Steubenville South

I witnessed amazing things this past weekend on our Steubenville South trip. It is amazing to see how just last year we were taking 25 people to the Conference. This year we doubled that and brought 50 people to encounter the living God. I am so proud of my teens. They have come so far in their journey with the Lord.

For a youth minister the day before a trip is like Christmas for a little child. It is so exciting because you are waiting to see what God is going to do in these teens lives and your life. Friday was packed of excitement for the teens who attended last year and also nervousness for the teens who were attending the conference for the first time. I loved walking up and down the bus and asking teens how they were feeling and what they were thinking.

Friday night was great opening. Josh Blakesley the musician pumped the teens up and Jim Beckman the host brought them deep into prayer. We had an amazing time in Adoration where there was so much peace and stillness. The Lord was preparing the teens for great things to come.

Saturday is such a long day but yet so rewarding. The day just keeps building up with great anticipation for tonight and the Eucharistic procession. The Mass that Fr. Stan Fortuna said was great. He engaged the teens and conveyed the message of Jesus love to all the teens in the arena. The rest of the afternoon had workshops, entertainment, and dinner.

Then came the main event. It was so exciting for me as a youth minister to see these teens from St. John Nepomucene who have gone through so much getting so excited for Adoration. It is awesome when you think about it because the Monstrance was processed throughout the crowd, and all I could think about was all the Scriptures that talk about Jesus going into the crowd, and healing, changing and transforming lives. We were the crowd that he came into. We were the people he touched and healed. The night was great. I saw so many teens bring their burdens to God and lay them down to the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

Sunday- What a phenomenal finish to the weekend. We were able to receive into our bodies the  same Jesus who came into the crowds last night. The same Jesus a lot of us including me take for granted every week. We received his body, blood, soul and divinity. What made it even more special was that it was the feast of Corpus Christi.

On the bus ride home I could not stop thinking back to the time when I first arrived in Ennis. Most of the teens were rough and did not want to know who Christ was. But slowly through prayer, the sacraments, core team, and priest guidance they are finally coming around to a point where they can receive their faith and live it out. Our God is a great and faithful God. It reminds me of Romans 5:3-5 which says
"...but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us."

Thank you Lord Jesus for the good work that has begun in these teens lives and mine. Please help us to continue that good work!

Veni Sancte Spiritus

The Desert

I am in Scottsdale, Arizona for a training conference for Life Teen. I have never been in Arizona but I have learned a few things very quickly.
1) Dry heat is still hot.
2) Don't touch the cactus.
3) I never want to live in the desert.
It has been a great time to get away and recenter my ministry on what the Lord wants. Isnt that funny, often times we get so wrapped up in our plans and ideas that we forget what God wants to tell us. I cannot help but find myself thinking about Christ and the time in the Gospel where he went into the desert. He went to pray, fast, and was even tempted in the desert. I try to unite myself this week with the Lord (except I would be ok without the temptation), in prayer and fasting.

The desert can be a scary place. It is hot, a lot of critters crawling around and no water around. But it is something that we all have to go to through. It strengthens us to go through challenging times. May we be like Christ, living water in whatever desert we enter into throughout our lives.

Leaking Sink

I have this leaking sink in my apartment that I told my landlord about and yet he has still not come to fix it. I have called, emailed, and written but it is still leaking. I walk int the kitchen each morning and that is the first thing I see, and it bothers me so much. It gets under my skin. I just want to slam down the handle and make it stop. I am to cheap to go and buy a new part myself since I have a landlord. Something interesting happened to me today when I walked into the kitchen, I stopped and had this thought. Why does this leaking sink bother me so much but not other things that really matter in life. Why doesn't it bother me when I don't do my daily prayer, why doesn't it bother me when I sin, why doesn't it bother me when holiness is not my goal. We get caught up in the choirs of daily life and so worked up and concerned about them that our faith takes a back seat. My prayer for all of us especially myself is that we can stop focusing on the little things that don't matter and start focusing on the true "leaks" in our lives, the things that hold us back from God.