11 AT THE TABLE

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture passages have been taken from the RevisedStandard Version, Catholic edition. Copyright ©1946, 1952, 1971 by the Divisionof Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in theUSA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Quotes are taken from the English translation of the Catechism of the CatholicChurch for the United States of America (indicated as CCC), 2nd ed. Copyright©1997 by United States Catholic Conference – Libreria Editrice Vaticana.

Author: Chika Anyanwu, Stephanie Espinoza

Design: Ryan McQuade

Copy Edit: Elizabeth Bayardi, Karen Orzechowski

Hispanic Inculturation Team: Juan Aznaran, Stephanie Espinoza, Selina Villalobos ©2019 Life Teen, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book, including interior design, cover design, and/or icons, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission from the publisher.

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SERIES

AT THE TABLE A LIFE NIGHT SERIES ON RACISM

ABOUT THIS SERIESIMPORTANT DETAILS ABOUT THIS SERIES Pg. 4

SEATING CHARTRACE, RACISM, & RACIAL TENSION Pg. 10

WHO’S MY NEIGHBOREQUALITY, JUSTICE, & DIGNITY Pg. 28

RESET THE TABLECLASS, DISCRIMINATION, & PRIVILEGE Pg. 44

PULL UP A CHAIREMPATHY & ACTION Pg. 64

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ABOUT THIS SERIES

ABOUT THIS SERIESWhen you think of heaven, what is it like? Who else is there and what do they look like? What language do people speak? Scripture paints a breathtaking picture of people from every nation, tribe, and tongue standing before the throne of God (Revelation 7:9). Unfortunately, many people experience discrimination because of these very differences. At the Table presents the sinful reality of racism and equips teens with Scriptural and doctrinal responses that will empower them to work toward self-awareness, empathy, and solidarity. Throughout this Life Night series, teens will become more prepared to live in the diverse beauty of heaven by working toward racial justice in their daily lives.

Pastoral Note: This resource was written with churches in the United States in mind. Parishes in other countries should adapt as necessary.

STRUCTURE AND METHODAt the Table is a four-part series and is best implemented when the Life Nights are executed in order. If this is the first programming of your semester, implement a Social or Kick-Off Life Night before beginning.

The Life Nights in this series flow easily from one to the next. However, if you would like to take a certain topic further, you can either schedule an additional mid-week Life Night or add a Life Night to the series itself.

Between At the Table and the next Life Night Series or curriculum guide, offer a Social Life Night to add variety.

CORE PREPARATIONIt is natural for intense emotions and reactions to accompany conversations about race and racism, which can make these conversations that much more difficult

to have. While it is easier to avoid the topic altogether, we have a responsibility to intentionally confront racial injustice that seeps into our daily experiences and, sometimes unknowingly, resides within the structures of our parishes and youth groups.

Preparing your Core Team is essential to successfully implementing this Life Night series. When scheduling At the Table on your Life Night calendar, include Core Team training a couple of months before the first Life Night. Use the At the Table: Core Training packet, which can be found on the May 2019 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com under Life Support: May 2019, to lead your Core Team through healthy conversations about experiences of race and racism, which will in turn equip Core Members to have these same conversations with teens.

INTRODUCTORY MATERIALEach Life Night begins with a Goal, Key Concepts, Key Terms, and Scripture and Catechism references. These sections work together to provide an overview of the content and themes of the Life Night.

ABOUT THIS LIFE NIGHTAbout This Life Night briefly describes the Gather, Proclaim, Break, and Send. It provides a step-by-step framework for the Life Night.

ENVIRONMENTThe Environment section offers ideas on how to create a meeting space that supports the content and main themes of the Life Night. Not only can the environment be part of the evangelization and catechetical process, but the effort and creativity put into it can also make the teens feel valued and welcomed.

Environment images for each Life Night can be found on the May 2019 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com under Life Support: May 2019.

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MEDIA SUGGESTIONSMedia Suggestions provide music and video clip suggestions that creatively support the content and main themes of the Life Night. While planning, take a look at the media suggestions and consider weaving a video clip or song into the Life Night. Media communicates with our hearts and minds in a unique, powerful way — especially the hearts and minds of teenagers.

FLOCKNOTEFor those parishes that also subscribe to Flocknote, Parent Updates and text messages are loaded into the interface. Simply log in to schedule and send these communications. Find more information about subscribing to Flocknote at flocknote.com.

AS YOU GET STARTEDAs You Get Started offers adaptations to keep in mind as you plan the Life Night.

HISPANIC INCULTURATIONThe Hispanic/Latino population in Catholic parishes across the United States is large and growing. According to the National Study of Catholic Parishes with Hispanic Ministry, 38 to 40 percent of adult Catholics self-identify as Hispanic. Additionally, Hispanics account for 71 percent of growth of the Catholic population in the United States since 1960.

According to the USCCB’s survey, Hispanics in the United States and the Catholic Church, 54 percent of Catholic millennials (those born in 1982 or later) are Hispanic. To meet this growing need, Life Teen has added a Hispanic Inculturation section to Life Nights. This section was developed by a group of dedicated youth ministers who serve at largely Hispanic/Latino parishes throughout the United States and Mexico.

We recognize that not all Hispanic/Latino communities are the same. However, it is our hope that this section assists youth ministers in adapting to the needs of their specific community by providing insight into the Hispanic/Latino culture.

PROCLAIM In this series, you will find one version of the Proclaim for each Life Night. The Proclaim Outline has been omitted for this series because of the precise language and specific examples proposed for this topic. The Proclaim Details lays out the key terms and offers a robust version of the teaching with examples, ideas for personal testimony, and suggested expansion on the key points. Use it to write a Proclaim that fits your youth group and local community.

SMALL GROUPSIn order to hold the teens accountable in attending all of the Life Nights in the series and to build a sense of trust and community, it is recommended that the teens are divided into small groups on the first Life Night of the series and stay with those groups for the duration of the series. This allows for deeper conversations and a greater sense of openness among the teens.

If possible, have the same Core Members lead the same small groups for each Life Night. This will lead to greater trust and deeper small group discussions. HANDOUTSAll of the Life Night handouts can be found on the May 2019 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com under Life Support: May 2019. The handouts are formatted for you to easily print on standard letter-size paper. Be diligent in accessing the handouts while planning the Life Nights.

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SOCIAL MEDIA RECAP AND PACKAGEThe Social Media Recap and Package provides Instagram images, hashtags, and tweets that both you and your teens can use to engage social media throughout the week. They recap the main themes and remind teens of the important aspects of the Life Night. Find these at the beginning of every Life Night and on the May 2019 Life Teen USB.

PARENT LETTERThe Parent Letter contains Content Overview and Conversation Starters for each Life Night. The Parent Letter not only includes the parents in the formation and catechesis of their teens, but also provides them an opportunity for ongoing conversion and catechesis.

The Parent Letter can be emailed to parents before or after a Life Night. It can also be printed and handed out at the end of a Life Night. Consider having Core Members at the doors and in the parking lot during pick up, passing out the Parent Letter and looking out for the safety of the teens.

The Parent Letter is available in both English and Spanish. If you have a bilingual community, we recommend double-side printing the Parent Letter in both English and Spanish. Teens, and sometimes even Core Members, have the tendency to grab any handout, not necessarily the right handout. We want the right handout to get into the hands of parents. Also, if the word gets out in your community that you are handing out bilingual materials, the Spanish speaking community will feel more welcomed and encouraged to become involved.

USCCB FRAMEWORKFor parishes using the USCCB framework for high school catechesis, this series will work with your Social Justice semester.

Notes: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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LIFE NIGHT OVERVIEW

SEATING CHARTRACE, RACISM, & RACIAL TENSION

GOAL

The goal of Seating Chart is to present racism as a sinful and institutional reality, while calling the teens to acknowledge how Christ invites us to work for its eradication.

KEY CONCEPTS

• Racism is an institutional and systemic reality, particularly in the Western world, that persists despite efforts such as the Civil Rights movement and other struggles for justice.

• Racial tension in the United States is manifested in the attitudes, dispositions, and biases that directly result from meanings and values attached to skin color.

• While people within the Church have been complicit in perpetuating racial injustice, Christ still offers hope and power through the Church to impact change.

KEY TERMS:Ethnicity, Race, Racism, Social Sin

SCRIPTURE:Psalm 102; Acts 2:1-10; 1 John 2:7-11

CATECHISM:738, 855, 1937

ABOUT THIS LIFE NIGHT

The Gather sets the tone for the series through small group division and discussion about guidelines and approaches to discussing race and racism. The Proclaim provides an overview of race and racism, along with a call to work toward justice and equality for all people. The Break gives the teens an opportunity to encounter and discuss stories of other people who have had experiences of racism. The Send is a guided meditation about the diversity we will encounter in heaven.

Prior to the Life Night series, be sure to implement the At the Table: Core Training as suggested in the introductory material under Core Preparation. The training packet can be found on the May 2019 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com under Life Support: May 2019.

ENVIRONMENT

As a standard environment for this series, set up a space with chairs and one round table for each small group. Decorate each table with a tablecloth and simple centerpiece. Place the name of a different saint, blessed, servant of God, etc. who worked for justice on each table. Venerable Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Sr. Thea Bowman, Fr. Augustus Tolton, and Bl. Laura de Santa Catalina de Siena are men and women the teens will learn about throughout the series.

