Fr. Dave began his talk this afternoon by reminding us that God has a plan for our lives, our lives are not random and that every individual matters.

You are more than your body

Fr. Dave reminded us that you are more than just a body. Your body is only a part of you. You are flesh and soul, and that’s what makes you human. They are important because your body and soul make you who you are. You have a body and a soul and Jesus Christ delights in that. He referenced Chris Pratt’s recent MTV awards speech last month when Pratt said “you have a soul, take care of it.”

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This afternoon, Jason reminded us that as humans, we are always looking for love. But in our culture today, how do we foster healthy relationships?

Friendship

Jason began by noting the difference between true and false friendship. True friendship is when we will the good of another, when we hold the other accountable, when we affirm the other and are honest with them. False friendship is when bad company corrupts good morals, when people cause us to gossip, and people use us for their convenience.

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What is life after high school like?

Brian Kissinger had the opportunity to chat with the graduated seniors of the conference. He asked about what they were excited about, as well as some worries they had about this next chapter in their lives.  He reflected on the different types of soils in the parable in Matthew 13. He asked the seniors to reflect on the question, “What is the soil of my heart like?” Is it ready to receive the seeds of the good news of Christ, or is it thorny and not a suitable place for the Word to grow and flourish? In order to prepare their hearts for the good news, so that they are able to defend their faith and be a witness in college, Kissinger offered “Five Ways to Stay Rooted”. They are:

1. Mass and Confession regularly
2. Daily personal prayer, encounter with Christ
3. Faith Community and Accountability
4. Carve out time to serve others
5. Sharing your faith, thrive not just survive, bring others to thriving

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We are blessed to have Archbishop Peter Wells, pictured with his nieces, at the conference this weekend. Originally from the Archdiocese of Tulsa, he serves as the Apostolic Nuncio to Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland.

Archbishop Wells explained that an Apostolic Nuncio is a two-fold job. That, since the Vatican is an independent state, he is an ambassador to Pope Francis on a political level. He also represents Pope Francis to the local bishops, and acts as the mouthpiece between Pope Francis and the local bishops, delivering messages and concerns between the two.

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Near the beginning of today’s men’s session, Jason Evert mentioned a rather staggering statistic – as of today, not one man born in the United States of America has been canonized a saint in the Catholic Church – and he speculates that perhaps it’s because we have been listening to the wrong voices.

According to Vatican II, “When God is forgotten, the creature itself becomes unintelligible.” We need to remember that it is God who reveals us to ourselves, especially through our bodies.

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