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“If only Jesus were here, He wouldn’t have allowed this to happen,” is a phrase I’ve been hearing go around a lot lately. I have never heard a bigger lie be told than this one.

It’s no secret that COVID-19 has brought mass destruction to our world. Whether that be physical, emotional, or spiritual, the suffering that our society is experiencing is so real.

People everywhere are desperate and are in need of great healing. They’re grasping for something, a glimpse of hope, something that will satisfy this desire to be seen and known during this time of uncertainty.

Brothers and sisters, this ache that we feel deep in our hearts is none other than a longing for Christ, Himself. They say every relationship, at one point or another, experiences what we call “ebb and flow.” This “ebb” is distance in a relationship, but it is healthy and all the while necessary for growth. Ebb brings us to a deeper longing, in this case, a longing for the Father and the total outpour of His love for us.

This catastrophic time in our world isn’t a time to fall away from God, but rather a time to draw near to Him. It’s in this time, where God is calling us out into the deep, to a life of complete trust in Him. He longs to be with us, even more than we long to be with Him. This time of solitude is a gift – the ideal opportunity to simply call upon His name and say, “Here I am.”

Sure, we can’t physically be present at the church. Yes, we’re away from our friends and community. But no matter how convicted we are that Jesus is “gone,” He has never left our side. The God that sent His Son into the world to perform miracles and heal people, then eventually suffer and die for our sake, is the same God who is present in each of our hearts in the year 2020. He hasn’t lost His power and He never will. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

That being said, why do we limit Jesus to church? He has the power to act beyond walls, especially during this time. So, I encourage you to beg Him to come into your heart. He will never force you, but know that He is knocking and patiently waiting for your “yes.” It can be scary, it can be uncomfortable, but the beautiful promises that Jesus has for us should far outweigh any fear that we have.

What are you waiting for? Draw near to Him all the more. He is with us.

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Grant Application

Catholic Youth and Young Adult Directors or ministry lead volunteers, use this form to apply for a grant from Rise Up. Requirements are: 1) Two or more ministries from different parishes must collaborate on the project. 2) There must be a component for "reaching those not reached through ordinary channels. 3) A project budget must be attached to this application before submittal. It can be an excel, document or PDF.

Name(Required)
Please list all Parish Names, Contact Person and their email address.
Grant applications must be submitted by two or more parish youth or young adult directors or for volunteers doing this work in their parish. The project must be a collaboration of at least two parishes. Please describe the project / event in detail.
Include how you will advertise this event and describe the process for a young person to attend.
Rise Up believes our Young Church deserves our best efforts. So we look for ways in which we can raise the quality of an event. How can we make it just a bit more special and let young people know they are valued and we love to put in the extra effort because they are worth it.
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