Let’s Pray…
Holy Spirit, give us the ability to see all things through eyes of faith. Show us how to discern, so we can embrace what is right and good, and reject what is not.

Every decade or two, a controversial figure emerges on the music scene. An artist who is completely dedicated to pushing the extreme limits of what society can handle, both musically and visually. Lady Gaga is without question this artist today.

In June, Gaga made the news not for her music or videos, but for indecent public behavior and obscene gestures at Citi Field (NY Mets game). Days later she found a way past security at Yankee Stadium and entered the Yankees’ clubhouse while intoxicated.

In an August 2 article from CNN, the pop diva admitted to continued occasional cocaine use. This is a direct contradiction with her previous statements saying she gave up cocaine and only occasionally used ecstasy. Both drugs can potentially have devastating effects with only one use; especially for someone like Lady Gaga, who has had drug problems in the past.

There is certainly a lot that is objectionable about Lady Gaga’s extremism. It seems like she will stop at nothing to see her name in headlines. But if we dig through the glam and glitter, behind the crazy costumes and characters and publicity stunts, is there ANYTHING we can learn?

Born on March 20, 1986, Lady Gaga was baptized Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. She grew up on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, and learned to play the piano at only four years old. She attributes her unique attitude to the combination upbringing of her parents’ faith; her father is an Italian Catholic and her mother is a Methodist.

She has one sister who is 6 years younger than her. Although wealthy by many people’s standards, her family wouldn’t be considered rich in their neighborhood. Nor were they famous like some other pop artists’ families (Miley Cyrus, for example).

Stefani Germanotta went to all-girls Catholic high school at the Convent of the Sacred Heart (the same school as the Hilton sisters, incidentally). School plays and concerts are where she got her first taste of performing for large audiences. With her parents’ support, she worked hard; practicing two hours a day on her piano. She performed in clubs and bars around the city at only 14 years old.

At 17 she was accepted to a very prestigious music school called Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. After only a year at NYU, Germanotta dropped out of school so she could perform more gigs. Before her 20th birthday she had signed a record deal with Interscope and produced her first album, The Fame.

A Star Is Morphed

How did this sweet, Catholic school girl from a pretty normal family end up morphing in to the outlandish, far-out, queen of pop-crazy? After the brief college stint, Stefani went back to playing more “normal” music in a more traditional way. The turning point came when she took a break from performing to write songs in a new style; she calls it “glam music”.

One of the bars she played at a lot is called The Bitter End. Nearly every up-and-coming music act, and even an occasional full-blown star, plays this club at some point. She chose The Bitter End as the first place to play her new glam music. That first night, everyone was talking, eating and drinking, and having too much fun to listen. No one was paying attention to the poor teenage girl singing and playing her heart out on stage. Germanotta tried asking for the people to listen and be quiet, but they weren’t really interested.

In an interview with Barbara Walters, Stefani said, “Every bit of me is devoted to love and art…” She uses her music as a means to express her inner self; her struggles, her hopes and dreams, the things she can’t put into words. So she found this experience hard to take, because she had put so much of herself and her passion into writing the songs. She was really upset that no one would listen.

She quickly thought of ways to get people’s attention; and then it occurred to her to start removing her clothes… until she was singing in her underwear. Suddenly, everyone stopped what they were doing and stared in shock. Some looked on in horror, thinking she was crazy. Others inappropriately ogled her. But everyone listened.

For Stefani, this was one of those moments when life teaches you a lesson. That night she learned not everyone is interested in hearing or paying attention to self-expression. Unfortunately, she also learned a cold reality about many people: she could MAKE them pay attention by showing some skin.

And so her new character was born, along with her provocative costumes, which are often even more scary and grotesque than they are scandalous. Being a stage performer in high school, Stefani found it natural to add performance art and dance to her acts. A little while later, a friend gave her a nickname based on the Queen song Radio-a-gaga: Lady Gaga.

Playing to the wound

Our culture makes it easy for many young women to feel as though the only way to get people’s attention and approval is to misuse their sexuality. The sad truth is the reaction of the people in that crowd, and millions of people since then, has only helped convince Lady Gaga that this is true. Themes of feeling used, poor self-image, and wounded dignity are found in many of her songs. “Bad Romance” for example, speaks from the standpoint of someone who settles for a bad relationship because they do not feel they deserve or can get anything better.

