The National Youth Sunday 2011 resources have arrived! On the website www.nationalyouthsunday.org.uk there is everything you need to start planning for our national day of prayer celebrating young people. The theme this year is “Lift up your hearts”, inspired by the new translation of the missal. The aim is to help and encourage young people to go deeper into the Mass, to understand its meaning and richness, and find new inspiration in the Eucharist. It is to enagage with them so that they too feel fully “part” of our Christian Communites, and not just onlookers, hesitant and often overlooked.

Therefore, in addition to the usual planning helps for Youth Sunday itself, there are 4 evening sessions that look at different aspects of the Mass using silly games, high energy activities, art, movies, serious discussion and prayer. Leaders (priests/teachers/catechists) can choose to run all 4 sessions, or just 1 or 2 instead. Each session is easy to run, with a kit list, full details of activities, and links to the YOUCAT for further reflection. There’s also a lot of practical help on the website covering everything from getting a group together to setting up a room, with printable posters, a Mass guide and ideas for what to do next.

These resources can either be run over the next couple of months, or used at any time as an introduction to the Mass for young people. They would work well in a confirmation programme, or as an Advent/Lent group as well.

I wish you, your young people and communities a truly joyful and blessed celebration of Christ the King.

FC