About Young Christians Workers (YCW) Movement

All You Need to Know About YCW

History of YCW & Joseph Cardijn

Joseph Cardijn was born on 13th November 1882 at Schaerbeek, a district of Brussels, at the height of the Industrial Revolution. He dedicated his life to young workers at the age of 20. Often referred to as 'A Boy from Flanders. His parents, Louise and Henri, were caretakers of a small block of flats. His mother suffered from bad health and young Joseph was looked after by his grandmother in Hal, a small Flemish town. A few years later his parents moved to Hal where Henry and his wife, Louise invested their tiny savings in a small and not very lucrative coal business.

Early Years

Hal was fast becoming the centre of industrial growth and development. At the time Cardijn was about to leave school, his parents naturally thought of him taking a job in the factory with the other working class boys of the town but Joseph had other ideas, he wanted to become a Priest. In the fall of 1897, Cardijn entered the minor seminary at Malines and began his studies.
1897-SUMMER HOLIDAY-
After a warm welcome at the Cardijn household, Joseph went to visit his friends now at work in the factories, mines and mills. The seminarian's warm smile soon disappeared at the cold and bitter reception his friends gave him. In their eyes he was a "little

THE FIRST YCW

On his appointment as Curate in Laeken, Dean Coorman had put Father Cardijn in charge of Laeken Girls' Youth Club. Thirty girls of ages twelve to thirteen composed the club. Withina few months, the Laeken girls' club claimed many new members, ranging from eleven years to middle-aged professional women mainly needle workers. Attracted by the girls' enthusiasm and rapidly growing success, Fernand Tonnet, a bank clerk, begged Cardijn in 1912 to establish similar units priest who had betrayed them and joined ranks with the very forces the working people felt oppressed them

VOCATION

1903- Six years afer Joseph began his studies, his father died, As Joseph stood by his father’s bedside he once more made a vow: "Father," he declared, "you worked long years for me to become a priest; I will give my life to saving the working classes of the world. He swore to become a Priest of the working people. In 1906, three years following Henrys death, Joseph was due for ordination. Seminary authorities were uncertain whether to promote him to the priesthood. "You are too independent," the Rector advised him Intelligent, dynamic, thoughtful, and indeed independent, Joseph was a born leader. He could be a force for great harm or great good. His evident spirit of prayer and obedience and loyalty to the Church finally convinced his superiors that Cardijn was worth the risk. Thus, during the summer holidays of 1907, with the assistance of one of his professors, Victor Brants, Cardijn set out himself to visit France where he met various social action leaders including those of the Sillon. He participated in a meeting of the Sillon at Lille and atended a sillonnist public meeting at Amiens where he heard Marc Sangnier defend the autonomy of a lay movement vis-à-vis the hierarchy of the Church. He travelled the world seeking a solution to the problems facing young workers. He visited the Trade Union Movements and the Scouts but these offered no solution. Despite misgivings, Cardinal Mercier ordained him a priest on September 22, 1906. The priest gladly obliged, and within months the Union of Apprentices and the League of Pius X, the new men's groups, numbered nine hundred members. He also founded a group for young working boys and from this came the first three Y.C.W. leaders, Fernand Tonnet, Paul Garcet and Jacaques Meert. In 1915, he became the director of the city's Catholic social work. In the years after the First World War, he began to organize young Catholic workers the Brussels area to evangelize their colleague. The group was named Jeunesse ouvriere Chrétienne. (JOC) founded the banner of the Young Trade Unionists, Its teachings were based on labor encyclicals by Popes Leo XIII. In 1924 the YOUNG TRADE UNIONISTS as they were called became the YOUNG CHRISTIAN WORKERS with Cardijn as National Chaplain.

CHALLENGES/ CONFLICT

In August 1914, German armies, aiming to capture Paris, burst across the Belgium plains, wreaking death and frightful destruction all about them. Joseph mobilised young people and gathered food, medicines, clothing, and fuel for soldiers and other war victim families. In 1915 Cardinal Mercier had appointed Joseph to be Diocesan Social Action Director for the Brussels area. The priest viewed the new office as a vehicle for carrying his workers' movement to areas beyond the Laeken parish. In 1916 Cardijn, who had worked actively in the underground since the war started and Spoke out against the German armies, was arrested and sentenced to thirteen months in prison. He was to serve another prison sentence in the coming years for similar activities Cardijn used his prison time to set plans and directions for what was to become the Young Christian Workers. (What makes prison bearable," he wrote, "is the passionate desire and ardent hope of getting back to work with a thousand times more enthusiasm than before. Suffering they say, stiffens one's courage in the face of obstacles and difficulties." No stranger to espionage, Joseph smuggled out his own writings from prison and in turn received books and material through the underground. ) Cardijn always dreamed huge dreams, His greatest dream was that all workers hut ne indeed all men, would be reunited in wonders, as he labored in these early days with he young lodies of Laeken, if he could foresee that his "See, judge and act would eventually be translated into countless languages and become a plan of study and action for young workers in all quarters of the globe