Wounding others

There is a point at which someone’s own self-expression stops being just about themself and starts to affect others around them. Lady Gaga learned this first hand with her father.

“Well, …it wasn’t really so easy for my dad, especially in the beginning. I mean we didn’t talk for months after the first time he saw me play, and uh, he didn’t understand… Because it was such a drastic change, um, from who I was in high school, and who I became.” A self-professed “daddy’s girl,” Lady Gaga has learned the price of expressing yourself and your own ideas without thinking about how it might effect others.

And her full time acting out of the Lady Gaga character, even when she is not on stage, could be altering her own idea of who she is, and even her father’s idea of who she is. Recently, Gage visited her father in the hospital and he sent her home to put on her makeup, because she didn’t look like what he’d come to expect from her. Some people may say this is simply Lady Gaga choosing who she wants to be; others may say she is walking a dangerous line of losing who she really is by always putting on a show.

So wrong, so right

Some of the lifestyle choices and behaviors Lady Gaga promotes, and gives example of, are unhealthy or self-destructive. However, every once in a while she makes you stop and wonder how someone who seems so wrong could say something so right. While her reasons and explanations for these things may not be coming from a healthy set of values, here are some things she has said that are in line with the Catholic values she learned growing up.

Television shows such as Gossip Girl and 90210 make money off of telling young people that sexual promiscuity is “normal” behavior for teens. Lady Gaga begs to differ:
“I remember the cool girls when I was growing up. Everyone started to have sex. But it’s not really cool anymore to have sex all the time. It’s cooler to be strong and independent.”

Mixing Messages

In other interviews, she says, “I can’t believe I’m saying this — don’t have sex. I’m single right now and I’ve chosen to be single…”

Can this be true? Is the singer who dances around in next to nothing and seems to promote the do-whatever-makes-you-feel-good lifestyle really telling fans that you can retain your virginity and still be cool? Yes she is!

Now, it may be for different reasons than parents, priests, and religions say the same things, but the lesson is the same. To Lady Gaga, it is important that you “own” yourself, and be in control of yourself, in order to give yourself away to a spouse. While she does not adhere to the Catholic Church’s teaching that you should wait for marriage, she does warn young people about giving in to sexual temptation simply because of the pressure that society or other people place on you.

“You don’t have to have sex to feel good about yourself.” she tells fans. And again, “So it’s OK not to have sex, it’s OK to get to know people. I’m celibate, celibacy’s fine.” Lady Gaga has chosen to focus on her career and her music right now. She understands that in order to have a successful relationship, you have to take time to get to know one another and establish emotional and spiritual intimacy. So rather than turn to meaningless encounters with people she doesn’t really love, she has decided to put off having sex. And she’s making sure to tell others to do so as well.

The way Lady Gaga speaks about having a family sounds very much like a Catholic ideal, and seems to contradict her typically ultra-feminist and anti-traditional views. Speaking about how she felt when her father developed heart trouble, Gaga said “I just wanted to have him walk me down the aisle and hold my babies…”

Once again, Lady Gaga surprises us with an insight into who she really is. While many around her are trying to question the idea of traditional family, her idea of normal is a husband and kids; a real family. “I want to have babies for my Dad to hold, grandkids. And I want to have a husband who loves and supports me, just the way anyone else does.”

Lady Gaga admits that she is “tortured” by her thoughts and inner dialogue. She says that there are questions and doubts that are constantly going on in her mind, so much so that she cannot sleep. This has at times made her so exhausted that she collapsed or got sick on stage. Gaga admits that she often needs medication in order to get much needed rest.

In an interview with CNN’s Larry King, Gaga reveals that some of the struggles she has are with faith in God and religion:

“Well, I struggle. I struggle with my feelings about the Church… I’m very religious… I was raised Catholic. I believe in Jesus… I pray very much… But at the same time there is no one religion that does not hate… another [religious, group, racial group, or sexual group.] I guess you could say I’m a very religious woman, but also very confused about religion.”

