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Editor������Ƶapp note: This is the second place winner for the Friars Student Writing Award contest sponsored by the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement-Graymoor in Toronto and The Catholic Register.

Jesus chose not one, but 12 Apostles to spread the message of His love. He believed that unified, the Apostles could better carry out the work of spreading God������Ƶapp love since they had the support of their fellow apostolic brothers. Although the Christian Church today has been factionalized into various denominations, we are called to share in the brotherhood through the empowerment we receive as apostles spreading God������Ƶapp teachings.

Teaching is one of those occupations no one is barred from. Everyone has the power to influence others through their teachings.

As apostles of God, we are to teach the universal message that God tells all Christians: That there is no commandment greater than to “love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:38).  

In order to accomplish this, we need to aspire to lives that will be the epitome of God������Ƶapp love to everyone we come in contact with. What better way to do so than to unite ourselves as Christians in our evangelistic teaching of God������Ƶapp word.

This is because if our actions towards others reflect God������Ƶapp love, then others can learn by observing our relationship with fellow Christians. What better way to teach than to practise what you preach?

On the matter of preaching God������Ƶapp word, we can recount the lives of the early Christians who faced persecution for preaching the Word of God. They bravely faced death instead of renouncing their faith.

There was a driving force behind this courage; a reason for their unwavering faith.

It was the knowledge that the cause for which they were being persecuted was a worthy one; the knowledge that they were laying the groundwork for other Christians to follow; the knowledge that their sacrifices for the Church would serve to draw those strong in the faith even closer together; the knowledge that they had the backing of their fellow Christians ready to continue where they left off.

Having this kind of trust in anyone is profoundly encouraging, especially at times such as these with news of persecutions among our fellow Christians like those in Pakistan, Somalia, Egypt, Vietnam and everywhere a Christian is criticized for their faith.

Such trust can only be forged on deep bonds of brotherhood and one good way to forge bonds is by praying together.  

Jesus prayed and taught His disciples to do so too because He understood the strength provided by solidarity in prayer. Through prayer, God yearns for us to break down all barriers, including those of denomination, that restrict us from being one not just with Him but also with our fellow Christians. His son, Jesus, died to unify Christians with the assurance that we will have eternal redemption. He died not for one denomination, “but to gather all children of God who are scattered abroad” (John 11:52).

And so the Communion (sharing of the bread) is a resonating theme among all Christian denominations and further proof of the similarities Christians have in common.

Let us, therefore, surge on in forging and maintaining our ties of Christian fellowship among all denominations through our prayers. Let our actions reflect the true teachings of God������Ƶapp unconditional love of unity and equality.

Most importantly, “I plead with you brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10). For when all is stripped away from us, we are left with nothing but our faith.

And since we all share the same faith, are we then not fundamentally the same?

(Chigbo, 16, is a Grade 12 student at St. Francis Xavier Secondary School in Mississauga, Ont.)

TORONTO - A cross-border study has found that one in four students on North American university campuses show signs of depression — a figure that comes as no surprise to those who work with students.

The study, published in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry at the end of January, looked at more than 1,600 students at the University of British Columbia, the University of Wisconsin and the University of Washington. Researchers surveyed students visiting campus health centres for mostly physical reasons on a variety of questions about their mood and outlook for the future. The study also found that one in 10 students had recently thought about suicide.

Sr. Susan Glaab, campus minister at King������Ƶapp University College in London, Ont., said there are a number of reasons why students today may be showing increased signs of depression.

Editor������Ƶapp note: This is the winning entry for the Friars’ essay contest.

Acts tells the story of the early Christian Church. However alien the circumstances and cultural milieu were, the example set by the early churches in the second chapter of Acts remains a source of principles for the building of effective Christian communities. Acts 2:42 explains perhaps the most vital of those founding principles: that of spiritual and temporal Christian unity. Both forms of unity are plainly displayed in the verse, and each is a unique expression of Christ������Ƶapp apparent desire for the communion of all who follow Him on this planet.

Spiritual unity in the Church is an intangible connection between different believers, the basic foundation of the Church������Ƶapp existence as an institution meant to foster and develop the spiritual connections between its pieces or members.

TORONTO - A group of young adult skaters waited patiently as the Zamboni finished cleaning the ice of the new Colonel Sam Smith Skating Trail in Toronto. It was a mix of sun and cloud with very little wind on this winter day, ideal weather for skating — and also for outdoor reflection.

On Feb. 5, Faith Connections, a ministry for young adults run by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto, held its first ever Skate and Prayer event to provide young adults with the opportunity to slow down with God and enjoy the beauty of winter.

Kelly Bourke, the interim program director with Faith Connections, said the Skate and Prayer event was a spin on Faith Connections’ Hike and Prayer event.

As with Hike and Prayer, it provided young adults with a social, active and reflective or prayer component, said Bourke.