His innovative methods, however, ran into immediate and unyielding resistance from priests, politicians, businessmen and even Catholic trade unionists. After several bitter battles, Father cardijn, unable to sway the regional leadership to views, moved his headquarters to another place and split the Brussels Catholic workers' movement right down the middle.
- Fernand Tonnet, returning from the war with Paul Garcet, another clerk, and Joco Meert, an iron worker, to assist Cardijn, The trio ol loymen, called the "Three Musketeers," pioneered the young workers movement, officially know the Trode Union Youth, with great success throughout the Brussels area.
-In Europe they call them The masses They the Continent's working classes
During Europe's bloody wars, they fought in the trenches, lost their families in bombardments ond air raids, and suffered the humiliation occupation and defeat. .
They worked in frighttul conditions, often suffered injustice and exploitation at the hands of their employers. They felt that even the Church had betrayed them. "The working classes ore being lost to the Church", warned the Popes

THE CONVALESCENT

The gruelling job of propagating his movement. the imprisonment, the worry about his mother, and the tension resulting from disagreements from the social ction department finally caught up with Joseph in the winter of 1919. Tuberculosis, which had claimed his sister and brother, now struck him. As a discharged political prisoner, Father Cardijn was sent by the governnent to its military hospital at Cannes, France. Cardijn knew his political enemies would attack his fledgling flock. He poured out a torrent of advice to his leaders in endless letters. "Don't let anyone discourage you; all those who want to scale the heights must pass through the dark night of trial..Be had as a diamond and tender as a mother. Call more and more for self-sacrifice, love and commitment." He begged the Three Musketeers in Brussels to nourish the workers' spiritual life. Warning them to remember that, before all else, they were Christians, After long months of convalescence, hecith authorities permitted Cardijn to return to Brussels He came back with a head full of dreams, a heart

THE BIRTHDAY OF YCW

At the July 1925, Bishops' annual meeting, hierarchy members who had formerly bitterly disapproved Joseph's programme, supported it openly. This was the official birthday of the YCW. The movement now took giant strides among Belgium's six hundred thousand young workers. By the year's end, the YCW claimed twenty thousand boys and girls from the ages of thirteen and twenty-one. "We are not making a revolution," Joseph told his enthusiastic followers; "we are the revolution! The revolution aimed, not to reform society but to develop within the hearts of the young Christian workers the realisation of their mission in life - to be apostles spreading the Gospel to their working world. Joseph kept the movement's spiritual orientation in the forefront. His youngsters studied the Gospels and the Social Encyclicals, prayed together, and united in liturgical worship. He challenged them to learn more and more. In an interview at the Vatican in 1927 "Do people show confidence in your movement?" It was Pius XI questioning Cardijn. "Holy Father," Cardijn replied, "there are still plenty who do not believe in it-priests particularly." "Very well, come to Rome with your YCW the Pope will then show everyone what he thinks of working youth and the YCW." In the autumn of 1929, fifteen hundred Belgian YCW men entrained for Rome.
In 1931-. The girls had their turn.
The Pope greeted each one individually and questioned the workers for nearly three hours about their work and apostolate. The Pope said as he bade the YCW group good-bye "I consider you to be the missionaries of the Church to the world of work,"

YCW INTERNATIONAL

As the Pope promised, the YCW Vatican visit attracted the attention of many priests and Bishops in various countries of the world. The first large YCW international extension was soon established in France. Then country by country, nation by nation, continent by continent, the YCW spread through Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
In 1934, the year before the YCW's tenth anniversary, Joseph had a forty-foot statue of young worker struck and placed on the roof of the headquarters in Brussels. This touched off one more chorus of criticism from his enemies. But for Joseph it was important for people to see, in the heart of Brussels, a fine building dedicated to the world's young workers.