Being involved in the world of theater and entertainment has exposed her to a lot of people who feel marginalized or outcast by religion. The Catholic Church refuses to compromise on what is right and what is wrong, and many people feel badly and misunderstand that as some form of discrimination. This has led her to question her faith. So, where does Lady Gaga seem to be going for the answers?

These types of doubts and questions expose a danger of being consumed with your own thoughts, feelings, and uniqueness: the illusion of self-reliance. When someone spends all their time exploring and expressing their own ideas, feelings, and opinions, and goes to extremes to create a unique image, it can be easy to depend only on oneself. There is a huge temptation to expect to figure out all the answers on your own. This can make it very frustrating when you experience doubts or have questions you can’t answer.
It takes a lot of humility to go to someone else and ask them to explain something. It also takes a lot of trust. However, it can bring a lot of peace of mind when you understand that you aren’t the only one who struggles and that there are others who can help you. Especially in matters of faith, it is important to find someone who really knows what the Church teaches, who can explain things well and clear up any misconceptions you might have heard. Perhaps this could help Lady Gaga find some peace. But for now, she says the turmoil she feels gives her a lot of energy and topics for new music, so she’s making the best of it.

Gaga Saga Continues

What we see in Stefani, or Lady Gaga as she is called, is a struggle. A constant inner conflict, between expressing and exploring her darkest and most terrifying thoughts and feelings, and doing what she knows is right and what will make her the happiest on the deepest level, the level of truths that don’t change. It’s a struggle between finding a way to be unique while still trying to be popular. It’s about fighting to expose the things we think are great about ourselves, while having a war with those things that hurt our confidence and self-image.

It is a struggle that all of us endure. Lady Gaga talks a lot about defining yourself and choosing who you want to be. But if we look closer, she shows us that underneath her costumes and characters, beats the heart of person who is struggling with the chaos of self discovery. We all do our best to present an image that will impress others, but when life presents questions we can’t figure out, where will we go for answers?

Here’s a link to another article about Lady Gaga.

Bible Blurbs:

Find your delight in the LORD who will give you your heart’s desire.
Psalms 37:4

Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win. Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.
1 Corinthians 9:24-25

Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Philipians 4:6-7

To do your will is my delight; my God, your law is in my heart!“
Psalm 40:9

CATECHISM CLIPS:

27 - The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself.

1027 - This mystery of blessed communion with God… is beyond all understanding and description…: “no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him.”

2339 - … either man governs his passions and finds peace, or he lets himself be dominated by them and becomes unhappy…

2826 - By prayer we can discern “what is the will of God” and obtain the endurance to do it.

1501 - … [Illness] can also make a person more mature, helping him discern in his life what is not essential so that he can turn toward that which is. Very often illness provokes a search for God and a return to him.

Pope Quotes:

“God is not solitude, but perfect communion. For this reason the human person, the image of God, realizes himself or herself in love, which is a sincere gift of self.
Pope Benedict XVI, ANGELUS, Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Sunday, 22 May 2005”

“I encourage you to persevere on the path on which you have set out, collaborating in the thrilling task of bringing your peers the indescribable good fortune to know that they are loved by God.”
Pope Benedict XVI, August 9, 2007

“Nourished by personal prayer, prompted in silence, shaped by the Church’s liturgy you will discover the particular vocation God has for you. Embrace it with joy.“
Pope Benedict XVII, Address to Youth and Seminarians, Saturday, 19 April 2008

“[The Lord] needs, and wants to need, your persons, your intelligence, your energy, your faith, your love, your holiness. He wants to speak to the people of today through your voice. He wants to consecrate the Eucharist and forvige sins through you. He wants to love with your heart. He wnats to help with your hands. He wants to save through your efforts. Think about it carefully.“
Pope John Paul II on Vocations

