Teen Mercy Spirituality
In the life and spirituality of Teen Mercy there are four essential steps to be lived as a young missionary of divine mercy, Love, Trust, Faith, and Mercy.
Step 1 Love: our life and mission begins with love.
“You shall love the lord your God with all of your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Step one is about our teens coming to know God truly and personally within their heart, to know of His great love for us, and to trust in His mercy.
By coming to know God, and His saving love for us, and by trusting in His mercy, our teens are then able to respond to God in faith, by loving God with all their heart and strength, and by loving their neighbor as their self, by loving as God loves.
Teen Mercy begins by leading our teens into a loving and personal relationship with God through Our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God.
Our teens begin their relationship with God by developing a loving friendship with Jesus. Our teens begin through prayer, by opening their heart and inviting Jesus to come into their heart, and to be the center of their life.
In this loving friendship with Jesus our teens discover that when they allow Jesus to love them unconditionally, with His Merciful Heart, that there heart is moved in love, to love the way He loves.
As our teens continue to open their heart to Jesus, they continue to experience His divine love and mercy for them, and so their desire to love as God loves grows.
God’s very nature is love, an infinite, eternal self-giving love among the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Love is divine and therefore comes from God, and is founded in our personal relationship with Jesus Christ the Son of God. Love is poured into our heart by power of the Holy Spirit, which then through divine grace becomes our love to give.
The life and mission of Teen Mercy begins in the heart of each teen, knowing that they are loved by God and that they can trust in His love and mercy. The truth of God’s love and mercy for His children is the greatest truth a child’s heart can know, for it is this truth that moves a heart to a life of love and mercy with God.
By our teens coming to know God and in His saving love for us, they themselves also know that the greater they are in need of His love, the greater is His mercy for them.
Jesus’ love is an unconditional and merciful love, a forgiving and healing love, a love that give us life.
Through Teen Mercy our teens learned to trust in Jesus and in His merciful love, by asking Him to forgive them of their sins, and to heal the brokenness of their heart.
It is through Jesus’ forgiveness and healing, His unconditional and merciful love, in which our teens are able to become instruments of love and mercy to others.
Jesus is all knowing and merciful, Jesus sees the hearts of His youth and knows the sins in which they have fallen into, for some because of not knowing God or worst not knowing of Him.
For others because they lack family love and support, sins in which they have fallen into in their search to be loved.
Jesus desires to forgive His young ones of all their sins, the sins in which they have offended God because of the wrong choices that they have made in their life.
God calls His young ones to love as He loves with their whole heart, with all of their love. He calls them to forgive as they have been forgiven.
Jesus is calling His young ones to love and forgive, to show mercy to the ones who have hurt them so that they may share in the fullness of life with God, eternal life. 
This is how our teens begin to pray; “Jesus I place myself in your presence. Please give me the graces I need to truly open up my heart to you. I invite you to come into my heart, to forgive me of my sins, and to heal the brokenness of my heart. I desire to follow you Jesus, to love as you love.”
By following Jesus and remaining in His love our teens learn to love the way He loves. “I give you a new commandment: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John-13: 34-35
The message about love for our youth is a simple one. Jesus loves His youth, and He wants them to love Him. Having a friendship with Jesus means that you will never lose His love, for His love is everlasting love; it is a friendship of divine love. No greater love has our teens ever known then Jesus’ personal love.
Step 2 Trust: making an act of total consecration, to Jesus thru Mary
Step two is about trust, by giving our heart and life to God. We are called to love and serve God with all of our heart and soul, and to love our neighbor as our self, as Jesus loves. Jesus calls us to trust in Him, to trust in His unconditional and merciful love for us, “Jesus I trust in you”.
Jesus is calling His youth to His Sacred and merciful Heart, to trust in Him by giving their heart and life to Him. By trusting in Jesus, teens make an act of consecration, a prayer of love from the heart where teens give their heart and life to Jesus through Mary, His holy mother.