THE TENTH BIRTHDAY

After a year's preparation, the YCW held its tenth birthday celebrations in Brussels. Priests and Bishops joined young worker delegates from all over Europe, Africa, and Asia. To Cardijn, full of happiness and joy, this day seemed the pinnacle of his career. Alexis Carrel, the great French scientist and a friend of Cardijn, wrote him: "Your YCW is a new concept of life. The success of your organisation is one of the great events of our times." In the spring of 1940, A few years after the anniversary,, the Germans once again invaded Belgium. Just after this German occupation, Alexis Carrel wrote a last note to Cardijn. "It is of great importance," the doctor wrote, "that your work continues even in the midst of chaos, for it is from the midst of chaos that civilisation will have to be rebuilt. Our only hope in the prodigious catastrophe that has fallen upon us is this new flame that burns in our youth." Lagos with about 80 centres from the five old Deaneries: Agege, Apapa, Badagry, Ikeja and Mainland.

SUMMARY OF NOTABLE DATES

Born in 1882 in Brussels, Belgium to Henry and Louise Cardijn, Very sensitive to every human suffering as he met with Belgian workers. Who work for 12-14 hours and earned a penny with no rest. Children were locked or tied as their mother worked so that they could not wander around. No politicians, no authorities and sad to say no church authorities help them. Workers saw vices as the only avenue to escape from their bad condition. Only one Belgian group stood up for worker's defense - the Socialist, they were anti-clerical, anti-church the only protectors the workers knew.
1897 - Joseph entered the minor seminary at Malines. (The workers felt the church oppressed them & Cardjin vowed to consecrate his priestly life to the workers)
1903- Henry Cardijn died. Joseph promised to his father that he would give his life to the salvation of the working class of the world. September 22, 1906- Cardinal Mercier ordained Joseph Cardijn a priest and sent him to study social doctrine under Professor Brants of the University of Louvain.
* At the end of Fr. Cardijn's first year study, Cardinal Mercier assigned him to teach literature and mathematics at a middle-class boy's secondary school in Basse-Wavre, Belgium. During long holidays, he traveled to Europe observing various social action programmes.
* 1912 - Cardinal Mercier assigned Fr. Cardijn to the Royal Parish of our Lady of Laeken, Brussels a place where 13,000 underpaid and overworked factory workers lived. Fr. Cardijn was assigned to take charge of the girl's Youth Club. Fr. Cardijn organized the girls into individual groups called "CELLS". Each cell meeting, a procedure should be followed: SEE, JUDGE, and ACT plan. FR. Cardijn dreamed that his SEE, JUDGE, ACT method would eventually be translated and used by the whole workers around the globe.
* 1912-Fernand Tonnet, a bank clerk, begged Fr. Cardijn to establish similar units for men. Fr. Cardijn organized the Union of Apprentices and the League of Pius X, that formed 900 members.
Gradually, He challenged them to bring the Gospel from the church to the world. "You are the apostles, you are fishers of men, and only you can bring Christ to your factory, mills or offices. August 1914- German armies, aiming to capture Paris, burst across Belgium plains. There was a war. Fr. Cardijn mobilized young people and gathered food, medicines, clothing and fuel for soldiers and other war victims. and used by the whole workers of the globe. 1915- He was appointed to be the Director of Diocesan Social Action. Fr. Cardijn continued to organize workers with the help of Fernand Tonnet, Paul Garcet and Jacques Meert. The trio was called "The Three Musketeers". They pioneered the young workers movement, officially known as the "Trade Union Youth". November 1916-1918-Fr. Cardijn continued to work actively against unjust German aggression and deportation of Belgian workers to German war factories. He was constantly under the German authorities' arrest him and with his imprisonment, Louise Cardijn suffered nervous breakdown
1919 Tuberculosis struck Fr. Cardijn. As a discharged political prisoner, the government sent him to the Military hospital at Cannes, France. Fr. Cardijn was separated from his young workers. He knew that his political enemies would attack his young workers so he poured out torrent of advice to his leaders in endless letters. He begged the Three Musketeers to nourish the workers spiritual life. After long months in the hospital, health authorities permitted Fr. Cardijn to return to Brussels.
1923-Louise Cardijn died at the age of 73. Socialist were also angry with Cardijn because they no more monopolize the workers movement. Socialist strike factories employing the Trade Union Youth, many employers refused to hire Fr. Cardijn's followers.
1924-To emphasize his organizations difference from that of Catholic trade unions, he changed its title from "Trade Union Youth" to Young Christian Workers"
During the Belgium Catholic Youth Associations Congress, the young workers presented themselves as a distinctive unit within the body Fr. Cardijn ask permission to Cardinal Mercier to visit Rome and to put his case before Pope Pius XI, When the Pope interviewed Fr. Cardijn, he accepted blessed the movement.
1925-Bishops who had formerly bitterly disapproved Fr. Cardijn's program, supported it openly. This was the official birth of the YCW. By year-end the YCW claimed 20,000 boys and girls from ages 13 and 21.
1929 - Fifteen hundred Belgian YCW entrained for Rome. The YCW Vatican visit attracted the attention of many priests and Bishops around the world. The first large YCW extension was established in France.
1934-YCW's tenth anniversary, Fr. Cardijn had a forty foot statue of a young worker struck and placed on the roof of the headquarters in Brussels.
1940 - German once again invaded Belgium. Fr. Cardijn threw himself and his YCW into opposition to the occupation forces. The Gestapo arrested Fr. Cardijn and several YCW leaders.
September 1942 - Fr. Cardijn was released from prison.
August 1944 - The Allies forced the German army to begin its retreat from Brussels.
September 1, 1944 - German soldiers burst into YCW headquarters to take Fr. Cardijn hostage but failed. Fernand Tonnet and Paul Garcet (two of the three musketeers) died in prison.
1946-Fr. Cardijn experienced especially in the Third World, terrible injustice so, he made several international visits to spread the YCW message.
1950 - YCW's silver anniversary. Pope Pius XII honored the YCW movement by consecrating Fr. Cardijn as Bishop. Colleges and universities throughout the world bestowed honorary doctorates upon him. He received civic decorations and became a member of the French Legion of Honor. By this year the YCW was established in no less than 60 countries. January 1965 -Bishop Cardijn resigned as YCW's chief chaplain and Fr. Uylenbroeck, a veteran YCW chaplain, took over as chief chaplain. Bishop Cardijn turns his full attention to implementing the decisions of the 2nd Vatican Council. Pope Paul VI appointed him Cardinal June 1967 - Cardinal Cardijn was stricken with a kidney ailment.
July 14, 1967 - Cardinal Cardijn lapsed into coma.
July 24, 1967 - He passed on but Cardinal Cardijn's spirit still live in the YCW's heart. By this year the YCW already had 109 countries.