Virtuous Verbiage Verification

contentment - feeling or being satisfied with your situation, being happy with what you have, not feeling any need or desire for more.
decision - an act of resolution, choosing what you want and taking the steps to get it.
dedication - being so convinced that something is important that you are willing to stick to it no matter what it takes.
determination - complete and unwavering focus on a goal, unwilling and unable to be distracted or kept from that goal.
devoted - committed to someone or to a cause, out of love and deep emotional attachment, to the point of being willing to sacrifice or suffer for that person or cause.
discipline - willingness to follow a rigorous set of rules or routines, and to delay or put off comfort for an extended period of time, in order to gain something you think has a greater value.
happiness (happy) - feeling elated or excited, pleased, and not burdened by worries or cares. Happiness describes the way you feel, unlike Joy which refers to a state of being.
inspired - being driven or called to do something from outside yourself. Seeing, hearing, or feeling some outside experience which motivates you to take some action; in this context, hearing the call of God and feeling drawn to Him by His own doing, not from your own knowledge or feelings.
joy* - the ability to remain undaunted and undisturbed no matter what; refusing to let circumstances or situations get you down or depressed. Joy is not simply an emotional reaction of feeling happy or amused, but rather a deep mental and spiritual state of being.
monk - a religious brother or priest who lives with a group of others in a monastery. They limit exposure to outside people and things, so that everything around them is directed towards God. They lead a life of strict order and structure, focusing on hard work, time for silence, and lots of prayer.
patience* - the ability to endure difficulties and struggles without getting upset or angry; the ability to wait for something good.
peace* - being comfortable with things that are out of your control without feeling the need to change them. Peace is not the absence of war or conflict, neither does it mean everything is going smoothly. One can be in the presence of conflict or meet obstacles but still be at peace knowing they are doing God’s will.
self-control* - the ability to restrain yourself from acting on impulses or instinct; the ability to think and judge what is right or wrong before reacting. This comes from the belief that there is something that might be more important than getting your own way.
selfish - thinking of your self and your own wants and desires as being more important than others; looking after your own interests without regard for your effect on others.
trust - confidence in someone or something else that allows you to be comfortable with not being in control. When you trust God, you believe that He has your best interest in mind and so you are willing to submit to His will and not try and control everything in your own life.
vocation - a call from God to a particular kind of work or way of life. It is usually discovered through a natural desire or ability. This word is often used specifically about priesthood or religious life. More than an outward demand from God, it is something a person wants to do and feels drawn to in their heart.
* Joy, patience, peace, & self-control are called “Fruits of the Holy Spirit” (see Galations 5:23).

Discussion Questions:

What is the difference between a “career” and a “vocation”? Are they both something you choose for yourself? Do either of them involve some external force helping you decide?

How important is it for someone to seek out and find their vocation? Is it possible for someone to choose a “wrong” vocation? Can someone still be at peace even if they have feelings that they should have pursued a different vocation? Are humans really designed by God for a single vocation for their whole lifetime?

If someone, like Grant Desme, is really, exceptionally good at something (like baseball), is it a waste for them to pursue a vocation that doesn’t use that skill? Why would God give someone a talent He doesn’t intend for them to continue using? Does God waste talents?

Grant calls his injuries his greatest blessings… Does that sound crazy? Do you think God purposefully does harm to people, like causing injury, just to get them to listen to Him? Or does God use those unfortunate things as opportunities to reach us?

Do you think most adults you know are at peace and content with their lives? What kind of changes can someone make to find more peace and joy in their life? What kinds of choices can you make now as a teenager to help ensure you will have peace and joy in your future vocation?

Debate:

God randomly calls people to a vocation of His choosing because it’s just what He wants. Verses: A person’s vocation is something that is present in their personality from the moment God created them.

Activity

Grant was finally able to hear God calling, and able to hear what he really wanted in his heart, when he turned off all of the noise in his life and listened in the silence of the monastery. In your classroom or a public setting, try to sit in silence for 10 minutes. Next, when you are at home, go to a quiet place like your room. Turn off the ipod, cell phone, computer; turn off everything. Sit in silence for ten minutes. Was it easier to do it in public or alone? How did it feel? Can you spend 10 minutes in silence every day for a week? Longer?

Journal Writing

Write a few paragraphs about your goals in life. Who do you want to be? What do you want to do? Now write about how you can involve God in the decisions to get you there. Finish by writing a very short prayer asking God to help you discover what you truly feel called to in your heart, and to help you discover His will. You can even pray that what God wants and what you want will be the same thing!