Teens consecrate their heart to the Sacred and Merciful Heart of Jesus in an through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, “To Jesus through Mary”.
By our teens consecrating their heart and life to Jesus through Mary, the mother of God, they find their love for Jesus is transformed by grace into a holy and divine love.
Why Mary? In our Catholic faith we honor Mary with a great love and devotion because she is the Blessed Virgin Mary the Mother of God. We honor and love Mary because Jesus gave us His mother to be our mother, we are her spiritual children.
“Mary, the mother of God, is the most God like of creatures. The first grace she received from God was her Immaculate Conception, freedom from every stain, even of original sin from the first moment of her existence.” “The love of Mary is the most perfect love with which a creature can love God. With her heart then let us strive to love the heart of Jesus more and more.” - St. Maximilian Kolbe.
Consecration to Jesus through Mary
Consecration to Jesus through Mary is show in the figure of Mary standing at the foot of the cross when Jesus gives us His mother to be our mother.
When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple there whom He loved, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” (John 19:26-27) The apostle John represents all of us. On Good Friday, therefore, Christ made His mother the Mother of the human race and made us her spiritual children.
Step 3 Faith: building a relationship with God through Jesus Christ and His Church.
Step three is about faith, coming to know God and His saving love for us through Jesus Christ and His Church.
Teen Mercy offers the experience of Christ to our youth by coming together for Sunday Mass, teen prayer groups and youth nights. Teens come to know and love God through the catechesis of the Catholic Church, and by receiving and celebrating the sacraments. Teen Mercy offers the experience of Christ to our youth by coming together as a community of faith for fun activities, teen retreats, and outreach projects of mercy.
The Mass
Teen missionaries start each week with their faith in God by coming together as a community at their parish for Sunday Mass.
Teens attend Mass, pray together as a community and receive Holy Communion. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is at the heart of Teen Mercy because the Eucharist and the Gospel are at the heart of the Catholic faith. The Holy Mass exposes us to the truth of the Gospel, and of Jesus “truly present” in the Holy Eucharist. It is through communion with Jesus that we are given the graces and strength to carry out His commandment to love one another.
Our Faith
Teen Mercy gives our youth the fullness of faith through the catechesis of the Catholic Church, which is to say to educate and instruct our youth into the faith through the teachings of the Catholic Church.
“The source of catechesis is found in the word of God revealed by Jesus Christ. Catechesis will always draw its content from the living source of the word of God transmitted in Tradition and the Scriptures, for ‘sacred Tradition and sacred Scripture makes up a single sacred deposit of the word of God, which is entrusted to the Church.” (National Directory for Catechesis)
Sacraments
The sacraments are holy signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is given to us and celebrated. The Church celebrates seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Penance, Holy Eucharist, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Holy Matrimony.
Every Sacrament is an encounter with Christ, where we meet Jesus and receive His love and the graces to be holy. God lives in our soul by grace as our best friend.
Grace: Jesus calls us to be His faithful and holy people through grace; the graces that Jesus won for us on Calvary. Grace keeps us from sin and helps us to live a life of love for God, ourselves, and our neighbor, because it gives light to our mind and strength to our will.
As members of the Church, our teens receive and celebrate the sacraments of God’s saving love.
Sacrament Preparation: The Catholic Church takes very seriously the responsibility to help children and our youth to prepare and receive the sacraments; the sacrament of Baptism, first Penance, Confirmation and first Eucharist, so that each child can build a loving and trustworthy relationship with Jesus that will last a lifetime.
For teenagers who are beginning their faith formation at a later age who are in need of any of the Initiation Sacraments, Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, the parish priests guide and help our youth in preparation to receive the sacraments.
Teen Mercy Prayer Group
Teen gather each week as a community of faith for a teen prayer group. The prayer group consists of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and the Holy Rosary.
