. Freely chosen detachment from the pleasure of food and other material goods helps the disciple of Christ to control the appetites of nature, weakened by original sin, whose negative effects impact the entire human person. (2009) 11. Saint Peter Chrysologus writes: "Fasting is the soul of prayer, mercy is the lifeblood of fasting. So if you pray, fast; if you fast, show mercy; if you want your petition to be heard, hear the petition of others. If you do not close your ear to others, you open God’s ear to yourself" (Sermo 43: PL 52, 320. 322). (2009) 12. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, accompany and support us in the effort to free our heart from slavery to sin, making it ever more a "living tabernacle of God." (2009)

To be Continued... God's kindness leads you toward repentance. (Rom. 2:4) www.jamboyouth.multiply.com

Jambo You(th) 2009

SAINT for the WEEK March 9 St. Dominic Savio He was born near Turin in 1842, died in 1857 and was canonised in 1954. Before and immediately after his canonisation he was presented as a role model for the young, especially for boys. Born to very poor parents, he entered St. John Bosco’s famous Salesian school in Turin at the age of 12. He was clearly possessed by a particular gift of the Spirit. One says that he was ‘pious’ aware that this word conjures up all sorts of dreaded overtones. In fact it was the wise influence of St. John Bosco that helped him to be a saintly young boy avoiding all the exaggerated practices of piety. He was noted for his cheerfulness, friendliness, fidelity to prayer, and reliability as a guide and counsellor – despite his years – to whom others could turn. Like the other remarkable holy young man of Turin, Blessed Piergiorgio Frassati – lover of mountain climbing and fast cars – he showed that one can be young and holy without being rigid. He died of tuberculosis in his 14th year.

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. (Prov.3:7) www.esnips.com/web/JamboYouth

Jambo You(th) 2009