(entered heaven in 1209)

Called from his comfort zone

St. William was born in to a wealthy and respected family. He had lot’s of different opportunities available to him as a young man. But William decided to live his life for God in a special way. He was drawn to the quiet, secluded life of a monk. He enjoyed being able to be free of the pressures of the world, and to work and pray peacefully with his brother monks for support. He also loved the very structured schedule of the monastery, and he excelled at his new way of life. In fact, William became such a good monk that he became the abbott (which means father, and is the leader) of his monastery. Soon after, another nearby monastery made him their Abbott as well. Word of WIlliams holiness and leadership abilities spread to many people in the Church. Then, the local Archbishop died. When they needed someone to replace him, the Pope and other local Bishops believed that William was the man for the job. He did not agree. He had grown very comfortable with where he was. He enjoyed his secluded life, and he loved being a monk and caring for the other monks. He had been very successful at this position and was afraid to leave it. But the Pope and other Bishops insisted that God needed him elsewhere. Many other priests in the area were very jealous of him, because they wanted to become Archbishop. This made life difficult for William. But William soon learned that God’s plan is always better for us than our own. His monastic training made him an excellent Bishop. Because of his experience training and caring for other monks, he was able to help and lead the priests of his diocese in a graceful and strong way. He helped to lead many priests who had begun to believe the Albigensian Heresy. These people believed that all physical things were evil, and only spiritual things were good. They were especially outraged by clergy who were rich or corrupt. Because of Williams monastic roots, he was able to persuade many of these incorrect thinkers back to the truth by his lifestyle, example, and training, as well as his love for creation and his fellow man. His deep knowledge and communion with God as a monk gave him insights and wisdom. He won over many of those who were jealous of him and converted many heretics back to the true faith of the Church. William learned that God has a plan for each of us that will lead to far better and fulfilling things than we could imagine for ourselves. He also learned that God makes use of our experiences and the things we’ve learned in life in our future vocations. When God gives us a skill or knowledge, He doesn’t let it go to waste!

Bible Blurbs

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
(Colossians 3:14)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness…
(Galatians 5:22)
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.
(1 Peter 4:10)
Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment.
(Ecclesiastes 11:9)
Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.
(Psalm 126:5)

The entire bible is available to read and search online at www.usccb.org/nab/bible

Catechism Clips

1765 There are many passions. The most fundamental passion is love, moved by the attraction of the good.
2500 The practice of goodness is accompanied by spontaneous spiritual joy and moral beauty.
1829 “Love is the fulfillment of all our works. That is the goal. That is why we run. We run toward it, and once we reach it, in it we shall find rest.” (Saint Augustine)
2331 God inscribed in the humanity of man and woman the vocation, and thus the capacity and responsibility, of love and communion.
2501 Man also expresses the truth of his relationship with God the Creator by the beauty of his artistic works. Indeed, art is a distinctively human form of expression. Art is a freely given superabundance of the human being’s inner riches.

Pope Quotes

Love is indeed “ecstasy”, not in the sense of a moment of intoxication, but rather as a journey, an ongoing exodus …towards authentic self-discovery and indeed the discovery of God.
(Pope Benedict XVI, God is Love, no. 6)
…the idea is certainly present that man is somehow incomplete, driven by nature to seek in another the part that can make him whole, the idea that only in communion with the opposite sex can he become “complete”.
(Pope Benedict XVI,
God Is Love, no. 11)
Becoming men and women according to Jesus’ plan demands sacrifices, but these are by no means negative; on the contrary, they are a help in living as people with new hearts, in living a truly human and happy life.
(Pope Benedict XVI, To young people, April 6, 2006)
I perceive in others an interior desire for a sign of love, of concern… Seeing with the eyes of Christ, I can give to others much more than their outward necessities; I can give them the look of love which they crave.
(Pope Benedict XVI, God is Love, no. 18)