Set up a separate space for the teens to gather for the Proclaim. Project the Seating Chart environment image, which can be found on the May 2019 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com under Life Support: May 2019.

For this Life Night, use the Place Card handout to create a place card for each teen. Handouts can be found on the May 2019 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com

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under Life Support: May 2019. Have a Core Member or parishioner write each teen’s name on the place card in calligraphy and set them up on a table for the teens to take as they enter. Have spare cards available for any new teens. These place cards will be used for the standard environment setup throughout the remainder of the series.

Create a chalkboard seating chart with the names of the saintly men and women who were chosen for each table along with seat numbers for the teens (see the example below) and place it next to the place card table.

Example:Sr. Thea Bowman1. (name of teen)2. (name of teen)3. (name of teen) MEDIA SUGGESTIONS

“Your Table,” Ike Ndolo (Shine, Hardspeak Records, 2018)

lifeteen: “LT - Gather Music” (spotify.com)

lifeteen: “LT - Break Music” (spotify.com)

lifeteen: “LT - Send Music” (spotify.com)

SOCIAL MEDIA HASHTAGS:#LT_SeatingChart#LT_AtTheTable

AS YOU GET STARTED...

For successful implementation of this Life Night series, schedule Core Team training. The details for this training can be found in the introductory material of this resource under Core Preparation.

For teens who want to learn more about this topic, consider creating a resource station with books, extra copies of the series handouts and reflections, and suggested podcasts or videos. Suggested resources for continued learning are included in the At the Table: Core Training packet, which can be found on the May 2019 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com under Life Support: May 2019.

To involve parents throughout this series, consider having a separate parent session during the Life Night using the At the Table: Core Training packet that is used for Core Team training. Conclude each Life Night by having the parents join the teens for the Send. HISPANIC INCULTURATIONBy Stephanie EspinozaContributors: Juan Aznaran, Selina Villalobos

Important Notes for Pastoral CareA Hispanic/Latino teen may have greater awareness of the reality of racism, especially because recent media narratives have painted immigrants from Latin American nations in a negative light, causing people to be more outspoken in their biases against Hispanics/Latinos who are living in the United States. More often than not, teens have had encounters with discrimination, prejudice, or profiling — either directed at them, at their family members, or at their friends.

However, it is important that you do not make them the spokespeople for racism within the youth group. Be open to the moments when they feel comfortable sharing their stories and experiences, but never force them to speak on racism or their personal experiences with racism if they do not freely choose to do so. Encourage the Core Team to be especially mindful of this during small group discussions in this Life Night and throughout the entire series.

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LIFE NIGHT: SEATING CHART

GATHER

Welcome and Opening Prayer (5 min)As the teens arrive, have the Core Team greet them and show them how to find their small group table using the seating chart that is suggested in the Environment setup. Help the teens find their place card and take it with them to their small group table If a teen is new, add his or her name to the seating chart and on a blank place card.

The participants at each table will form a small group for the entire At the Table series. Once all of the teens are seated, welcome them to the Life Night, introduce any teens or Core Members who are attending for the first time, and begin in prayer.

Mind Your Manners (25 min)Have at least one Core Member (who has worked through the At the Table: Core Training packet that is suggested in the introductory material under Core Preparation) join each table and then use the following to introduce the activity:

We are beginning a new series that confronts the sin of racism in our Church and society. Although racism is an uncomfortable topic, it is absolutely necessary that we speak about it. Racism is an evil that ignores the innate dignity of every human person. We can both directly and indirectly wound people and be wounded by people through words, actions, and policies that are solely based on skin color.

Have the Core Members begin in prayer and then use the Mind Your Manners handout, which can be found on the May 2019 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com under

Life Support: May 2019, to introduce the guidelines for discussion that are printed on the back of the place card and suggested terms of use. Allow the teens to practice sharing and listening by writing out and then verbalizing the following statements: “When I hear the term ‘race,’ I feel ____________.” and “My first experience of race was ___________.”

Once the teens are finished with their discussions, gather them in the main meeting space and transition into the Proclaim.

PROCLAIM

“Seating Chart” Teaching (10 min)The Proclaim Details can be found on pages 18 to 25.

BREAK

Table Talk (25 min)Divide the teens into their At the Table small groups and distribute copies of the Table Talk handout, which can be found on the May 2019 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com under Life Support: May 2019. Have the teens take turns reading each of the stories on the handout aloud and then use the following questions to facilitate a discussion:

• What stood out to you the most about these people and their experiences of race?

• Why is it important to listen to other people’s personal stories and experiences?

• Have you ever directly or indirectly experienced racism? What happened? How did it make you feel?

• How do you see racism affecting individuals? How does racism affect our society?

• Based on what you have heard thus far, why do you think racism is a sin against the Body of Christ?

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SEND

As It Is In Heaven (10 min)Gather the teens in the main meeting space. Create a prayerful atmosphere by adjusting the lighting and having the music minister or a Core Member lead the teens in a song. Use the following to begin the prayer:

Invite the teens to close their eyes and bring to mind an image of heaven.

What does it look like? What sights surround you? Do you hear any sounds? What are they? What feelings do these sounds evoke? What smells surround you? What do they remind you of? Who else is there? What do they look like? What language do you use to speak to one another?

Pause for a moment to give the teens time to reflect.

When we think about heaven, it may be natural to picture what we are familiar with. We see the people we know and hear the language we speak. But what if your image of heaven changed? Imagine people from all cultures and ethnicities. Imagine being surrounded by people from places you have never been and feeling completely at home with one another. Imagine people speaking a language you do not speak but still understand.

Pause for a moment to give the teens time to reflect. Read Acts 2:1-11.

When the Holy Spirit fell upon the apostles at Pentecost, there were people from many different places who spoke many different languages. However, each person was able to speak in a way that the diverse crowd was able to understand. God could have given them a common language, but He gave them understanding instead. God did not present one culture or language to be greater than the others. The Spirit worked within the diversity of the

people present, not in spite of it. In the spirit of Pentecost, let us strive to understand those who are different than us; to have respect and value for the diversity each person brings; and to recognize areas in which we view our race, language, or cultural traditions as better than others. Let us prepare for the diverse reality of heaven now rather than isolating ourselves and others. Let us celebrate one another’s differences rather than approach one another in fear or hatred.

Conclude the Life Night with a final song and Glory Be.

Notes: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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PROCLAIM DETAILS

SEATING CHART

KEY TERMS

Ethnicity: A category of people who identify with each other based on similarities such as common ancestry, language, history, society, culture, or nation.

Race: Distinction based on the color of skin. The Church has maintained that all humans are created equal and endowed with a rational soul (intellect, will, memory). Any prejudice and mistreatment on the basis of race is to be roundly rejected.

Racism: Unjust discrimination on the basis of a person’s race; a violation of human dignity and a sin against justice. It is a culture which was perpetuated by both personal dispositions as well as systems and institutions of Western culture.

Social Sin: The effect of sin over time, which can affect society and its institutions to create “structures of sin” that oppress and violate the dignity of human beings.

TEACHING

Pastoral Note: This resource was written with churches in the United States in mind. Parishes in other countries should adapt as necessary.

Fear. Discouragement. Confusion. Anger. Discomfort. Resistance. Sadness. Defensiveness. Indifference. Shame. Uncertainty. Helplessness.

There are many intense emotions and reactions that come

with conversations about race and racism, which make these conversations all the more difficult to have. Why even bring it up then? As Christians, we proclaim that every person is created in the image and likeness of God and no person is excluded from the inherent dignity this grants. We are driven by the mission of Jesus to proclaim the love of God to all people, and we recognize the power of Jesus to unite us as one body through the Sacrament of Baptism. We also know from St. Paul that when one part of this body suffers, we all suffer. While it is never easy, it is our Christian duty to take time to recognize the way people around us are suffering. During the next four Life Nights, we are going to confront the difficulties, discomfort, and challenges together so we can grow in our awareness of the sinful reality of racism and the way it impacts individuals and the Body of Christ as a whole.

Genesis 1:271 Corinthians 12:26

To help us begin a dialogue about race, we have to understand a few terms first. Race refers to distinctions based on skin color. It is not to be confused with ethnicity, which is an anthropological term that groups people together based on common ancestry, language, history, society, culture, or nation.

Pastoral Note: The distinction made between these two terms is for the purpose of having a common language during this Life Night series. It is important to emphasize that these definitions, as with other terms used in this Life Night, are ever evolving and that they will most likely encounter these terms in a different way outside of the Life Night (e.g., on college forms, in different groups of people, etc.). Refer to the At the Table: Core Training for more on terminology.

The Church’s teachings recognize the beauty of ethnic differences among her members, and have maintained

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that all humans are created equal. Without exception, the Church rejects any form of prejudice and mistreatment toward others, especially that which is based on race or ethnicity, and instead offers a hope and movement toward unity despite divisions of this nature.

CCC 855

Racism, then, is the unjust discrimination on the basis of a person’s race. It is a violation of human dignity and a sin against justice. Unfortunately, this is a sin that occurs systemically, meaning it does not just happen on an individual level but has given “rise to social situations and institutions that are contrary to the divine goodness.” For example, after segregation laws were overturned, many schools and businesses created policies to dissuade people of color from attending schools or workplaces. Today, as a result of these policies, there are still schools and businesses that consider natural and/or protective hairstyles on a black man or woman unacceptable or unprofessional. We call this “social sin.” Because it is rooted in sin, it is an issue of faith, not just human rights or social justice. The evil of systemic racial injustice lies not solely in that it is a bad system that hurts people — it is a bad system that hurts people because it goes against God’s very nature, which is goodness itself.