Our teens pray for the youth and for the families of our country, and of our world. Our teens are dedicated in praying for our Holy Father the Pope and for the Holy Church.
Teens begin by placing themselves in the presence of God and inviting Mary and the heavenly angels and saints to pray with them.
They begin by first praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and then the Holy Rosary; at the end of the Holy Rosary they give their personal prayer intentions to Jesus and Mary.
In concluding with the prayer group our teens renew their consecration prayer to Jesus through Mary.
Developing a personal prayer life
Teens embrace their faith by developing their prayer life with Jesus. It is through prayer that we get to know Jesus truly and personally.
By teens opening their heart to Jesus through prayer they can talk to Him, and listen to His voice within their heart. Prayer is the vessel through which love is purified and perfected into mercy. Prayer enables our teens to meet God at the most profound level of their being. It connects them directly to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in a constant exchange of love.
Through prayer teens learn to become God’s instruments of love and mercy for the world; because in prayer our teens become one with the source of love and mercy, Jesus Himself. Our teens are encouraged to pray the Holy Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy daily.
Eucharistic Adoration-Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:11)
Our teens pray, reflect, and spend quiet time in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, where Jesus is truly present.
It is so important to our soul, to our spiritual life with God that we spend time with Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration where we can receive God's graces to grow in holiness. When our teens spend quiet time with Jesus in prayer, Jesus can reveal His heart to them in a special way where they can recognize His presence and experience the wonders of His love for them. It's a special time for our teens to listen in the quietness of their heart to Jesus and then respond with love. It is a time for our teens to simply be with Jesus and know that He is God.
The power of prayer, prayers of divine love: a message to our youth
“Christ lives in me” says St. Paul (Galatians 3:20). Christ lives in me therefore when I pray I am filled with the spirit of God and so it is Jesus who prays within my soul lifting up my prayers to the Father bearing divine fruit within that moment of prayer for me and for the person I am praying for.
Our teens have learned to meditate on these words “Christ lives in me”. Our teens ask Jesus for the gift of prayer, the grace to pray from their heart. Through prayer our teens experience Jesus working within their heart. In prayer teens experience Jesus divine love for them and for the person they are praying for. Our teens trust in Jesus and know the power of prayer, the power of God's divine love.
Teen Retreats
Teen Mercy offers the experience of Christ to our youth by coming together for weekend retreats in a faith and fun environment.
Retreats are an important part of a youth’s spiritual life with God. By coming together as a community of faith we build up the body of Christ by developing strong friendships that are centered on God's love.
Teen Mercy retreat offers opportunity for teens to develop their faith in God by developing a deeper relationship with Jesus through small group discussions and personal experience. In a retreat environment teens are able to open their hearts and receive God’s love, healing and mercy. Teen Mercy retreat provides time for the Sacrament of confession and Eucharistic adoration.
Teens develop their faith by using their gifts and talents in role-playing through creative skits. The teen’s gives talks, sing songs and join in fun icebreakers. There is music, fun activities, good meals, and snacks. Teens gather at night for candle light prayer and personal sharing. Each retreat has its own spiritual theme and song and concludes with a youth Mass.
Teen Mercy retreats are run by the parish priest, youth minister, and adult core team.
To Evangelize
Our teens are called to evangelize, to be Christ, to show Christ to the world in which He came to save. Our teens evangelize by living out their Catholic faith and reaching out to others with God's love and mercy. To evangelize means to bring the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world; to help people come to know God through Jesus Christ the Son of God and His saving love for us. It means to share our Catholic faith with others, first and foremost by loving the person.
Our teens evangelize by showing people God's unconditional love, and by showing mercy. Our teens lead God’s people into the light of Christ by sharing the truth about Jesus Christ the Son of God. Our teens evangelize by leading people into a loving and personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ in His Church.
In the life and spirituality of Teen Mercy
In the life and spirituality of Teen Mercy, we have chosen a Crucifix and the Miraculous Medal to be worn as a sign of our consecration to Jesus through Mary, and as a sign of our great love for Jesus and Mary.