Discussion Questions

1) Taylor Swift knows that she is very blessed to have discovered her musical talents and gifts at such an early age. But a talent can be many different things, and sometimes they aren’t so obvious. Do you have big dreams for your future? Do you think you have a special talent or gift? What are some ways that we can discover and learn what our gifts and talents are? Do you think God has a plan for those gifts?
2) Do you think there are a lot of pressures for girls and guys in dating relationships to be disrespectful to or use one another? Do you think Taylor Swift has tried to rise above those pressures? Why? How is she doing this? What are some ways you can avoid these pressures in your own life?
3) Taylor Swift talks often and openly about the loving relationship she has with her parents. Do you feel that you can communicate with your parents? Do you feel that your parents will support you no matter what? Do you think your parents feel respected and supported by you? What are some ways to make that relationship stronger?
4)Taylor Swift has made some tough choices, like choosing to avoid drugs & unhealthy dating relationships, and even choosing to leave a contract with a major record label. She makes these choices based on an uncompromising sense of self-respect and dignity. What does God tell us about respecting ourselves and our bodies? What kind of respect does He expect us to have for others, especially in relationships? How important is a persons dignity? What are some ways we can protect our dignity and the dignity of others?
5)A lot of Taylor Swift’s songs talk about what happens when someone makes a choice that breaks their heart, hurts their body, or hurts someone else. What can we do to recover from those hurtful choices? Who can we talk to for help and support? As Catholics, we can receive forgiveness and healing in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Is going to confession something you would do, or recommend to a friend, in a painful relationship situation? Do you think confession can help restore a person’s self-respect and dignity?

Journal Writing

Just for fun, try writing the lyrics to the next big Taylor Swift hit song. It can be about yourself, or just a fictional character. Write about a relationship struggle or difficult choice. Only in “your” song lyrics, write about how God and faith in Him helps to resolve the situation.

Activities

“… a family who prays together stays together.” - Mother Teresa said that… Are you brave enough to ask your parents to pray the Rosary with you once a week? If you’re not sure how, check out:

http://www.comepraytherosary.org/

Have a Karaoke night or a talent show with your class or family. Who knows what hidden talents you might find…

Debate

Is Taylor Swift just another “manufactured” star, who gets away with having less talent because of looks or image? Or is she the real thing?
Taylor Swift is thought by some to be “missing out” on a lot of the partying and fun that other movie and music starlets enjoy for a time, until it catches up with them and they crash…
Is Taylor being foolish and missing out on the “normal” partying people should do while they’re young, or is she being wise making the statement that just because everyone is doing it doens’t mean it’s normal?

(entered heaven in 1456)
Talents Humbly at the service of God
St. John of Capistrano was born in central Italy, and finished up his studies in the city of Perugia. He made such an impression on the people there that when he graduated they elected him governor.
Political squabbles ended up with his capture and imprisonment by local adversaries.
In the prison John was forced to reflect on the passing nature of worldly glory (before this, his only desire), and on the reality of death (prisons in 1400 were death traps of disease and filth). He emerged from prison with a determination to put his life at the service of God and the eternal Kingdom.
He humiliated himself by riding through town sitting backwards on a donkey, with a huge paper cone on his head where he wrote out in bold letters all his most ugly sins. As he made his way through the streets, children and adults alike laughed at him, and pelted him with mud and stones. In this condition, he requested entry at the Franciscan friary, and began his preparations to become a Franciscan priest.
By the time he was ordained a priest, everyone was familiar with his extraordinary abilities as a preacher and miracle worker. He spent the rest of his life traveling from province to province and tirelessly calling people to repentance.
Wherever he went, huge crowds gathered to hear him and to ask him to cure their sick. His zeal for the Church won many fallen-away Christians back into the fold.
Throughout his life, St John began every day with the same activities: rising before dawn, he prayed for an hour and celebrated Mass, only then would he go forth to build the Kingdom.
Perhaps you are not called to be a priest or nun, but if you carve time out of your social life for some study, prayer, and personal reflection – even if it’s only a little – you will find a deeper happiness and a bigger mission: real friendship with Christ and helping others to know and love him.