CCC 1869

Racism, both in its personal and institutional manifestations, contradicts our desire to live in the light of Christ. Scripture tells us that “if we seek to live in the light but hate our brother, then we remain in the darkness.” While we may not personally hate other people based on their race or skin color, we all have a stake in the systems that allow racial injustice to continue in us and in the institutions that have come about as a result of this sin. If we are aware of the social sin but choose to ignore it, we become participants in it. As part of our desire to grow in holiness, to seek to live in and reflect the light of Christ, we

are called to recognize the effects of racism in ourselves, our country, and our Church if we are to begin to undo it.

1 John 2:7-11

A CULTURE IN STRUGGLEThere is an underlying set of meanings and values attached to skin color in Western culture, and in unique ways in the United States, which causes us to interpret skin color in a particular way. It goes much further than isolated instances of discrimination, though these do occur. You may have even seen or heard of some examples: teens who spray paint derogatory words outside the home of an immigrant family, girls taught to cross the street if they see a man of color walking in their direction, or a fellow student making rude comments about an entire ethnic group during history class. Individual cases like these point to a greater culture of racism, indicating that there is a wide-spread system of meaning, identity, and significance tied to race in this country. There are countless historical and present-day circumstances that prove this to be the case.

When America was first being established in the 18th century, it permitted the enslavement of men, women, and children who were shipped to the country from various African nations to provide a free-labor source for white Americans. Since it was legal to exploit Africans for economic benefit, they were considered property, not people. Slave-owners kept slaves in subhuman conditions by inflicting violent punishments and rape, limiting or withholding access to education, and preventing their conversion to certain religions.

Even after the legal abolition of slavery in 1865, Jim Crow laws, which ensured the segregation of white and black Americans, existed for nearly 100 years before they were abolished in 1964. The civil rights movement, led by Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., called for the end of such laws and fought for equal rights for citizens of all skin colors. Most public settings remained divided, though, and

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violence against black Americans was not uncommon. The act of desegregation took a considerably long time — and in some cases, is still taking place.

Lots of other areas of life in America today have been affected as a result of these foundations. There is inequality for black Americans in access to housing and in how they are judged by the judicial system. For example, studies show that black Americans make up 29 percent of those arrested for drug law violations, but 40 percent (almost half) of those who are incarcerated for drug law violations. Systemic racial injustice has very much formed the internal dispositions and biases of American citizens, creating a culture of negative perceptions toward black people and those of other ethnicities — Native American, Asian, Hispanic/Latino, Middle Eastern, etc.

Drugpolicy.org: “The Drug War,Mass Incarceration, and Race”

A CHURCH DIVIDEDUnfortunately, even within the history of the Church, there has been division along racial lines. The Church, as divinely instituted by Jesus, is perfect and does not err in her teachings. The human dimension of the Church, however, is imperfect because of the sinful nature of humanity. The Church has a clear teaching on the dignity of the human person and speaks out against the sin of racism, but because of the fear or complacency of individuals, this teaching has not always been promoted or lived.

Catholicism came to America in the mid-19th century, while slavery was still legal. In 1839, Pope Gregory XVI issued a papal bull condemning the slave trade in the Americas. In 1958, four years after the civil rights movement began formally mobilizing marches, boycotts, sit-ins, and other demonstrations, the United States bishops issued another document that addressed issues of race. In 1968, the year that Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, the pastoral letter “The National Race Crisis” was shared. This

was the first time the Church had a sense of urgency around taking action against racial injustice. In 1979, the bishops issued “Brothers and Sisters to Us,” which named racism as a sin for the very first time in the history of the American Catholic Church — 25 years after the start of the civil rights movement. Most recently in 2018, the United States bishops issued a pastoral letter, “Open Wide Our Hearts,” calling on Catholics once more to combat the sin of racism that is still present today

In Supremo Apostolatus

Despite the authority of the Church at the highest level (the pope) condemning the slave trade, slavery and its aftermath have impacted the Church in America, causing a slow response to racial discrimination. This is largely due to many individual people, lay faithful and Church hierarchy alike, who misinterpreted or willfully disregarded the teachings.

The American Church’s slow response to racism gave way to her own participation in the same discriminatory and prejudiced systems of secular society, which the bishops apologized for in 1992. For the larger part of the 20th century, no black man was accepted into any Catholic seminary and black women were excluded from entering religious convents. The Catholic Mass itself was often segregated, with some parishes moving Catholics of color to restricted areas in the sanctuary or into the Church basement, and sometimes sending them to a separate building on the parish grounds.

National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1992:A Time for Remembering, Reconciling, and

Recommitting Ourselves as a People, 2

For concrete examples, refer to lives of Venerable Augustus Tolton and Mother Mary Lange of the Oblate Sisters of Providence.

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As a result, the Church continues to be affected by the sin of racism that has plagued American culture since its beginning. For example, there is a great lack of representation for people of color in their bishops, priests, deacons, and lay leaders throughout the Catholic Church in the United States today. Even the sacred art displayed in parishes, or the saints honored with icons and statues, do not reflect or celebrate the experience of Catholics of color.

AT THE TABLE OF CHRISTThe history of racism is long and complicated, but we cannot be afraid to acknowledge the numerous events that reveal deep-seeded systems of racial injustice. We cannot ignore the many men and women who cry out to the Lord because they have been hurt by racial injustice and discrimination. We also cannot look past the differences that exist among us because they are all a part of the plan of God — a plan for “the mutual enrichment of cultures,” a plan that helps us learn from one another and journey to heaven together. As followers of Christ, we should be lovers of this plan and actively fight against the sin of racism in and outside of ourselves.

CCC 1937Psalm 102

Most of all, we cannot ignore the hope and power we have in Christ through His Church to impact change in our own hearts, in the Church, and in the world. Christ calls every one of us to His table, regardless of our race, ethnicity, or skin color. He does not give better seats on the seating chart based on the sinful structures in the world. Instead, He makes room for everyone by offering Himself with unconditional love to each of us and unites us as brothers and sisters so we can, in turn, love one another in the same way. In Him, not only do we suffer together, we rejoice together.

CCC 7381 Corinthians 12:26

Notes: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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CORE TEAM OVERVIEW

SEATING CHART: Race, Racism, & Racial Tension

GOAL: The goal of Seating Chart is to present racism as a sinful and institutional reality, while calling the teens to acknowledge how Christ invites us to work for its eradication.

GATHER (30 MIN):Welcome and Opening Prayer: ______________________Mind Your Manners: ______________________________

PROCLAIM (10 MIN):“Seating Chart” Teaching: _________________________

BREAK (25 MIN):Table Talk: ______________________________________

• What stood out to you the most about these people and their experiences of race?

• Why is it important to listen to other people’s personal stories and experiences?

• Have you ever directly or indirectly experienced racism? What happened? How did it make you feel?

• How do you see racism affecting individuals? How does racism affect our society?

• Based on what you have heard thus far, why do you think racism is a sin against the Body of Christ?

SEND (10 MIN):As It Is In Heaven: ________________________________

Notes: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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LIFE NIGHT OVERVIEW

WHO’S MY NEIGHBOR?EQUALITY, JUSTICE, & DIGNITY

GOAL

The goal of Who’s My Neighbor? is to present the teens with the Biblical foundations of the Catholic approach to issues of race, while highlighting examples of activists for racial justice.

KEY CONCEPTS

• The Law in the Old Testament called for respect toward foreigners and the “other.”

• In the Gospels, we hear of Jesus crossing cultural lines that were often based on race and gender, even though this was deemed inappropriate.

• The letters of St. Paul remind us that we should all advocate for a system of equality, regardless of ethnicity, class, or gender.

KEY TERMS:Dignity, Equality, Justice

SCRIPTURE:Genesis 4:8-10; John 4:7-15; Luke 10:25-37;Galatians 3:27-28

CATECHISM:360, 605, 791, 1396, 1807

ABOUT THIS LIFE NIGHT

The Gather is a game of preference in which the teens are rewarded for their choices based on the preferences of one teen. The Proclaim walks through Scripture to challenge our tendency to divide into camps of “us” and “them.” The Break is a small group Scripture study that uses passages in which people break cultural boundaries to care for their neighbors. The Send is an interactive prayer that introduces the teens to men and women who fought for justice with the light of Christ. Prior to the Life Night series, be sure to implement the At the Table: Core Training as suggested in the introductory material under Core Preparation. The training packet can be found on the May 2019 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com under Life Support: May 2019. ENVIRONMENT

As a standard environment for this series, set up a space with chairs and one round table for each small group. Decorate each table with a tablecloth and simple centerpiece. Place the name of a different saint, blessed, servant of God, etc. who worked for justice on each table. (Use the same names from the Life Night, Seating Chart.)

Set up a separate space for the teens to gather for the Proclaim. Project the Who’s My Neighbor? environment image, which can be found on the May 2019 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com under Life Support: May 2019.

For this Life Night, divide a portion of the main meeting space in half with tape, designating one side as A and the other side as B. This set up will be used for the Gather activity.

