Speaking Out

If we weren’t family, I don’t think my siblings and I would all be friends. Thankfully, God knows what kind of friends we need.

One evening this past summer, I walked down a set of dark stairs into a candlelit basement. I was with a group of 20 young adults. Eastern icons of Jesus on the cross were placed around the room, representing for me the sacred history of God’s interactions with His people.

If you asked me a few months ago what I thought about prayer, I would have probably said that it was simply a conversation between God and myself. I said my nightly prayer, attended Sunday Mass and threw in a few personal prayer times here and there if I felt like I needed it. My relationship with God was diminishing, and I didn’t even notice.

I fastened a small Miraculous Medal of Mary on a chain hanging around my neck. I quickly tucked it under my shirt.

TORONTO - New Beginnings, an international musical collaboration of mainly youth, is channeling its artistic power to provide homeless families in Haiti with housing and real-life new beginnings.

I am standing at a crossroads in life. Life only gives you a handful of these, so I intend to soak it in while the moment is still here. This year is a particularly special one because the word “last” pops up a lot.

My personal relationship with God has helped me to appreciate and enjoy Mass. But when I was younger, Sunday Mass meant fidgeting around in the seat with my brother and sister while counting down the minutes until the final prayer.

For World Youth Day, my parents and I dropped off two of my brothers and my roommate at the airport. They were on their way to Brazil with a group of four other young people and a chaperone. Watching them all get their bags weighed and tagged brought to mind what Jesus said about packing lightly when He sent out the Twelve: “Do not possess gold, nor silver, nor money in your purses: nor scrip for your journey, nor two coats, nor shoes, nor a staff…” (Matthew 10:9- 10).

Catholic news reports have focussed on World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with the added excitement of Pope Francis presiding over the event for the first time. Catholic youth from around the world have travelled to the city to celebrate while Brazilians prepared to welcome pilgrims into their homes.

For many students, summer days consist of waking up at noon, eating in front of the computer and lounging around with friends. While relaxing is a wonderful and necessary part of life, many young people can easily ascend relaxation into extreme laziness. Summer vacation is time away from things that engulf a young person’s life such as education and after-school routines. These schedule-less days can lead to temptation for many adolescents who are looking to fill a void. This is where faith and your relationship with God come into play.