Saint Cecilia

Patroness of music, Virgin and martyr
(entered heaven probably in the third century)
Sticking to her values and winning the hearts of others
Sticking to noble ideals is difficult. Yet, true fulfillment and happiness flow precisely from these values.
Cecilia was from an important Roman family, and she grew up Christian in a time when Christians were violently persecuted. She fell deeply in love with Christ as a young girl: so much so that she privately vowed her virginity to Christ when she was still a teenager.
Of course, her father had other plans for her, and insisted on her marrying an up-and-coming nobleman by the name of Valerian. She couldn’t do anything to avoid the wedding, but during the festivities, as the families were feasting and dancing, she stole away by herself and sang to her heavenly spouse in the silence of her heart (which is why she is the patroness of music).
That night, when she and Valerian withdrew to their bedroom, she took courage and told her husband that she had made a vow of virginity to Christ, and that she had a guardian angel who would protect her virginity, and that if he (Valerian) were to touch her in the way of marriage, the angel would be displeased and make him suffer, but if he respected her, the angel would love and protect him as well.
Valerian expressed his doubts and asked to see the angel. Cecilia promised that if he believed in the one true God and was baptized, the angel would appear to him. So he went to the bishop to be baptized, and when he returned, sure enough he saw the angel standing beside his wife. The angel crowned them both with wreathes of roses and lilies.
Eventually Cecilia and her husband Valerian were discovered as Christians and were killed. During her interrogation, Cecilia helped convert several important officials to Christianity. The story has it that Cecilia died with a song of love for Christ upon her lips.
Perhaps the thought of Cecilia’s courage and vigorous evangelizing spirit can help us when we feel discouraged and alone. When it is difficult, let’s go back into our heart, and renew the deeper purpose of our lives – following Christ and bringing others to his love.

Catechism Clips

2500 …truth can also find other complementary forms of human expression,
above all when it is a matter of evoking what is beyond words: the depths of
the human heart, the exaltations of the soul, the mystery of God.
2501 … art is a freely given superabundance of the human being’s inner
riches…
2501 …Arising from talent given by the Creator and from man’s own effort, art
is a form of practical wisdom, uniting knowledge and skill, to give form to
the truth of reality in a language accessible to sight or hearing…
2501 …To the extent that it is inspired by truth and love of beings, art bears a
certain likeness to God’s activity in what he has created. ..
2501 …Like any other human activity, art is not an absolute end in itself, but is
ordered to and ennobled by the ultimate end of man. (“e ultimate end of
man”: is means that above all things man is made to be in a relationship
of love with God.)..

Ever wonder what the Catholic Church really teaches about something…?
Find out for yourself: http://www.usccb.org/catechism

Bible Blurbs

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
(1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18)

Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up…
(1 Thessalonians 5: 11)

And this is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more and more … to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ
(Philippians 1: 9-10)

The entire bible is available to read and search online at http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible

Virtuous Verbiage Verification

Courage - attitude of facing and dealing with anything recognized as dangerous,
difficult, or painful, instead of withdrawing from it.

Faith - personal relationship with God; trust in God

Joy - 1. A state of happiness or felicity. 2. One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. It i the result of seeing and doing things from God’s perspective. The highest and most complete joy of which man is capable is the spiritual joy of seeing and being with God.

Love - A profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person; Kindness,
respect, and generosity towards others, Love for God; love for others from God’s point of view.

Modesty - 1. The moral virtue that moderates and controls the impulse of sexual display in the human being. Regard for decency of behavior, speech, or dress; Freedom from vanity 2. Simplicity, moderation. Modesty allows the beauty of one’s personality to shine forth without the disturbing element of pride. Modesty safeguards a mystery, the mystery of one’s intimate dignity, and is aware of the dignity of others.

Prudence - Exercising sound judgment in practical matters

Provocative - Tending to stir up, arouse, or call forth (desires, feelings, or activity)

Thankfulness - Consciousness of benefit received; expressing gratitude or appreciation

Temperance - “the moral virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures and provides balance in the use of created goods. It ensures the will’s mastery over instincts and keeps desires within the limits of what is honorable.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1809)

Wisdom - Knowledge of what is right or true coupled with right judgment as to action.