During the Break, remove the tape and prepare the main meeting space for the Send. Set up several tables around

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the room and place a framed (or propped) image of a saint, blessed, servant of God, etc. who worked for justice along with a brief biography of their life on each table. Examples of saints and their biographies are provided on the Saints of Justice handout, which can be found on the May 2019 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com under Life Support: May 2019. Surround the pictures with many lit electric tea lights. Have permanent markers available at each table. Dim the lights to set a prayerful tone. MEDIA SUGGESTIONS

lifeteen: “LT - Gather Music” (spotify.com)

lifeteen: “LT - Break Music” (spotify.com)

lifeteen: “LT - Send Music” (spotify.com)

SOCIAL MEDIA HASHTAGS:#LT_WhosMyNeighbor#LT_AtTheTable

AS YOU GET STARTED...

For a Gather with a smaller group, consider rotating the teen volunteers who choose which group is awarded.

For an alternate Gather, consider playing the “I love my neighbor” game. Set up chairs in a circle and make sure there is one less chair than the number of players. Have a person stand in the center of the circle and begin the game by saying, “I love my neighbor who…” completing the sentence with a piece of information that is true for him or her. For example, “I love my neighbor who is an only child.” At that moment, everyone who this applies to (including the person in the center) must find a seat in an empty chair that is not directly next to them. The person left in the middle begins the next round.

For a Break with a smaller group, consider assigning each small group a different Scripture passage. After the discussion, have each small group present the story and one key concept from their discussion to the large group.

HISPANIC INCULTURATIONBy Stephanie EspinozaContributors: Juan Aznaran, Selina Villalobos

Important Notes for Pastoral CareSome Hispanic/Latino teens have unfortunately, and often unintentionally, been made to feel foreign or “other” by the very members (and sometimes leaders) of their parish. This might cause them to feel a tension between what Scripture says about how we treat others and what they have witnessed personally. These experiences make it difficult to persevere in a relationship with God because of how the people of God perceive them, their family, or people of their race or ethnicity.

Be especially mindful of this as the teens share examples of good neighboring and offer places where it might be improved. Remind them that while they may have been treated as “other” by fellow Christians, the Lord never sees them as “other.” Reiterate that they are God’s beloved son or daughter who is infinitely known, seen, and loved. After the Life Night, ask to pray with them, inviting the Holy Spirit to reveal to them ways in which God is loving them throughout the next week.

Notes: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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LIFE NIGHT: WHO’S MY NEIGHBOR?

GATHER

Welcome and Opening Prayer (5 min)Gather the teens in the main meeting space. Welcome them to the Life Night, introduce any teens or Core Members who are attending for the first time, and begin in prayer.

Us vs. Them (10 min)Utilizing the suggested setup from the Environment, have all of the teens stand on one side of the room and then ask for a teen volunteer. Ask everyone a question and have the teens move to the side of the room that corresponds to their answer (side A or side B). Ask the teen volunteer the same question. Whichever group is standing on the side that corresponds to the teen volunteer’s answer receives a prize (e.g., a piece of candy).

Sample Statements:

• Move to side A if you prefer chips or side B if you prefer candy.

• Move to side A if you prefer hip-hop or side B if you prefer country music.

• Move to side A if you prefer math or side B if you prefer English.

• Move to side A if you went to bed before 10:00 p.m. last night or side B if you went to bed after 10:00 p.m. last night.

• Move to side A if you prefer action movies or side B if you prefer comedies.

• Move to side A if you prefer iPhones or side B if you prefer Androids.

• Move to side A if you have traveled outside of the United States or side B if you have never traveled

outside of the United States.

• Move to side A if you made your own breakfast this morning or side B if someone made breakfast for you this morning.

• Move to side A if you space out your studying for a test or side B if you study the night before the test.

• Move to side A if you prefer art or side B if you prefer sports.

• Move to side A if you are an extrovert or side B if you are an introvert.

• Move to side A if you are a morning person or side B if you are a night person.

Gather the teens back together and transition into the Proclaim.

PROCLAIM

“Who’s My Neighbor?” Teaching (10 min)The Proclaim Details can be found on pages 36 to 41.

BREAK

Good Neighbor Scripture Study (30 min)Divide the teens into their At the Table small groups and have them meet at their small group table. Begin in prayer and then use the following questions to facilitate a discussion:

• What does “neighbor” mean? What does it mean to be a good neighbor?

Choose one of the following passages to read as a group:

• Elijah and the Widow - 1 Kings 17:8-17

• The Flight to Egypt - Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

• Jesus and the Canaanite Woman - Matthew 15:21-28

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• The Good Samaritan - Luke 10:25-37

• The Woman at the Well - John 4:1-15, 27

• Philip and the Ethiopian - Acts 8:26-39

Use the following questions to continue the discussion:

• How does this Scripture passage inform our understanding of “neighbor”?

• How is this passage helpful in light of the issues we are talking about (race and racism)?

• Where in our lives do we currently see the virtues exemplified in this Scripture passage lived out well?

• Where is there room for improvement? How can we be more like the people in the passage?

SEND

The Light of Justice (20 min)Gather all of the teens in the space set up with the saint images, as suggested in the Environment. Briefly share how each saint or leader worked toward equality, justice, and the dignity of their neighbor. Invite the teens to take some time to go to each table, read about the saint, and take a candle from the table of the saint whose life strikes them the most. Have them write on the candle a virtue or characteristic the saint lived out that they would like to emulate. Use the following to transition into a time of prayer:

In John 8:12, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” We are called to be the light of Christ in a world full of darkness. The saints, though ordinary people, witnessed the darkness of injustice in their world and chose to stand firmly in the light of Christ to illuminate the way of justice. Each was able to see others not as objects or lesser beings, but as their brothers and

sisters. In their own unique way, they brought the light of Christ into the world.

This light of Christ, brought forth through the saints, is something we can continue to hand on as well. We can share their light and continue to pass it along.

Conclude the Life Night with a Glory Be and invite the teens take home the candle they wrote on during the time of prayer.

Notes: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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PROCLAIM DETAILS

WHO’S MY NEIGHBOR?

KEY TERMS

Dignity: The excellence that deserves recognition and praise in a person or thing. Humans are given a unique dignity because they alone — of all God’s creatures on Earth — are made in God’s image and likeness.

Equality: The sameness in dignity that human beings enjoy because they are made in God’s image. Each person has access to Christ’s grace and forgiveness.

Justice: The cardinal moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbor.

TEACHING

It is natural for us to create relationships based on preferences, likes, and dislikes. I bet you can identify the moment you looked at one of your close friends and realized you shared something in common — a favorite musician, movie, or television show — and decided you were going to be friends.

This natural tendency to cultivate relationships based on preferences is not a bad thing, but it can have negative consequences when it becomes favoritism at the exclusion of others who are different than us. Favoritism toward people who look like us, speak like us, and share common social experiences can easily turn into prejudices against people who do not have these same commonalities. These seemingly small actions end

up creating the enormous systems of racial inequality we talked about in the previous Life Night, especially when people with these prejudices are in power.

Refer back to the unfairness of one teen’s preference determining the winners of the Gather game. Ask about their initial reactions. If time allows, ask if the teens started to guess what the teen in charge was going to pick and how this influenced their decision.

Our fallen humanity has made it very easy for us to create camps of “us” versus “them” in our interactions with the very people we are called to be good neighbors to — those who are seated at the table with us — just because of differences in race.

Sometimes these distinctions are explicit (e.g., forced segregation of students of color in public schools), but other times they are more subtle (e.g., making a joke based on stereotypes of a person’s race). These divisions foster tension between individuals, groups, communities, and, sometimes, entire nations, despite the fact that we are all made in the image and likeness of God.

Genesis 1:26-28

Display images of demonstrators in opposition to one another.

Listing off examples of poor neighbor-ing is not the hard part — it is actually being a good neighbor that presents the real challenge. Luckily, Scripture offers us some help in that department. As Christians, we can turn to the Bible and realize that the Lord has called us to equality, justice, and respect for dignity since the beginning of time. The more we explore the Word of God, the more light that is shed on what it really means to be a good neighbor to every person at the table.

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GOD AND LAW AND “OTHER,” OH MY!From the beginning, the Lord entrusts us to one another, but even the early humans struggled to fulfill this task well.

Project and read Genesis 4:8-10.

We may be tempted to think in this same way when it comes to issues of race: Is it really my job to care about this stuff? Am I actually my brother’s keeper?

Genesis 4:9

The answer is yes! You are your brother’s keeper! God the Father has always called us, His people, to work in favor of the suffering. When God created decrees for the Israelites, He did so by reminding them of their time as strangers in Egypt. He warned them to not wrong any widow or orphan because He heard their cries.

Exodus 22:21-24

Even when talking about the fruit of their harvest, the Lord called on His people to give others their due and to always leave enough of their bounty for the poor.

Leviticus 19:9-10

Through the great prophet Isaiah, the Lord commands us, His children, to correct oppression through concrete action. To act in favor of the suffering means we are accepting His invitation to cease doing evil and bring about things that are good. It means not just sitting back and letting things happen, but actively working to help correct situations that cause suffering for others.

Isaiah 1:16-17

All of these examples of the Law from the Old Testament reveal a God who looks out for the vulnerable and

suffering, a God who uses His people to work for the good of all, a God in favor of justice — especially for those who are most in need.

JESUS WITHOUT BORDERSIn the New Testament, we see that Jesus did not stick to the socially constructed borders of race and gender that created “outsiders.” He redefined what it meant to be a good neighbor to those who are next to us at the table.

