This week we are talking about Guilt

Questions:

• Father Mike suggests that true guilt is like a signal that we've broken a standard. In your daily life, how do you tell the difference between a "healthy" guilt that pushes you to be better and a "toxic" guilt that just makes you feel miserable?
• If guilt is about what we did and shame is about who we are in the eyes of others, whose "eyes" or opinions cause you the most stress or shame? How does that compare to how God looks at you?
• Many people say, "I’m a good person, so I don't need confession." Why might "feeling guilty" actually be a gift from God rather than a burden?
• The Aftermath: Have you ever felt like you’ve been forgiven (by a friend or in Confession) but you still "feel" bad? Why do you think it’s so hard to accept God’s view of us over our own feelings?
• Father Mike told the story of the village welcoming back the hurting women with joy. How can our youth group become a place where people feel safe to admit they messed up without feeling "shamed"?

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In Sacrament Prep:

We are talking about "Who is God?"

• If you met God at a party and you knew he would answer any question you asked, what would you ask him? 
•  What would be the difference between interacting with God as an unconscious force or object versus interacting with him as a person?
• What would/does a relationship with God look like in your own life?
•  In what ways do you feel God’s presence in your life? 
• How does knowing that God wants to love us individually change the way that we pray? 
• In what ways do you find it difficult to have a relationship with God?