Discussion Questions

1. Do you think Miley Cyrus is living Christian values as a performer?
   In what ways is she living these values? In what
   ways is she not?
2. Do you think Miley will continue to live Christian values as
   she switches to the young adult audience? How would you
   recommend she keep these values?
3. Are there any things you admire in Miley as a person or in
   her career?
4. Name some other performers you admire. Explain what you
   admire in them.

Pope Quotes

Through your art, you yourselves are to be heralds and witnesses of hope for humanity!
(Pope Benedict XVI, Address to artists, November 22, 2009)

Dear artists, … you are the custodians of beauty: thanks to your talent, you have the opportunity to speak to the heart of humanity, to touch individual and collective sensibilities, to call forth dreams and hopes, to broaden the horizons of knowledge and of human engagement.
(Pope Benedict XVI: Address to artists: November 22, 2009)

Be grateful, then, for the gifts you have received and be fully conscious of your great
responsibility to communicate beauty, to communicate in and through beauty!
(Pope Benedict XVI: Address to artists: November 22, 2009)

Journal Writing

If you could be a famous or influential person, what type of career or job would you
like to have? Why would you choose that job? Would you do anything to encourage
Christian values through this job or career?

Activities

1. Make a list of performers whom you think promote positive values. Send a message
   to them through Facebook or some other way, thanking them for their work and testimony. Write a brief message about them on your social networking site, or show
   your support in some other way.
2. Make a video using a song that you like. The video can be funny or serious. You
   can perform the song, use it in a skit, or present images that explain what the song
   means to you. Post it on YouTube, if your parents give you permission.

Debate

1. Are Christians more fun to be around than non-Christians or less fun?
2. Do you think Miley will be able to keep her promise of virginity before marriage?
3. Do you think it is important that she made this commitment?

Helen was an innkeeper’s daughter,who caught the fancy of a Roman General named Constantius. They married, and she gave birth to a son. Soon afterwards, Constantius was named Caesar and divorced her in favor of a more “respectable” union with the Emperor’s daughter. Eventually, however, Helen’s son Constantine succeeded his father as Caesar, and then occupied the Imperial throne. Attributing his successes to the intervention of Jesus Christ, Constantine began taking classes on becoming a Christian and published a new law (the Edict of Milan) establishing tolerance for Christianity throughout the Roman Empire (Christians had been persecuted off and on for about 300 years). Though already in her sixties, Helen followed her son’s lead, and became a Christian. So deeply did the faith take root in her soul that she did more for the Church in her last twenty years of life than most people do in eighty. She set a public example of prayer by attending Mass in dignified but plain clothes, unlike other noble ladies, who took advantage of such occasions to flaunt their beauty and their expensive wardrobes. She supervised the construction of churches and shrines at the holy sites in Rome and Palestine, rediscovering many ancient relics, like the cross of Christ’s crucifixion. And wherever she went, her attention to the poor and reverence for priests and people consecrated to God made a lasting impression on even the most cynical Romans.

Saint Tutilo
Drawing people to God through music
Anything that is true or beautiful is a bridge to God, because God is the source of truth and beauty. St. Tutilo discovered this during his school days in a famous monastery school in Germany (the school of Saint-Gall). Tutilo lived in the Middle Ages and studied music and art, but most importantly he fell in love with God. Once he finished high school (or whatever they called high school 1,000 years ago!) he became a monk himself. He was a very good monk and a very accomplished
artist as well. (Art & music are usually part of a monk’s life and studies, as a way to glorify God.) He became very good at painting, oratory, sculpture, metal work, mechanics, and especially music. The other monks chose him to be headmaster of the school where he had studied. He channeled his creativity and love for art into his mission of bringing Christ to his students. Word about his talent and zeal spread to the whole country. People loved to come to hear him preach about God and lead musical performances to honor God. He was even invited to perform and preach for kings in many surrounding countries, but he did not like all the attention. His talents drew many people closer to God. He is a link in the great chain of artists who, since the dawn of Christianity, have put their human creativity at the service of God’s glory & His Church. We need more Christians willing do this today. God is calling some artists to produce religious art & music, and others to produce secular art that is infused with Christian values and prepares peoples hearts for the message of Christ. Art & music have power to evangelize, and we need all the help spreading the gospel we can get!