During one of Jesus’ journeys from Judea to Galilee, He crosses through Samaria and makes a rest stop at Jacob’s well. During this time, Jews considered people from this region as less than and as such, they went out of their way not to associate with them. So when a Samaritan woman comes to draw water and ends up face to face with Jesus, who asks her for a drink, even she is surprised. It was a great shock that He would speak to her, a woman and a Samaritan, let alone ask something of her. Here, Jesus models a radical love that places people over socially constructed borders.

John 4:7-15

As if His example was not enough, Jesus also communicates this Christian worldview rather explicitly to His followers.

Project and read Luke 10:25-29.

“And who is my neighbor?” This might be a question you ask yourself, too. Jesus is very clear in His reply.

Project and read Luke 10:30-37.

The good neighbor turned out to be a Samaritan — a group that was hated by the Jews. It was probably not the answer the lawyer was expecting because He had been trained to think less of Samaritans. Jesus knows this

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and still says to him, “Go and do likewise” — He is telling this Jewish man to go and imitate someone he has been conditioned to dislike. With this radical statement, Jesus is making it known to us that Christian love does not limit itself to what society deems to be acceptable.

Luke 10:37

At Jesus’ table, there is room for all people. He did not discriminate by race, gender, or other social barriers and divisions; instead, He witnessed the relentless love of the Father to all people. While the people of His time might have seen some of His actions as inappropriate, He recognized that His mission was much greater than the systems men had established.

ST. PAUL, REBEL WITH A CAUSEFor early Christian communities, the challenge of being good neighbors was just as real as it is for us today. As they tried to model Jesus in all of their actions, they found that it was easier said than done. Paul, in his wisdom and holiness, did everything he could to encourage these communities as they strived to be good to those around the table of the Lord. He challenged the early Church to foster equality despite differences in ethnicity, class, or gender.

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul makes something very clear: in Christ, all are one. The distinctions between Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female are overcome by our new identity as children of God. He makes it clear that these differences are reconciled by our baptism, through which we become brothers and sisters in Christ.

Galatians 3:27-28

Paul rebels against the expectations of those early Christians by reminding them — and us — that our identities as Christians demand a new way of looking at

the world. This new vision allows us to regard the people around us in light of Jesus, as neighbors worthy of our love.

TAKING GOD AT HIS WORDYes, the act of being a good neighbor is a challenge, but it is a challenge that we cannot take lightly. The Lord asks each of us to take Him at His Word — literally — and upset the worldly expectations of how to treat the people around us. He wants us to look beyond differences of race and embrace a love of all people that is not limited to the structures of the world.

As you spend more time reading the Word of God tonight, ask the Lord to show you the places in which you are answering His call. Call on the Holy Spirit to make you aware of how you can improve the way you treat your neighbor, and make a sincere prayer to Jesus that you may stand firmly in His light to illuminate the way of justice for the world.

Notes: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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CORE TEAM OVERVIEW

WHO’S MY NEIGHBOR?: Equality, Justice, & Dignity

GOAL: The goal of Who’s My Neighbor? is to present the teens with the Biblical foundations of the Catholic approach to issues of race, while highlighting examples of activists for racial justice.

GATHER (15 MIN):Welcome and Opening Prayer: ______________________Us vs. Them: _____________________________________

PROCLAIM (10 MIN):“Who’s My Neighbor” Teaching: ____________________

BREAK (30 MIN):Good Neighbor Scripture Study: ___________________

• What does “neighbor” mean? What does it mean to be a good neighbor?

• Read one of the following passages as a group: Elijah and the Widow (1 Kings 17:8-17); The Flight to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23); Jesus and the Canaanite Woman (Matthew 15:21-28); The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37); The Woman at the Well (John 4:1-15, 27); Philip and the Ethiopian (Acts 8:26-39)

• How does this Scripture passage inform our understanding of “neighbor”?

• How is this passage helpful in light of the issues we are talking about (race and racism)?

• Where in our lives do we currently see the virtues exemplified in this Scripture passage lived out well?

• Where is there room for improvement? How can we be more like the people in the passage?

SEND (20 MIN):The Light of Justice: _____________________________

Notes: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4544 AT THE TABLE

LIFE NIGHT OVERVIEW

RESET THE TABLECLASS, DISCRIMINATION, & PRIVILEGE

GOAL

The goal of Reset the Table is for the teens to draw on principles of Catholic Social Teaching in order to build a just and equitable society.

KEY CONCEPTS

• The Church, as a sign and instrument of communion with God and unity with each other, is indispensable in the work of unifying humanity regardless of race or class.

• Distributive justice, taught in Catholic Social Teaching, requires that harmful results of social sin be shared by a community so they do not fall solely on the shoulders of the most vulnerable.

• Respect for the dignity of every person brings about an urgent call to eliminate sinful and systemic inequalities and discriminations, which are incompatible with God’s design for His creation.

KEY TERMS:Distributive Justice, Racial Discrimination

SCRIPTURE:1 Corinthians 4:7; Romans 6:3-4; Romans 12:9-21;Revelation 7:9

CATECHISM:775, 1227, 1929, 1935, 1947

ABOUT THIS LIFE NIGHT

The Gather is a small group race to set and reset a table based on different diagrams. The Proclaim looks at overcoming systems of racial injustice through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching. The Break is a privilege walk that helps the teens recognize and process the reality of privilege in the world. The Send guides the teens through a meditation on our history of oppression and offers hope through the vision of Christ and His Church.

Prior to the Life Night series, be sure to implement the At the Table: Core Training as suggested in the introductory material under Core Preparation. The training packet can be found on the May 2019 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com under Life Support: May 2019.

ENVIRONMENT

As a standard environment for this series, set up a space with chairs and one round table for each small group. Decorate each table with a tablecloth and simple centerpiece. Place the name of a different saint, blessed, servant of God, etc. who worked for justice on each table. (Use the same names from the Life Night, Seating Chart.)

Set up a separate space for the teens to gather for the Proclaim. Project the Reset the Table environment image, which can be found on the May 2019 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com under Life Support: May 2019. MEDIA SUGGESTIONS

lifeteen: “LT - Gather Music” (spotify.com)

lifeteen: “LT - Break Music” (spotify.com)

lifeteen: “LT - Send Music” (spotify.com)

4746 AT THE TABLE

SOCIAL MEDIA HASHTAGS:#LT_ResetTheTable#LT_AtTheTable

AS YOU GET STARTED...

For a Gather with a smaller group, consider playing a few rounds of Jenga with different foundations to begin on (e.g., a table, cardboard box, and a slanted surface). Tie this into the Proclaim by explaining the need to start with a proper foundation when creating systems of justice.

For an alternate Break, consider having the teens “unpack” their privilege in their small groups by reading the statements aloud and then adding and subtracting points based on steps forward and backward. If the teens are uncomfortable sharing their score, it may be beneficial to collect the scores and share them anonymously.

For a deeper Send, consider making each station a meditation similar to the stations of the cross. Print and hang images from each moment in history used during the meditation. Prayerfully guide the teens through the mediation as you walk from image to image. HISPANIC INCULTURATIONBy Stephanie EspinozaContributors: Juan Aznaran, Selina Villalobos

Important Notes for Pastoral CareIn talking about rebuilding the systems that allow racism to continue, it is important for Hispanic/Latino teens (as well as other teens of color) to know that they have great power in this process of building the Kingdom on Earth. During the Proclaim, when emphasizing the vital role of the Church’s teachings to the work of justice, be sure to highlight the need for their voices in that work.

Be mindful that this might be the first time they are considering the impact and reach of their voices and experiences. Remind them that their particular relationships with Jesus and the Church serve as a light of hope for others who are marginalized and oppressed. Encourage them that their stories of perseverance and faith in the midst of struggle due to racial injustice are all crucial to ensuring that the same mistakes are not made when the table is reset. Invite them to see themselves as active responders to Christ’s call for justice by reminding them how much the Church needs them in order to create a more just world.

Notes: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4948 AT THE TABLE

LIFE NIGHT: RESET THE TABLE

GATHER

Welcome and Opening Prayer (5 min)Gather the teens at their At the Table small group tables. Welcome them to the Life Night, introduce any teens or Core Members who are attending for the first time, and begin in prayer.

Set the Table Relay (15 min)Have a large box with the following supplies at the front of the room: blue, yellow, red, and white table cloths (three or four of each); varying types of placemats; paper plates; bowls; napkins; cups; plastic forks, spoons, and knives. (Be sure there are enough supplies for most, but not all, of the small groups to create the settings below at the same time. This will create an intentional delay in the relay.)

Project the following table setting requirements:

• 5 chairs, bowls, spoons, napkins, and cups; 3 plates; 1 yellow tablecloth

• 6 chairs, placemats, plates, napkins, forks, knives, spoons, and cups; 1 blue tablecloth

• 4 chairs, matching placemats, plates, bowls, napkins, forks, spoons, and cups; 1 red table cloth

• 6 chairs, plates, forks, napkins, and cups; 1 white table cloth

The goal of the game is to have each small group work together to create all of the table settings in order at their small group table. Instruct the teens to choose a runner. The runner races to the box to gather the materials needed. They can only grab the materials needed for the table setting they are creating. Once the small group sets the

table, their Core Member must sign off on it before they move to the next setting. The small group then dismantles the table and the runner brings all of the supplies back to the box. Because there are limited supplies, some groups will be waiting for other groups to finish a setting so they can use the materials. The small group that finishes all of the settings (in order) first must sit down and cheer to signal that they are done.