THE TRUTH OF METHOD OR THE PASTORAL RESPONSE

Joseph Cardijn wanted to bring the truths of Reality and Faith together in a way that would help young people understand and see that there was meaning and purpose to life. We have discovered that in many areas of our lives there's a "CONTRADICTION" between faith and reality. The world, unfortunately, is not the way God planned it! Cardijn was passionate in looking for a way to make reality fall in line with the principles of faith. He searched for a way to accomplish this. He wanted to see the everyday lives of young workers transformed and brought into harmony with the truths of faith. Cardijn realized that people living outside the reality and concerns of young people couldn't resolve the contradiction between the reality young people lived in and the faith the church teaches. He was very adamant and sure that bishops, priests, religious, politicians, even educators were unable to solve this contradiction. "There can be no external solution; the only solution is one of conquest organised by the young workers and taking into consideration their eternal and temporal destiny" Only the young people could work toward solving the problems of their circumstances. He said: "You are the apostles, you are fishers of men, and only you can bring Christ into your factory, mill or office." Joseph Cardijn's pastoral response to this contradiction, became known as the third truth: The truth of method (or Pastoral response) - Our faith and reality at times disagree so much with each other, that there needs to be a pastoral response to correct it. His method was to create a movement of young workers, among young workers, organized by young workers, which would form apostles and evangelisers for the working world. This movement is the YCW It is an organisation of young workers that has ten distinct characteristics:

