In preparation for entering a new chapter of their lives, many graduated seniors tend to struggle with one common task: not only maintaining, but strengthening their faith. As they go off to college and their environment changes, they will discover and gain a great deal of independence, and it is up to them on how they utilize it.

Steve offered a few helpful tips to these seniors on how to keep their fire for God ignited and elevated throughout the next chapter of their lives.

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In the women’s session this morning, Sr. Miriam talked to the girls about experiencing complete freedom by allowing Christ to make them new.

Craving Freedom

We all long for freedom and adventure.  Sr. Miriam saw that sense of freedom one day in the airport in a little three-year-old girl who stopped dead in her tracks to lay down on the floor and make imaginary snow angels.  She was completely free from any fear of judgement or ridicule.  She was totally herself.

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We all have that instinct to want to impress others and maintain our ego; it is simply human nature. We tend to define our worth by our outward appearances or our achievements. In his homily this morning, Fr. Chris Martin challenged us to think differently about our worth. He establishes two very significant points that apply to our approach to sin.

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As Christians, many of us have questioned or been questioned about our faith, especially regarding God’s existence. Those of us who have “come out of the womb with a Rosary in my hand” like Mike Gormley have been taught about the Bible for years and perhaps have not gone to great lengths to question anything. In his case, Mike says, “I was never really taught how to pray, I was taught how to repeat.”

God: the Uncaused Cause

With his love for science, he describes how he began to question his faith in high school as a result of not feeling intellectually honest when saying the Creed in Mass. Mike desired the truth; he wanted to know WHERE evil comes from. He even turned to researching Islam, Judaism, Atheism, and several other philosophies.

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The dorms and hotels sit empty, expecting many high energy teens and chaperones.

The Student Union smells of hot food in preparation for its crowd of exhausted and hungry late night visitors.

The “Q” Arena remains still; awaiting the passionate singing of worship song lyrics, hearts to be touched by the ministry team, countless repetitions of the “Cross Clap” and of course, the pattering of the stadium seats proclaiming “You are My Joy”.

It is the calm before the storm.

This morning at 10am, the excited group of conference staff happily gathered together for the Volunteer Mass to pray for the fourth thousand anxious and faith-filled teens seeking to encounter God in a new way this weekend.

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