Inspired by other teenagers

When I was eight years old, I remember sitting in church and hearing our youth talking about going to the National Catholic Youth Conference They were so excited and enthusiastic about it. I remember sitting there and saying, "Mom, I wanna go!"

Well, I eventually went, and it was an event that has changed my life and faith in so many ways.

NCYC was a place where you could be free to show your love of God and your Savior. You could go up to someone you'd never met before and introduce yourself without feeling hesitant. You could shout out as loud as you could, "I love God!" and you'd get a bunch of people shouting back, "Me, too!"

It was a place where you weren't judged, taunted or given social restrictions based on anything about yourself. It gave you an amazing sense of comfort when you walked into the arena where over 24,000 Catholic youth were. You couldn't help but smile while looking around, gazing in amazement on what was taking place.

It has given me faith that, despite all the people who could sit in school and make fun of Jesus action figures sold at a novelty store or the girl who carried a Bible in her backpack, and all the people that have and would ever criticize me for what I believed in, there will always be 24,000 and so many more kids who believe exactly what I do and who are going through the same thing I am.

The one thing that impacted my love for God the most would be our Mass at 11:30 p.m. We had gotten back from a busy day walking around and doing everything we could to take in the full NCYC experience. Naturally, all we cared to do was sleep.

I remember becoming disgruntled at the fact that I should be going to bed and knowing I would have to get up at 7:30 in the morning, but I would have to sit through Mass.

Watching people I knew and people I didn't know playing their instruments, reading the Word of God, singing and praying was such an eye-opener because no matter how tired anyone was, God loved us and we could still celebrate His gift of Jesus.

Even I was praying and singing, and listening with open ears to the Bible being read and the homily being spoken.

I remember when I got back to my hotel after 1 a.m., I was upset at the fact I had to get up soon, but I prayed. I prayed my faith would be as strong then as it was at that moment. God has helped me with that prayer even to this day and hopefully for many more to come.

It was almost unbelievable to me that youth could so something so routine, yet so out of the ordinary, at such a late time, while sleep-deprived and tired. It was even more unbelievable I could take all that love for God in from that one hour, while I was begging to go to bed, and have it expand my love for God and Jesus.

That wait since I was eight was definitely worth every second.

(11/11/04)