PROCLAIM

“Reset the Table” Teaching (10 min)The Proclaim Details can be found on pages 56 to 61.

BREAK

Privilege Walk (10 min)Gather the teens in the main meeting space. Remind them of the guidelines from the Life Night, Seating Chart. Have the teens form a circle and place an object in the middle of the circle. Then use the following to transition into the activity:

As we look to the center of this room, we can all see the same object. Because of where we stand, though, we each see it from a unique viewpoint. All of us have a particular perspective on life because of the situations we were born into and the experiences we have had. During this next activity, we are taking time to understand the perspective of someone else. We will do this by recognizing some of the privileges we have because of our own unique viewpoint. Privilege is an advantage that we all have to some degree. Some people have an advantage over others due to socioeconomic factors such as education, income, and employment. Some have an advantage over others due to social biases and preference of skin color. Privilege is not always recognized by those who have it and in some cases, such as with race, it cannot be earned.

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Having more or less privilege does not define a person’s worth or dignity. It also does not mean that people with privilege does not work hard for what they have. However, it is important to identify the areas in which we are privileged and determine how we are using those areas to better those around us.

Have the teens form a straight line. Explain that a series of statements will be read. As each statement is read, the teens who feel the statement applies to them take the corresponding step. If the statement does not apply, they do not move. After all teens who wish to take the step have done so, have them step back in line with everyone else before reading the next statement. Use the following statements to begin the activity:

• If you have a cell phone, take a step forward.

• If your parents are still married to one another, take a step forward.

• If you know there is food for you to eat when you go home, take a step forward.

• If you can go shopping alone and most of the time not be followed or harassed, take a step forward.

• If the language your parents speak at home is NOT primarily English, take a step backward.

• If you have been taught to fear walking alone in new or dark places, take a step backward.

• If you have a strong understanding of your family’s history and culture, take a step forward.

• If the person in charge in any given situation is rarely someone of your race or gender, take a step backward.

• If you were born in the United States, take a step forward.

• If one or both of your parents have a college degree, take a step forward.

• If you have ever been called a racial slur, take a step backward.

• If you feel that your race is positively portrayed in the entertainment industry (music, movies, etc), take a step forward.

• If you feel unsafe at the thought of being in a car that is being pulled over by police officers, take a step backward.

• If you have ever been told to “go back to your country,” take a step backward.

• If you can speak more than one language, step forward.

Remind the teens that having more or less privilege does not define a person’s worth or dignity, and it does not mean that they do not work hard for what they have. However, acknowledging privilege is an important part of working against racial injustice.

Small Group Discussion (15 min)Divide the teens into their At the Table small groups, begin in prayer, and use the following to help them unpack the privilege walk:

Whether you ended up taking many steps forward or backward during this exercise, you are likely feeling and thinking a lot of things right now. We are going to take some time to help you name what you experienced in this activity and articulate your feelings by talking through some questions. Remember that you only have to share what you are comfortable sharing with the group, and it is OK if you do not want to respond to every question in this discussion. If you want to answer the question, give a thumbs up and wait to be called on. If you do not feel comfortable answering a particular question, give a thumbs down and we will move on to the next person. If at some point in the discussion there is a question you want to return to because you feel ready to share, give a sideways thumb and wait to be called on.

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Use the following questions to facilitate a discussion:

• What are your initial thoughts and feelings about the privilege walk activity we just completed?

• What did you feel when you took a step forward? Backward? Stayed on the line as others moved?

• How does privilege affect those without it? In what ways can privilege be used to benefit others?

• What do you wish people knew about one of the identities, situations, or disadvantages that caused you to take a step backward?

• How can your understanding of privileges or marginalizations be informed by your faith in Jesus?

SEND

Sin and Hope Timeline (20 min)Gather the teens by small group in the main meeting space. Set a prayerful tone and then use the following to transition into the activity:

We all must do our part to understand where we have been in order to look ahead to where we are going, to begin to raise up all people — regardless of the color of their skin — to their true worth.

Part 1: The Fall (Large Group)Read Genesis 3:14-19 aloud. Reflect on how the Fall allowed sin to enter the world and perfect peace to be fractured: brother rose up against brother; slavery was used to suppress the progress of people; and ethnicities were spoken of with fear, disgust, and without care. Remind the teens that this series and their own experiences reveal to us that this is not far from our current circumstances.

After Part 1, instruct each of the small groups to move to a different station around the room. Each station illustrates a story after the Fall that is in conjunction with historical

and present day instances of racial injustice. Have the small groups stay at each station for five to seven minutes and then rotate to a different station. (Not every small group will go to every station.)

Part 2: Where We’ve Been and Where We Are (Stations)Station 1: Read Exodus 2:23-25 aloud. Reflect on the slavery of God’s people in Egypt, connecting it to the history of the enslavement of Africans in the United States because of their dark skin. Remind the teens that God heard the suffering of His people and continues to hear the cries of the oppressed.

Station 2: Read Psalm 102:3-8 aloud. Reflect on the state of the speaker in this psalm and how it is not unlike what men and women in the Holocaust suffered as a result of their Jewish race. Remind the teens that we are called to never repeat this subhuman treatment of our brothers and sisters, no matter how different they may seem from us.

Station 3: Read Leviticus 19:13 aloud. Reflect on the unfair treatment of workers and how this typically affects migrant workers in labor-intensive occupations. Remind the teens that just payment for all people, no matter where they are from, is a way we bring about Christian justice in the world.

Station 4: Read Ezekiel 22:7 aloud. Reflect on the ways our country currently views the foreigner, the immigrant, and the refugee, highlighting the most recent circumstances at the southern United States border. Remind the teens that the mistreatment of the immigrant is against God’s law, and that our Church is called to witness Christ by supporting those who flee violence in their homelands.

Station 5: Read Ezekiel 7:23-24 aloud. Reflect on the violence committed against people of color out of hate.

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Remind the teens that we must actively resist all forms of violence against innocent people due to the color of their skin.

After Part 2, gather the small groups together to complete Part 3 as a large group.

Part 3: Where We Hope to Go (Large Group) Read Revelation 7:9-10, 13-14 aloud. Reflect on how this series has helped the teens name instances of marginalization and acknowledge privilege in order to be a part of the solution to eradicate racism. Remind the teens that these actions build up the goodness of every person, no matter the color of their skin.

Conclude the Life Night by praying an Our Father, after saying the following:

We live with this hope: we are redeemed by the blood of the lamb and are working for the Kingdom, beginning with our own witness. Let us offer together an Our Father, asking for His will to be done here as in heaven.

Notes: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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PROCLAIM DETAILS

RESET THE TABLE

KEY TERMS

Distributive Justice: Regulates what the community owes its citizens in proportion to their contributions and needs.

Racial Discrimination: The act of mistreating people based on their race or color of their skin.

TEACHING

Invite the teens to share their experiences of the Gather game. What was challenging about setting the table initially? Were the challenges the same for every group? What was it like to start from zero each time?

When we talk about the systemic injustice of racism, we quickly realize that it is essential for us to take a second look at the origin and purpose of the systems we encounter everyday. Oftentimes, we need to “reset” these systems so they are more equitable. For example, institutions for education are essential to a just society, but there may be systems at work within the education system (like biased dress code regulations) that need to be reevaluated. When working for racial justice, it is not enough to simply end internal racial discrimination or mistreatment of people based on their skin color. Like in our opening activity, there are certain systems that have to be “reset” or re-worked.

If this is the case, though, we are in for a tough task. How do you evaluate structures and redirect them without making the same mistakes as the last one? Where do you

look for a new design? What materials should be used? How exactly should the table be reset?

A truly Catholic response to injustice is not just one that destroys and overthrows for the sake of undoing what is there. The Lord has set us apart with a vision of how to rebuild and plant, so there will be fruit and life around this newly reset table. In this series, we have been discussing how racism is one of those structures that is embedded in the fabric of our country, but it is not compatible with Christianity or the desire to follow Jesus. In our walk with Christ, we are invited to come up with a new kind of plan for the table. The Lord calls us to rebuild and plant according to a whole new approach: one that condemns racism and all of its effects and takes steps toward building a society that is free from its grasp.

Jeremiah 1:10

THE CHURCH IS A MAJOR KEYThe Church is a sign and instrument of communion with God. This characteristic also makes the Church visible and tangible proof that the unity of man is possible. In the Church, “unity is already begun” because she is made up of people from every nation, tribe, and tongue. She points us to the more perfect unity we are aiming for in heaven.

CCC 775Revelation 7:9

The Church also keeps us from personal sin, and thus gives us hope of establishing more equitable systems in society by overcoming evil with good. Equity is different than equality because equality seeks to treat everybody the same. Instead, equity aims to help people according to their need. For example, if there is a tall fence that people are trying to look over to watch a baseball game, you cannot give everyone the same sized step stool and say the problem is fixed. Sure, some of the taller folks

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might be able to see because of it, but the shorter people may still need an additional step or two. The equitable thing would be to add the necessary height, even if that same height is not given to everyone else who can see without it.

Romans 12:21

Through its various principles of Catholic Social Teaching, the Church has established herself as absolutely indispensable to bringing humanity together to break structures of social sin.

BEST KEPT SECRETCatholic Social Teaching is the Church’s best kept secret because its very principles have the potential to heal the wounds of racial injustice. It first and foremost honors life and the dignity of the human person, which is critical to any endeavor looking to create peace and promote justice in the world.

