Young Adult News

September 2024 Edition

Good bye, Summer! Hello, Fall!

As we celebrate Labor Day, let's reflect back on the joys of summer and look in hope at the months ahead. Let's also take time to thank God for the opportunities that we have to use the gifts given to us by God to improve the world and ourselves. Let us labor in joy to make Jesus' love more evident in our world.

Sing praise to God

Sometimes life can be very challenging, and you may not be sure which way to turn. Jesus invites us to call on him. Perhaps this Litany of Trust may be just what your heart needs.

Litany of Trust

How to Pray the Litany of Trust

Time needed: 15 minutes

1. Make the Sign of the Cross.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

2. Ask Jesus to deliver you from the various fears and insecurities that hold us back from fully trusting Him. After each petition, respond with “Deliver me, Jesus.”

From the belief that I have to earn Your love,

From the fear that I am unlovable,

From the false security that I have what it takes,

From the fear that trusting You will leave me more destitute,

From all suspicion of Your words and promises,

From the rebellion against childlike dependency on You,

From refusals and reluctances in accepting Your will,

From anxiety about the future,

From resentment or excessive preoccupation with the past,

From restless self-seeking in the present moment,

From disbelief in Your love and presence,

From the fear of being asked to give more than I have,

From the belief that my life has no meaning or worth,

From the fear of what love demands,

From discouragement,

3. Place your trust in Jesus, knowing that He will always wrap you in His arms. After each petition, respond with “Jesus, I trust in You.”

That You are continually holding me, sustaining me, loving me,

That Your love goes deeper than my sins and failings and transforms me,

That not knowing what tomorrow brings is an invitation to lean on You,

That You are with me in my suffering,

That my suffering, united to Your own, will bear fruit in this life and the next,

That You will not leave me orphan, that You are present in Your Church,

That Your plan is better than anything else,

That You always hear me and in Your goodness always respond to me,

That You give me the grace to accept forgiveness and to forgive others,

That You give me all the strength I need for what is asked,

That my life is a gift,

That You will teach me to trust You,

4. Conclude with the Sign of the Cross.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Heart Speaks to Heart

I participated in a new retreat called Heart Speaks to Heart offered through the Archdiocese of Los Angeles that was held at the Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center in Sierra Madre, CA on August 23-24, 2024. The focus of the retreat was to assist the participants to prayerfully reflect on Scripture and learn effective ways of sharing the Scripture messages. The cost of the retreat was underwritten by grant from Lilly Foundation.

Some background on this grant is the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame received a $1 million implementation grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish a three-year program titled Savoring the Mystery: Catholic Preaching in an Age of Disaffiliation. Through a team-based cohort approach, ten diverse cohorts of twenty Catholic leaders from across the United States are taking part in a two-year formation process. These groupings will consist of one clergy member and one lay staff member and will focus on mediating an encounter with Jesus Christ through Scripture and preaching. Karen Luna, the Young Adult Director for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and Fr. David Romero, SJ who is part of the Christus Ministries Team, are part of the cohorts and created the Heart to Speaks to Heart retreat. In the third year of the program, McGrath staff will work with a select group of these participants to create digital courses and other resources to expand the impact of the formation process to the wider U.S. Church.

~Sister Val

Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation

The Sisters of Notre Dame believe in the dignity and respect of each person and all of creation. Our Office of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation keeps before us Catholic Social Teachings so that what we do is in keeping with Gospel values. We encourage others to be witnesses to Jesus' message and mission.

In 2022 the Sisters of Notre Dame took a corporate stance on racism and continue to find ways to be antiracist. We invite you to join with us in that discovery so that the world is a safe and good place for everyone. We have offered Dialogue Circles on Racism to become more knowledgeable and sensitive to those who suffer because of racism.

Our next Dialogue Circle on Racism will be held on Wednesday, September 25 at 4 pm PDT / 7 pm EDT. Our speaker will be Sandra Coles-Bell, Executive Director of the National Black Sisters Conference and she will address unconscious bias and microaggressions as we continue our work to practice being antiracist. This is a virtual event and you can register HERE. See the flyer below for more details. Please direct any questions to Ann Clark at aclark@sndusa.org.

Synod on Synodality

Placing Jesus at the centre of our lives requires some degree of self-emptying. In this perspective, providing a listening ear means being willing to ‘decentre’ oneself in order to leave space for the other. We have experienced this in the dynamic of conversations in the Spirit. It is a demanding ascetical exercise that obliges each person to recognize his or her own limitations and the partiality of his or her point of view. Because of this, it opens the possibility of listening to the voice of the Spirit of God that speaks to those beyond the borders of the ecclesial community and can initiate a journey of change and conversion. (16. c)

How is Jesus inviting you to make him the center of your life so that you can more easily enter into conversation with others?

Discernment for

Religious Life

Are you wondering about a call to religious life? The Sisters of Notre Dame Vocation Team is working with many women interested in exploring this call and learning more about discernment. If you want to be added to a list of faith sharing, retreats, and other opportunities for discerners, contact us at vocations@sndusa.org.