Here I Am, Lord

NCYC 2015 is in the books.
What an INCREDIBLE, AWESOME, AMAZING, LIFE-CHANGING experience!

First let me say that this is one of the best groups of young people I have ever taken on a trip. They were completely engaged from the moment we boarded the buses. They were also polite to everyone along the way, kind to each and were totally respectful of our adult chaperones. I am SO proud of this group!

All the keynote speakers were amazing. We learned that being a priest can be VERY cool from Fr. Leo Padalinghug. We heard just how important it is to pray to our Mother Mary from Chris Padgett. We heard about the importance of prayer from Mark Hart and then spent time in front the blessed sacrament while experiencing some awesome music by Matt Maher. 24,000 people sitting in complete silence focusing on Jesus is powerful and an experience that most of the group would say was the highlight of the trip. We learned about Catholic Relief Services from Dr. Carolyn Woo. Then we celebrated mass with 24,000 of our closest friends and watched hundreds of priests come in as part of the procession.

We also traded hats, foam fingers, and clothespins.
We sang.
We danced.
We laughed so much.

I am working on putting together a video about our experience. Once it is done, I will make sure it is posted for all to see. It will also be posted on parish social media and websites.

Now we try and keep this NCYC mountaintop experience alive. How do we do this?
One way is to go to mass. Make sure you attend mass as a family each week. Even if the music isn't always perfect, or the readings don't really apply to you that day, go and be with God. He wants to talk to you! 

Make meal time important. Gather as a family around the table and make sure you begin with prayer.

Encourage your kids to attend youth ministry events. I am offering Bible Study on Wednesday nights at 6:00pm during December. And we will be meeting on Sundays from 6-8 to reflect on the readings and prayers for the season of Advent.

These are just a few ideas. My goal is to also have NCYC "reunions" once a month starting in January. These will be simple events, like movie nights, that will begin with some prayer and reflection. It will be a chance to remember that we all shared something special in Indianapolis and that we need to keep that NCYC flame alive in our hearts so we can share it with our family, school and parish.

Thank you for trusting me to lead the group on this journey. I am humbled by your faith.

Time to get to work!

HERE I AM, LORD.