The dignity of the human person drives our fight against the injustice of racism because it recognizes that every one of our brothers and sisters, in their individual and infinite worth, is worth defending. Social justice can only be possible if and when we root all actions in the truth that every single human being has a dignity given to them by their creator that we must protect.

CCC 1929

Catholic Social Teaching also emphasizes the common good, or the principle that the Church and state ought to care for the greatest good of all persons. This does not mean we do the thing that will benefit the most people; rather, we work intentionally so each person is enabled to achieve their perfection.

Mater et Magistra, 65

Another principle of Catholic Social Teaching that is critical to resetting the table for a more just system is solidarity, “a sense of responsibility on the part of everyone with regard to everyone.” It goes beyond feeling sorry for people who suffer from racial injustice or any other kind of systemic oppression and recognizes the unity that the Church tries to instill in each of her members. The principle of solidarity requires a concrete commitment to action and a firm desire to work for the common good.

Caritas in Veritate, 38

Finally, Catholic Social Teaching favors distributive justice, which requires that a community give to its citizens in proportion to what they give and need. Again, the goal is not simply equality, but equity — a system through which all are given opportunities according to their circumstances. This helps us respond to racist systems because it allows us to see how working for the justice of one racial group doesn’t diminish the value of another — it just means repairing the injustices they have suffered.

THE URGENCY FOR JUSTICEProject and read CCC 2446.

Our Christian call to recognize the dignity of every human person, no matter their skin color or ethnic makeup, makes it absolutely critical that we work for justice. It is not just a good thing to do — it is what we owe people. Taking care of the needs of others is giving them what is due to them. It is not just our being kind or being a good person — it makes us agents of justice.

CCC 2446

In addition to it being a matter of debt to our fellow brothers and sisters, it is also crucial for making God’s plan for us a reality. “Every form of social or cultural discrimination in

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fundamental personal rights on the grounds of sex, race, color, social conditions, language, or religion must be curbed and eradicated as incompatible with God’s design.” The Church is clear: there is no room in the Christian person or institution for any form of racial injustice.

CCC 1935

Any offense of this kind must be eliminated. They are not to be made small, to be excused, or to be seen as insignificant by any means. Instead, we should view them as sinful and work to eliminate them inasmuch as we are able. “The equal dignity of human persons requires the effort... [toward] the elimination of sinful inequalities.” Each of us has to do our part to rid our society of racial injustice.

CCC 1947

When we work toward racial justice, we are preparing for heaven.

Project and read Revelation 7:9.

The Book of Revelation describes a vision of heaven that is diverse, with a multitude of people from every nation, tribe, and tongue. As we seek to reset the table, we have to make sure it mirrors that vision. In this way, we make the Kingdom present to us even now.

SELF-AWARE, US-AWAREBefore we can really begin any of this work of evaluating and rebuilding, we must become aware of our own place within this system and how it has formed us. Are we in a position that has been negatively affected by the structures that create racial injustice? Have we been hurt and discriminated against? Or do we benefit from the system? Have we been given opportunities simply because certain social structures favor people like us? Do we participate in racial discrimination through our attitudes and dispositions?

We are going to spend some time reflecting on these questions more in depth so we can start the work of creating more just structures in the world today, beginning with ourselves. As we ask Jesus for the grace to root out this sin in our hearts, we are beginning the work of rooting out that same sin from the structures of our society.

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CORE TEAM OVERVIEW

RESET THE TABLE: Class, Discrimination, & Privilege

GOAL: The goal of Reset the Table is for the teens to draw on principles of Catholic Social Teaching in order to build a just and equitable society.

GATHER (20 MIN):Welcome and Opening Prayer: ______________________Set the Table Relay: ______________________________

PROCLAIM (10 MIN):“Reset the Table” Teaching: _________________________

BREAK (20 MIN):Privilege Walk: __________________________________Small Group Discussion: ___________________________

• What are your initial thoughts and feelings about the privilege walk activity we just completed?

• What did you feel when you took a step forward? Backward? Stayed on the line as others moved?

• How does privilege affect those without it? In what ways can privilege be used to benefit others?

• What do you wish people knew about one of the identities, situations, or disadvantages that caused you to take a step backward?

• How can your understanding of privileges or marginalizations improve your relationships with yourself and others?

SEND (25 MIN):Sin and Hope Timeline: ___________________________

Notes: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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LIFE NIGHT OVERVIEW

PULL UP A CHAIREMPATHY & ACTION

GOAL

The goal of Pull Up a Chair is to invite the teens to identify and adopt practical responses to racial injustice through action rooted in love and solidarity.

KEY CONCEPTS

• The Lord calls each of us to honestly acknowledge the evil of racism — where we have been complicit or even participated in it — as well as to recognize the places where we experience privilege so we may walk openly and without hindrance toward racial solidarity.

• In the midst of the darkness of racism, there is still hope that God’s final word will be one of deliverance and justice.

• Our belief in Jesus asks that we accept the invitation to serve as agents of equity, inclusivity, unity, and charity in a racially divided world.

KEY TERMS:Microaggression, Racial Solidarity

SCRIPTURE:Genesis 4:8-12; Psalm 72; Luke 5:17-20

CATECHISM:822, 1886-1889, 2446, 2832

ABOUT THIS LIFE NIGHT

The Gather is a small group trivia competition in which the teens gain chairs for their table as they answer questions correctly. The Proclaim encourages the teens to actively make room for others by fighting against racial injustice in their sphere of influence. The Break gives the teens an opportunity to learn about and discuss microaggression. The Send is a Mass celebrated for the progress of peoples.

Prior to the Life Night series, be sure to implement the At the Table: Core Training as suggested in the introductory material under Core Preparation. The training packet can be found on the May 2019 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com under Life Support: May 2019.

ENVIRONMENT

As a standard environment for this series, set up a space with chairs and one round table for each small group. Decorate each table with a tablecloth and simple centerpiece. Place the name of a different saint, blessed, servant of God, etc. who worked for justice on each table. (Use the same names from the Life Night, Seating Chart.)

Set up a separate space for the teens to gather for the Proclaim. Project the Pull Up A Chair environment image, which can be found on the May 2019 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com under Life Support: May 2019. MEDIA SUGGESTIONS

Life Teen: “Words Matter” (Life Support: May 2019)

lifeteen: “LT - Gather Music” (spotify.com)

lifeteen: “LT - Break Music” (spotify.com)

lifeteen: “LT - Send Music” (spotify.com)

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SOCIAL MEDIA HASHTAGS:#LT_PullUpAChair#LT_AtTheTable

AS YOU GET STARTED...

For a Break without media, consider addressing the concept of microaggression within small groups and adapt the questions where necessary.

For an alternate Send, consider leading the teens through “A Prayer Service for Racial Healing in our Land,” which can be found online at usccb.org. HISPANIC INCULTURATIONBy Stephanie EspinozaContributors: Juan Aznaran, Selina Villalobos

Important Notes for Pastoral CareWhen talking with Hispanic/Latino teens about making room at the table, encourage them to look for the places where they already have a seat and then challenge them to think of ways they can influence that environment to be more welcoming and just. What leadership roles do they have in their youth group, on their sports team, or in their service club? In what friend group or family situation do they have a voice with which to speak up? How can they use their role to help other teens of marginalized groups feel welcome and included? What lived experience can they share that will inspire other members of the group to be more inclusive? Remind them that while there are still areas where they do not have a seat, they are capable of impacting their world for the sake of the justice that Christ calls us to.

Notes: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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LIFE NIGHT: PULL UP A CHAIR

GATHER

Welcome and Opening Prayer (5 min)Gather the teens at their At the Table small group tables. Welcome them to the Life Night, introduce any teens or Core Members who are attending for the first time, and begin in prayer.

Air Chair Trivia (10 min)Place a Dry Erase board and marker on each table. Instruct the teens to move their chair behind them (so they cannot sit on it) and stand in front of the table. Explain that once the game begins everyone will squat into a seated position around the table. Have a Core Member read a question aloud to the large group and then give each small group ten seconds to discuss and write down an answer. If the group gets the answer correct, one teen at their table can take a seat in their chair, while the other teens remain in a squat. If the group gets the answer incorrect, the entire team remains in a squat. The first small group to have every member seated at their table wins.

Trivia Questions:

• Who was the first black man to become a priest in the United States? Fr. Augustus Tolton

• What year did Fr. Tolton become a priest? 1886• True or False: The light bulb was invented entirely

by Thomas Edison? False (Only a part of the light bulb was invented by Thomas Edison. The carbon filament that allowed lights to burn for minutes rather than seconds was created by a black inventor, Lewis Howard Latimer.)

• Saint Kateri Tekakwitha’s father was a chief of what tribe of Native Americans? Mohawks

• True or False: Madam C.J. Walker, a black woman, was the first self-made millionaire in the United States? True

• In what city did St. Frances Xavier Cabrini work against racial injustice for Italian immigrants? New York City

• What did the Catholic bishops ask Sr. Thea Bowman to help create for African-American Catholics? A hymnal

• Which saint wanted to combat the anti-native bigotry in South America, in addition to wanting to offer her whole life to the evangelization of indigenous communities? St. Laura de Santa Catalina de Siena

• As a result of racial discrimination, what woman formed the Congregation of the Sisters of the Religious of the Virgin Mary? Venerable Ignacia del Espiritu Santo

PROCLAIM

“Pull Up a Chair” Teaching (10 min)The Proclaim Details can be found on pages 72 to 77.

