Our final session of the morning, before our closing Mass, was about calling down the power of the Holy Spirit to change our lives. And as we prayed, not just for ourselves, but also for our brothers and sisters, our host Dan Harms challenged us to appreciate the power that’s already within us, by virtue of our Confirmation.

“I never appreciated Confirmation until after I was in my vocation,” he said. “When I don’t have the strength to be the friend, husband, brother, that I am called to be, the Holy Spirit comes and gives me peace.”

“We do not tolerate you, you are not accepted. You belong. This is just the truth. It’s not anything dramatic.”

That’s how Fr. Mike Schmitz began the workshop with a title he wouldn’t have chosen. It’s a difficult topic, and tolerance simply doesn’t have anything to do with it.

There were three main principles in play: it’s not about ‘us’ and ‘them,’ there is only us; life is not easy, it’s difficult; and since to be human is to be both a body and a soul, what we do with our bodies matters.

Of course it all began with Taylor Swift. We sang a little ‘Love Story’ because we love love songs. We know what real love is and we long for it. We also know what real love isn’t.

That’s because we were all made from love, by love, and for love, as Jackie Francois Angel pointed out. It all started in the beginning, when God created the world. We know from St. John that God is love, and love always has to go out of itself. God created the world out of love because He is love.

Friday night concluded with a short period of Eucharistic Adoration. After hearing a talk about how God longs for us, we were led into a time for God to be with us. We were invited to simply spend time with Him who is mercy.

Our host, Dan Harms, set it up by talking about how loved we really are. “Adoration,” he said, “is an extension of the Mass. It’s a time for every single one of us to just fall in love. Tonight, He proves His love for us by coming to be present among us.”

Meet Kristina Radley

There’s a tall, gorgeous, gangly thing with curly black hair and a red polo running around at the conference. Her name is Kristina, and she’s here to pray for you. And, also, to become a Vine and/or YouTube sensation…

She has a gorgeous, charming, holy husband (whom you’ve heard fiddling on stage with Adam) and a pet cat, who is also gorgeous but not so charming and also a pagan.