THE TEN CHARACTERISTICS OF YCW


1. An organization of young workers, organised
2. By them (the young workers must be enabled to do it themselves. They have within them the capacity. They are not meant to be passive, without initiative and creativity.)
3. Among them (not a distant institution but constructed within the places young people meet, work and enjoy themselves. An organisation working through the events of everyday life.)
4. For them (they are able to support one another, build something together, and develop a spirit of generosity, of going out towards others.)
5. Which will Group & Train Young workers as LEADERS/Militants for CHRIST. (There is a need to offer a formation suited to young workers to train them as leaders among their friends and fellow workers. Not a training that will separate them from their environment but a training within this environment to equip, support and encourage them as an apostolate to those around them.)
6. Who can, Serve (This organisation is to be at the service of all young workers of every race, creed and colour, providing practical means to help them overcome the difficulties and anxieties they face.)
7. Educate and Represent (This organisation is to speak up for young workers and give them a voice before the people and organisations which make the key decisions affecting them.)
8. The mass of young workers and bring the whole of the truth of faith ("Let there be no second class religion for young workers" (Cardijn) Young workers are entitled to the full revelation of their dignity, of God's kingdom and of his plan for them. They are able to grasp this and act upon it. They have the right to a complete loving relationship with God their Father, with Jesus Christ their brother and fellow worker, and with the Holy Spirit who will inspire and unite them.)
9. Into the whole of their lives (there is no area of the congress life, which remains apart from the grace of God, separated from his love. God is interested in every aspect of a young workers life: home, neighbourhood, work and leisure. There is no separation between everyday life and religious life. The gospel is to be lived out in the ordinary circumstances of each day, in the values held and decisions made, in being at the service of others.) 10. And the lives of their friends and workmates (the insights gained in the YCW are not just for ourselves. The essential spirit of the Movement is missionary, reaching out to others, involving them in our enquiries and actions, inviting them to share and celebrate with us.)

THE PURPOSE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE YOUNG CHRISTIAN WORKER


The purpose of the YCW is to serve, educate and around them, represent young working-class people.
Serve: to take practical initiatives this will improve their quality of life and chances of building a future.
Educate: to bring them to a greater awareness and understanding of the life-issues that affect them on the help them be active in response to them.
Represent: to speak up for the voiceless and make the situation of young workers known to those in in positions of influence
The means to this end which the YCW proposes is to call, form and sustain young leaders in life who, by their life and example, will bring the whole of the truth of faith into the whole of their lives and the lives of their friends and workmates.
1. An organization of young workers, organised
2. By them (the young workers must be enabled to do it themselves. They have within them the capacity. They are not meant to be passive, without initiative and creativity.)
3. Among them (not a distant institution but constructed within the places young people meet, work and enjoy themselves. An organization working through the events of everyday life.)
4. For them (they are able to support one another, build something together, and develop a spirit of generosity, of going out towards others.)
5. Which will Group &Train Young workers as LEADERS/Militants for CHRIST.
(There is a need to offer a formation suited to young workers to train them as leaders among their friends and fellow workers. Not a training that will separate them from their environment but a training within this environment to equip, support and encourage them as an apostolate to those
6. Who can, Serve (This organisation is to be at the service of all young workers of every race, creedovercome the difficulties and anxieties they face. and colour, providing Practical means to help them
7. Educate and Represent (This organisation is to speak up for young workers and give them a voice before the people and organisations which make the key decisions affecting them.
8. The mass of young workers and bring the whole religion for young Workers" (Cardijn) Young workers are dignity, of God's kingdom and of his plan for them. e They are able to grasp this and act upon it. They have the right to a complete loving relationship with God their Father, with Jesus Christ their brother and fellow worker, and with the Holy Spirit who will inspire and unite them.)
9. Into the whole of their lives (there is no area of life, which remains apart from the grace of God, separated from his love. God is interested in every aspect of a young workers life: home, neighbourhood, work and leisure. There is no separation between everyday life and religious life. The gospel is to be lived out in the ordinary circumstances of each day, in the values held and decisions made, in being at the service of others :}
10. And the lives of their friends and workmates (the insights gained in the YCW are not just for yourselves. The essential spirit of the Movement is missionary, reaching out to others, involving them in our enquiries and actions, inviting them to share and the gospel.
The basic thrust of the Movement is to awaken the moral consciousness of workers in order to mansform them into efficient agents of change in their work environment and society

YCW OPENING PRAYER

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

Lord Jesus, We offer you this day, all our works, our hopes and struggles, our joys and sorrows. Grant and our fellow workers, the grace to think like You, to work with You, and to live like You. Make us able to love you with all our hearts, and serve You with all our strength.
May your kingdom come in all our workplaces, factories, workshops, offices, studies, leisure and in our homes. Give us the courage to challenge what is wrong, and keep us faithful to the ideals of the Young Christian Workers Movement. May those of us, who today, may be in danger of sin, remain in Your grace. May those who have suffered for what is right and have died in labour battlefield, share the happiness of your kingdom forever.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus R: Bless the Young Christian Workers
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus - Sanctify the Young Christian Workers
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus - May Your Kingdom come through the Young Christian Workers
Mary Queen of the Apostles Pray for us
St. Joseph the Worker Pray for us
St. Teresa of the Child Jesus Pray for us
St. Charles Lwanga Pray for us
May all the Angels and Saints of God in Heaven - Pray for us
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

