Be bold in your faith!

I just got back from a really neat youth rally.  Put on by the office of vocations (oopsies, typed vAcations first -- maybe they would like that!) and the office of youth ministry in our diocese, and heavily helped out by the youth ministers in the area, it's an annual event, held in a local church, to help foster vocations.

To clarify, a vocation is not necessarily to be a priest or a nun or a brother.  It is what YOU are supposed to do with your life-- so it might be a priest, nun, or brother, but it might also be a wife and mother; or husband and father, or maybe to lead the single life.  It's a really neat opportunity for the youth to get together, share a meal, have some fun, and then break bread together.

They had a really neat speaker tonight -- Emily, who is the youth minister at University of Dayton.  She spoke of going out of your comfort zone and being bold in your faith.  She did a GREAT job!  :)  I loved her talking about standing up for your faith and showing others, through your actions -- that you are Catholic. 

She ended with a great visual.  God gives you all the tools to be a Catholic -- you just have to use them.  She took a glass of milk.  Good.  Then she squirted in some chocolate syrup.  On the outside, the milk was still white milk, and still tasted like white milk.  It wasn't until she physically mixed them and made an effort to make chocolate milk, that it became chocolate.

She compared that to our faith.  We can do all the "right things" -- go to church, be good to our families, etc., but unless we mix in the chocolate syrup (the holy spirit) and make an effort to mix it, our faith will be lacking.  We need to display our faith and show everyone that we believe!

We ended the night with mass, celebrated by Archbishop Schnurr, and assisted by a transitional deacon.  What a wonderful example for the youth to see -- a young guy ready to be ordained, celebrating with them.  Loved it!

I hope you had a great weekend.  I hear warmer weather is in store.  I'm not one to complain about the weather, but lately have been wishing for something a little different -- not so cold!  Hopefully our wishes will come true. 

Have a great week!  :)

Pam