TORONTO - Faith Connections “Soul Food” continues the adventure in food and faith for young adults.

The sequel to the faith-based ecumenical group “Eat, Pray, Share,” which took place last fall, its first of eight sessions begins Feb. 23 and wraps up May 14.  

“I still felt called to offer some kind of group experience where we could continue to grow in faith and also take the group in some new direction based on the feedback,” said facilitator Genevieve Anderson, a high school chaplain with the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and former Faith Connections co-ordinator.

Partnering with Faith Connections, the young adult ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Anderson said Soul Food offers participants a chance to understand how food and spirituality are related.  

At each session, different participants will take turns preparing a meal for the group. Cooking teams will be expected to arrive early to arrange each meal. Each session will be based on a spiritual theme, including “solidarity of incarnation” and “social justice.” The group will gather for the main course and will then discuss the session������Ƶapp topic through prayer and reflection on various Scripture passages, books and articles. After dessert, the session will end with a call to action, in which a particular spiritual or food-related task to complete will be suggested to the group.

Toronto - On a cold winter morning, a group of student volunteers from the University of Toronto gathers in the kitchen of St. Basil������Ƶapp Church to prepare platters of deli meat and cheese sandwiches for those in need. Along with the sandwiches, the soup of the day is red lentil.

These students come from diverse faiths and ethnic backgrounds, but they are all here for the same reason: to help with the Out of the Cold program run by campus ministry at the University of St. Michael������Ƶapp College, the Catholic college at the University of Toronto.

Every Tuesday, from the beginning of November to the end of March, the Out of the Cold volunteers gather in the parish hall at St. Basil������Ƶapp, located on campus at St. Michael������Ƶapp College.

Amanda Mastrocola, one of the head co-ordinators, said the program is possible through the efforts of the volunteers.

“Whatever personal reasons that drive (the student volunteers), they come in every week . . . They work so hard,” said Mastrocola, a fifth-year Christianity and culture and philosophy student. “And getting to know these people is inspiring.”

WASHINGTON - Students from Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy in Barry������Ƶapp Bay, Ont., joined an estimated 400,000 American pro-lifers at the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 24.

Organized by the pro-life group at the Catholic liberal arts college, 20 students and three staff attended the march and opening prayer vigil Mass held at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

“We walked, prayed the Rosary, prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet and sang chants,” said second-year student Kathleen Dunn, president of the school������Ƶapp pro-life group. “It was really amazing to be a part of it.”

The annual march marks the anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision on Jan. 22, 1973, which legalized abortion in the United States.

MONTREAL - Planning a weekend trip to Montreal, there was one place I really wanted to visit: Notre Dame Basilica. While I had been to St. Joseph������Ƶapp Oratory before, I never had the opportunity to visit the world famous Notre Dame in Old Montreal. I was expecting it to be beautiful.

But stepping through the doors, what I saw surpassed all my expectations.

The high altar, a very tall backdrop, looked like a small city itself — an intricate structure which seemed to wind all the way up to the ceiling.

Blue and yellow lights illuminated various parts of its magnificent construction, with statues of saints surrounding Jesus, along with built-in choir stalls designed in the 1870s by Montreal architect Victor Bourgeau.

Mississauga, Ont. - Most Catholic youth would agree that church is the place to be on Sunday mornings. But for more than a dozen Catholic teens at Merciful Redeemer parish in Mississauga, Ont., church is the place to be on Friday and Saturday nights.

The parish is one of 1,200 around the world that offers the Life Teen program and one of 500 parishes offering a program called Edge.

Both are parish-based youth ministry programs designed to help youth learn more about their Catholic faith and develop a deeper relationship with God.

Life Teen is for students in Grades 9 to 12 while the Edge program targets students in Grades 6 to 8.

Similar programs, Life Teen discusses more mature topics and has more of a focus on discussion and activities as opposed to games and skits.

Jobin Puthuparampil, a Grade 12 student at St Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School, attends Life Teen because it is a place to ask and discuss a wide range of topics, including the core philosophical teachings of the Church.

Vancouver - The sun, fossil fuels, hydroelectricity and food are all sources of power and methods to propel us forward in our daily routines. And from Jan. 20 to 23, a group of youth ministry workers delved deeper into the idea of finding fuel for a journey.

Organized by the Western Canadian Association of Catholic Youth Ministers (WCACYM), the annual gathering entitled “Fuel Up” took place at the archdiocese of Vancouver������Ƶapp Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry.

������Ƶapp 50 youth ministers from all over Western Canada came together to pray, discuss, network and learn about their role in the Church, as well as the youth they serve.

“Is Christ the source and summit of my life, my work and my ministry?” asked Msgr. Mark Hagemoen, former director of the Youth Ministry Office in Vancouver and one of the keynote speakers for the event.