YCW CLOSING PRAYER

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Almighty and eternal God, May Thy grace en-kindle in all men, love for the many unfortunate people, whom poverty and misery have, reduced to a condition unworthy of human beings.
Arouse in the heart of those who call Thee Father, a hunger and thirst for social justice in our society, and for fraternal charity in deed and in truth. Grant O Lord, Peace in our days Peace in our souls Peace in our families peace in our workplaces Peace in Our country Nigeria Peace among Nations.
Mary Queen of the Apostles Pray for us
St. Joseph the Worker Pray for us
St. Teresa of the Child Jesus Pray for us
St. Charles Lwanga Pray for us
May all the Angels and Saints of God in Heaven - Pray for us
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

YCW ANTHEM

1 In a distant day, in a distant land

Father Cardijn gathered a devoted band whose aim it was the world to bring With Apostles for Christ their Lord and King

Chorus

To see what our surroundings show
To judge them as they ought to be
To act in the way Christ has made us know So as to change to judge from see
2. The movement there like a bush fire spread
many followed where the few had led
to fight social vices injustice and corruption in their workplaces, society and nation.

3. To Christianize ourselves and friends

And to live the gospel to our ends
To bring the good news into daily lives Such is the object of our strife.

STATEMENT OF ACTION:

Our statement of action is to call people out of solation into small groups where they come to know their true worth and dignity
It recognizes that young people are the experts of their own reality and are often the best placed people to be the means of transformation in their own lives. Through a process of enquiry, reflection and action (See, Judge, Act), they grow as Christian leaders, serving, educating and representing other young people.
Our values
• Efficiency
. Integrity
. Transparency Motivation
• Prudency

Accountability Spirituality


YCW...THE DIFFERENCE IS YOU!

Review of life

Three ways of doing the Review of Life. We present here three different ways of doing the review of life. Each of them contains the same ingredients: Life situations, the gospel message, practical action. A group can vary the way they do the review of life to gain the benefits of each one or they may wish to stay with the one which is most suitable.

1. Open Review of Life

The open Review of Life is one which starts from a sharing of things that have happened to the members of the group that week. They then choose one of these and follow the See-Judge-Act method which means:
See-looking more closely at the event or incident, identifying all the relevant facts surrounding the situation, and trying to understand the causes and consequences.
Judge - discussing the values relevant to the situation, noting the rights and wrongs and drawing inspiration and guidance from the Gospel text.
Act - deciding what can be done by the person concerned and/or by the group. The advantage of this way of doing the Review of life is that the group deal with something that is of real immediate concern to someone in the group.

2. Review of Life on a Chosen Topic

Sometimes it is helpful to choose a specific topic for the Review of Life. This topic should be one that is of current relevance to the young people in the group, to their friends or to the young people in the neighborhood or maybe a topic that has arisen from the experiences of the group shared in an open Review of Life. To do the Review of Life in this way a person is chosen to prepare it and together with the chaplain or another leader they draw up specific questions following the See- Judge Act method.
Topic: Young people and Leisure Time
See: How do you and young people you know spend most of their leisure time? Give an example of something that has happened in your leisure time. What influences our choice of leisure activities? What enables us to enjoy it? How do our leisure activities affect us?
Judge: What is the true purpose of leisure time? What would you consider to be a bad use of leisure time and why? Read: Mathew 6:25-34 or Luke 14:12-14 what does this passage say to us? What does it ask us to keep in mind in deciding how to use our time?
Act: Should we make any change to the way we use our leisure time? Is there any action we can take concerning the situations we have discussed? Other examples of topics are: Starting work, working life, media influence, use of money, health issues, local community matters etc.
The advantage of this way of doing the Review of life is that the questions and the Gospel text can be prepared in advance. It also leads the group to discuss and reflect on issues of which they might not have been aware.

3. Gospel Review of Life

It is also possible to start the Review of life with a gospel passage and then apply it to our life situations.
See: Read a passage of the gospel. Let one or two people describe the story, the content in their own words. Ask questions like: Why did Jesus, the disciples, the main characters, other people around act or speak as they did? What were the effects of Jesus' words or actions, how did people react? What particularly strikes us or surprises us?