BREAK

Words Matter (5 min)Play the “Words Matter,” which can be found in the Media Suggestions. This video is a conversation with Catholic people of color, who discuss their personal experiences of microaggressions — the brief, commonplace, daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental offenses, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights toward people of color — and the impact they have had in their lives.

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Small Group Discussion (20 min)Divide the teens into their At the Table small groups, begin in prayer, and use the following questions to facilitate a discussion:

• Have you heard the term “microaggression” before? If so, did the video teach you anything new about it?

• What is one kind of microaggression from the video that stood out to you?

• Have you experienced microaggression, either directly or indirectly? What was that experience like for you?

• Why is saying, “it was only a joke” or “you are being too sensitive” an inappropriate response to someone sharing their experience of microaggression? How does Christ invite us to respond differently?

• In what way does our faith invite you to be more self-aware about your interactions with others? How might this change the way you approach people?

After the discussion, have each teen open their place card to the blank interior and write, “I cannot change a system overnight, but today I can…” Remind the teens that the tasks of combating systems of racism can be daunting, but each of us can take them on because we are united to Christ’s victory. While our individual actions may seem small, together our actions begin to do the work of systemic change. Have each teen write one action they will take to begin fighting against racial injustice in their daily life (e.g., kindly correcting friends who make insensitive comments about race, helping family members learn about how racism is both a faith and a justice issue, compassionately listening to other people’s stories, evaluating ways your youth group can be more inclusive to people of different ethnic backgrounds, self-evaluating based on what the series has taught you about your attitudes and dispositions regarding race).

EXTENDED SEND

Mass for the Progress of Peoples (45 min)Gather the teens in the church. Conclude the Life Night, and the entire series, with a Mass for the Progress of Peoples, which can be found in the Lectionary. (Be sure to clear this with your pastor before implementing the series). For a suggested homily, songs, and prayers of the faithful, use the Mass for the Progress of Peoples handout, which can be found on the May 2019 Life Teen USB and online at lifeteen.com under Life Support: May 2019.

Notes: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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PROCLAIM DETAILS

PULL UP A CHAIR

KEY TERMS

Microaggression: The brief, commonplace, daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental offenses, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights toward people of color.

Racial solidarity: The act of identifying with the experiences of our brothers and sisters of color surrounding race, seeing in them “another self.”

TEACHING

It is hard to sit when there is not even a chair for you, right?

This series has not been a simple one. We have tackled some of the most difficult realities facing our world today, acknowledging the sinful and systemic reality of racism. We have taken time to understand racial equality in light of Scripture and Church teaching. We have recognized the role of the Church and her social teaching as a key to building a more just society. We have acknowledged our personal experiences of race, privilege, disadvantage, and hope. We have been challenged to think in new ways, and to look to Jesus as our guide in the pursuit of more racially just structures in both the world and the Church.

So... now what?

Now it is time for us to make room, to give others a seat at the table.

Making room means listening to each other’s experiences of race. Making room means acknowledging the evil of racism and where we have been complicit, and confessing when we have participated in it. Making room means identifying the areas in which we are privileged. Making room means finding hope in spite of discrimination. Making room means rolling up our sleeves and working for a more equitable and just society. Each of us can be instruments of such renewal because we have been made new in the waters of Baptism.

Baptism clothes us in Christ, conferring a radical equality in all of us. It calls us to live by a different standard. Through the grace of the Sacrament, we can be who Christ says we are, renouncing racial evil and proclaiming one Father as one family.

CONVERSION AND MERCYOur Savior is one of deep love and radical mercy, which informs the way we ought to live. Conversion is a sign that God’s transforming power is alive and well. Through it, we have hope that individuals might be redirected toward goodness, but also institutions and entire groups of people as well. In that way, we hope in the power of God’s love over hearts to overcome even the ugliest manifestations of racism.

Racial solidarity — an act of identifying with the experience of our brothers and sisters in regard to race — is a paschal experience. This means that it is an experience that participates in the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus. It first demands death: death to a false sense of self and view of others. It requires a commitment to being aware of racial privilege and allowing that awareness to change behaviors that leverage privilege unjustly while also informing the way we serve others. Only by dying to ourselves can we experience the new life of Resurrection that welcomes us into the Kingdom of God — a Kingdom for all people.

It is only by allowing God’s grace to work through the human person that social changes really happen. The conversion of

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our hearts serves as the first step toward remedying unjust social institutions and sinful structures. When we allow God to conform us personally to the norms of justice, good can be achieved by the larger society.

CCC 1888

Project an image of Sr. Thea Bowman.

Think back to what we heard a couple of weeks ago about servant of God, Sr. Thea Bowman. She personally experienced the effects of racial injustice as the granddaughter of former slaves and a black woman growing up in the southern United States. Her faithfulness to the Gospel gave her great credibility in the Church. Eventually, some bishops charged her with compiling a Catholic hymnal that was specifically made for black Catholics. Her personal commitment to fighting for justice in light of the Gospel made an impact on the way the Catholic Church served its black members. From her individual actions came a greater, systemic change.

FOOD FOR ALLThe original design of God is that there is one table at which everyone has a place, but throughout human history, we have created many different tables that are faulty and exclusive.

We have a call to action that is inspired by our faith and the many glimpses it provides of what love and unity can look like. We know that we can find refuge around the table of the Lord because when we are there, we are all one in the love of Jesus.

This is a great power revealed to us in the Eucharist: The real presence of the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus, blurs any and every distinction between hosts and guest, need and plenty. In the gift of His very self, our Lord gives us a counter-identity: one of love and solidarity, one that does

not judge based on skin color or ethnicity. It only looks to transform us into what we have received — Christ Himself.

Our participation in the Eucharist fulfills our call to the unity received in Baptism. It transforms us in order that we might live according to its nature — from one bread, we can also become one body. The Eucharist is the place where we start to make room at the table. The Eucharist is how we pull up a chair.

CCC 1396 1 Corinthians 10:16-17

LAMENT DEFIES UNDERSTANDINGOur Christian faith also gives us a particular language of lament through which we express both our grief and our hope in the face of racial injustice. At the cross, we are able to recognize the image of both heart-wrenching sorrow and sincere hope in the suffering Christ. His suffering is very real — His pain is undeniable — but His victory over the grave still comes.

If you have personally experienced the effects of the structures of racism, if you have faced discrimination and suffering because of your race, you can be sure that the Lord hears your cries and listens to you in the midst of your oppression. If it has been difficult for you to face your participation in injustice, you can bring that struggle to the Lord and trust that His power is not overcome by it. You can share your encounters of prejudice and discrimination with the hope that it will open the eyes of those who may never experience such offenses. We can be honest about our circumstances around race, while proclaiming with great joy that God has a word of deliverance to still give us. We hope in Him.

Psalm 72

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GATHER ‘ROUND THE JUST TABLEThat same hope and faith in Jesus require us to accept the invitation to serve as agents of equity, inclusivity, unity, and real Christian love in a racially divided world.

This task “involves the whole Church, faithful and clergy alike.” It is a great task, though, and it goes beyond what any one of us can do alone — we need to rely on something beyond ourselves to make it a reality. As we go forth from this series, leave the walls of this youth room, go past the borders of our parish or school, we must remember to always place our hope “in the prayer of Christ for the Church, in the love of the Father for us, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.”

CCC 822

Through Christ, each and every one us can be instruments of a new kind of table; one that has chairs for everyone, where neighbors are respected and loved and where people make room for each other. So long as we remain just people, so too will this newly structured table remain just.

CCC 2832

There are small actions that can take us in this direction: you can kindly correct a friend who makes an insensitive comment to or about a classmate of color. You can share your stories of encountering injustice and help others avoid hurting others like you were hurt. You can help members of your family learn about how racism is an issue of faith as well as of social justice. You can help someone feel like they belong even if they are the only person of color in the room. You can lend an understanding ear to a person who is feeling unloved because of their skin color. You can encourage your parish to be more inclusive to people of different ethnic backgrounds. You can self-evaluate based on what this series has taught you about your attitudes and dispositions regarding race.

Each individual action you take toward justice is a step taken to undo unjust systems. The more we speak up in favor of justice for people of every race, the more chairs we pull up so they can join us at the table, and the more like heaven Earth will be.

Notes: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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CORE TEAM OVERVIEW

PULL UP A CHAIR: Empathy & Action

GOAL: The goal of Pull Up a Chair is to invite the teens to identify and adopt practical responses to racial injustice through action rooted in love and solidarity.

GATHER (15 MIN):Welcome and Opening Prayer: ______________________Air Chair Trivia: _________________________________

PROCLAIM (10 MIN):“Pull Up A Chair” Teaching: _________________________

BREAK (25 MIN):“Words Matter” Video: ____________________________Small Group Discussion: _________________________

• Have you heard the term “microaggression” before? If so, did the video teach you anything new about it?

• What is one kind of microaggression from the video that stood out to you?

• Have you experienced microaggression, either directly or indirectly? What was that experience like for you?

• Why is saying, “it was only a joke” or “you are being too sensitive” an inappropriate response to someone sharing their experience of microaggression? How does Christ invite us to respond differently?

• In what way does our faith invite you to be more self-aware about your interactions with others? How might this change the way you approach people?

EXTENDED SEND (45 MIN):Mass for the Progress of Peoples: __________________

Notes: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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