As a teen missionary we wear these emblems and Teen Mercy clothing when we minister to the sick, the terminally ill, the poor and people in need of God’s love and mercy.
Faith and Hope: a message to our youth
My faith in knowing God and in His saving love for me gives me hope, trustworthy hope, and so my hope is in Jesus. Before my encounter with Christ I was without hope, because I did not know God and His love for me. I lived in a world of darkness, facing a dark future.
But now by having a loving relationship with Jesus I have come to know God and His saving love for me and so my heart is moved in hope. My hope is in Jesus who knows me and who loves me, who shows His mercy to me. I am loved and we're ever Jesus leads me I am awaited by love and so my life is good. Through the knowledge of this hope, I am no longer in darkness but in the light of Christ, and so I am free, free to love.
The message about hope for our youth is a simple one. Their hope is in Jesus, in their friendship with Him, in His love and mercy for them. Jesus who is their friend knows them, loves them, and is with them always. His love for His youth means that He will never leave them. Their hope is in Jesus, a trustworthy hope. Jesus is always present to our youth in a very special way through hope.
Step 4 Mercy: Divine Mercy
Jesus calls His youth to love and to show mercy, to be young missionaries of divine mercy. “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.” Matthew 25:35-36 “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40
Teen Mercy to love the way Jesus loves through works of mercy
A teen missionary of divine mercy is called to love the way Jesus loves, to live their Catholic faith through works of mercy for the conversion of hearts and the salvation of souls.
Our teens carry out God’s love and mercy by actively ministering to the poor and people in need; weekly our teens respond to the needs of their parish community through works of mercy.
Jesus calls His faithful youth to minister with His merciful love for the salvation of all. To feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, cloth the naked, visit the lonely, pray with the sick and terminally ill, and provide aid to the poor; and people in need.
As our teens minister with unconditional love they encounter the presence of God, it is an experience of the living Christ within their heart.
Through works of mercy our teens are able to meet Jesus in the poor, the suffering, and the hopeful.
By showing love and mercy our teens are able to see the face of Jesus in the people they help and are able to experience the mercy of God within their heart.
As our teens show mercy to people in need they experience the exchange of Jesus’ merciful love between their heart and the hearts they serve. This exchange of God’s love and mercy between the giver and receiver brings about a transformation in both the youth and the poor; which is to say, a deep conversion of heart in their total love for God.
Teens ministering to teens with love
As young missionary of mercy, our teens reach out and minister and evangelize to new teens, teens that are un-churched and feel unloved, unwanted, or forgotten.
This is how our teens pray, “Dear Jesus I pray for our youth, especially for teens who are alone and feel forgotten and unloved, Jesus if you wish to use me today as a vessel of your love and mercy for those in need, I say yes.”
Our teens reach out to the youth in their school and in their community by sharing their Catholic faith. As our teens share about their Catholic faith they are able to share about the beautiful spirituality of Teen Mercy and invite them to be member of the Catholic faith, and of Teen Mercy.
Our teens minister and evangelize to new teens first and foremost by loving the person and leading them into a loving friendship with God through Jesus Christ in His Church.
By loving one another the way Jesus loves, our teens imitate God's love and mercy in which they themselves have received.
Our teens reach out to the youth who are seeking God in hope of a better life- teens who desire to live a life of love, to live the Gospel life of Jesus.
“No matter what problems or handicaps one may have, Christ is the only one who can answer all our questions, even those most difficult questions that cannot be put into words. So ask Him, and listen for His answer. He will tell you the meaning of life is to love.
Only the one who can love unconditionally can learn that giving of themselves to others is the only true way to fulfill our lives. We must strive to bring love out of each moment that we live on earth.”
- Message from the Great Pope John Paul II, World Youth Day, Santiago Spain 1989.