Teens

Following Christ isn't always easy. You need faith, courage, patience, and love.

Colleen Swaim looks at eight young souls who became saints for the against-the-current, selfless heroism of their teen years. In addition to the inspiring stories, Ablaze includes maps, recipes, prayers, journal prompts, scripture references and reflection questions to help the reader apply the saints' experiences to every day life.

Read how an Italian high school student inspired thousands as she faced cancer joyfully. Follow a new Christian as he marches to his death by fire after standing firm in his faith in the face of a wretched king. Lock arms with a young man and his crucifix as he dares brawling teens to throw the first stone.

We are all called to follow Christ in our own ways. This book will inflame your heart with vivid storytelling, saintly challenges, prayers, images, and more. Discover how you can set your world ablaze with love for the Lord!

Features: Saint Dominic Savio; Saint Teresa of the Andes; Saint Kizito; Blessed Chiara Luce Badano; Saint Stanislaus Kostka; Saint Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception; Blessed Pedro Calungsod; Saint Maria Goretti

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Review by Lisa M. Hendey, CatholicMom.com webmaster:

If you're a mom of teens like me, you're constantly on the lookout for books and resources that will help inspire your family. With this new book by Colleen Swaim -- her first, but hopefully just the start of a prolific writing career -- we discover a treasure of the faith for Catholics young and old.

Ablaze is aimed at teens, but truthfully, the resources contained within this book will aid anyone looking to grow in sanctity and faith. Colleen profiles the lives of eight young saints and blesseds, sharing their path to sainthood with accounts that are filled with insight and detail. She has a voice that truly manages to bring these stories to life. Perhaps it's her work as a high school teacher that has provided her with an insight into what will move, challenge and inspire young people. Ablaze is filled with so much more than simply biographical details, including sidebars, vocabulary descriptions, maps, sacramental lessons, and even recipes. Journal prompts, prayers, scripture references and reflection questions help the reader to fully interact with the content presented, applying it to the challenges of every day life.

Each of the saints profiled, though living in different periods of history, has a freshness and a relevance to the world our teens face today. Colleen Swaim aptly brings their heroic virtues to light in a way that will have teens (and grown ups too!), eagerly interacting with her content and asking for more. I give Ablaze my highest recommendation and will enjoy sharing it with my own son this summer.

Gifted youth leader Mark Hart, aka the Bible Geek, asks and answers the real questions that puzzle Catholics. This updated and expanded edition of a bestselling classic deals with concerns about God, temptations, personal issues, social media and technology, and more. Solutions to typical situations you face today are rooted in Scripture and Catholic tradition and provide fascinating advice and strong encouragement for living an authentic Christian life.

Help youth understand the meaning of Christian prayer. Introduce them to traditional and devotional prayers of the Church, as well as to contemporary styles and methods. Assist youth in developing the habit of daily prayer. This all-in-one resource for prayer forms was specially written for teens, in the PRAY IT! STUDY IT! LIVE IT!® model like The Catholic Youth Bible®. The Catholic Youth Prayer Book is the most expansive prayer book for teens. But The Catholic Youth Prayer Book does more than teach about prayer. It helps teens become prayerful people.

This much anticipated sequel to the best selling Did Adam & Eve Have Belly Buttons? uses the same easy to read, question and answer format that has proven successful in capturing the hearts and minds of teens. With 200 actual questions from teens, Did Jesus Have a Last Name? offers clear and concise answers to some of the most burning questions about the Faith.

Reaching teens has always been a challenge. Add in the swirl of rapidly transforming culture and technology and no wonder today's teens are MIA at most traditional youth ministry offerings.

It's the elephant in the sanctuary today's teens are more likely to look at confirmation as their exit from Catholicism, rather than their initiation into the Faith. Sadly, many never return.

But how do we reach this new breed of teens? The formulas that worked with teens a generation or two ago, are now met with polite indifference.

Today, young people prefer substance over sensation involvement over indulgence. They hunger for authentic relationships. They long for spiritual experiences that are firmly rooted in truth and dignity.

Engaging a New Generation critically examines our commonly held assumptions as well as our often-used models and methodologies initially developed to reach late Baby Boomer and Generation X teens. It then introduces you to the core characteristics of the Millennial Generation teens and the pastoral implications, where the operational and ministerial borders are expanding far beyond traditional youth ministry.

More than two hundred prayers and reflections by young people ranging in age from eleven to fourteen express their feelings and concerns about a wide range of topics that affect their lives.

Celebrate the beatification of Pope John Paul II with this commemorative edition honoring the Blessed Pope John Paul II. (The celebration of this beatification takes place in Saint Peters Square in Rome on May 1, 2011.)

Young people around the world adored Pope John Paul II. He won their hearts and minds because he genuinely believed in their ability to change the world for the better. He cared about them. He respected them. Most important, he challenged them to a deep and profound love for Christ through his Church.

My Dear Young Friends: Blessed Pope John Paul II Edition is a collection of 52 weekly reflections on living in the Spirit. It invites young people to be inspired and act on Pope John Paul II's messages to young people gathered at annual World Youth Day celebrations. Each weekly reflection in My Dear Young Friends: Blessed Pope John Paul II Edition contains the following sections:
A Scripture passage related to the theme for the week
A message from Pope John Paul II
"Think About That," which asks the reader to ponder the Pope's message
"Take Action," which invites the reader to act on the Pope's message
"Say a Prayer," which inspires the reader to keep the Pope's words fresh in heart and mind
"Did You Know?" which includes a fact about the Pope's life
Bring the heartwarming messages of Blessed Pope John Paul II directly to the teens you love and let his words lead them to a deeper love of Christ.

How can I incorporate the message of the Psalms into my own life? In Prayers Before an Awesome God: The Psalms for Teenagers, David Haas brings the joy of the Psalms to life in a language that teens can understand. Haas not only helps young people find meaning in the Psalms but also shows them how to incorporate the Psalms into everyday life.

These Psalms can also be used for any occasion that calls for prayer in a group setting--a gathering, a youth ministry function, a prayer service, a retreat, a class. A special needs index, a liturgical index, and a ritual and sacrament index assist in locating specific prayers. The Psalms have never been so accessible to teens!

Looking for Real Love?

Have you ever asked yourself. . . -Why should I wait for marriage? -How far is too far? -Isn't everyone else doing it? -Aren't I being good as long as I don't have sex? -Will chastity take away my freedom? -Who does it hurt? -What if we really love each other? -What about pornography? -How do I say "no"? -Can I have romance without regret? -What about safe sex? -What if I'm not a virgin anymore? -How do I find healing?

If so, then search no more. The answers are inside this booklet.

My Dear Young Friends: Saint John Paul II Speaks to Teens on Life, Love, and Courage is based on the actual words of Saint John Paul II spoken to the youth of the world.



Young people from across the United States selected the specific quotes used in this book, because they had found them to be particularly challenging and inspiring.



It is a collection of 52 weekly reflections, each containing a message from Saint John Paul II, a "Think About That," a "Take Action," a "Say a Prayer," and a "Did You Know?"



This new book also includes a forward that was written that celebrates the canonization and the life of Saint John Paul II.

The essence of Jesus' moral vision is this: His followers are to love God and to love others with everything they've got. Love is not one of the virtues but the essence and summary of "all virtue." Scot McKnight calls this double commandment to love "The Jesus Creed." We can't wait until we're adults to begin loving God and loving others. In this book Scot works out the Jesus Creed for high school and college students, seeking to show how it makes sense, giving shape to the moral lives of young adults. "The Jesus Creed for Students" is practical, filled with stories, backed up and checked by youth pastors, and it includes questions for further study.