can I get a hey-o?

Hey-o!

So, I skipped out early on work today...I was only there for 2.5 hours. IN MY DEFENSE...I worked 35 hours between Friday 5 p.m. and Monday morning, so there. And I am still in physical pain from this weekend. But it's all ok. Why, because I got the power of Jesus. Yep...that's right. Jesus.

Still reading? I'm impressed. After all, religion, especially personal witness stories are something our society tends to look away from out of embarrassment or disinterest. And, I'm pretty much the same. Unless it's one of my teenagers talking, I'm not big on searching out people's personal testimonies about their relationship with Christ.

But this weekend was great and I need to write about it because I want to preserve a bit of it. The retreat this weekend, Youth 2000, was good. It was a bunch of really intense Catholic stuff. But the important thing is that some of the kids who attended truly felt Jesus present with us and it changed their lives.

They feel the purpose they have now in this world. They know it's not just a bunch of mumbo jumbo. I don't know how many people read this blog, and it doesn't really matter, but I'm sure some people who read it think religion is ridiculous and Catholicism is the root of all the world's evil.

Not true.

Religion/Faith is good. It's the people who sin and screw it up. Ok, not all religion is good. Obviously cults can be dangerous. But, that's again dependent on the people who practice the faith. The Catholic faith, truly followed and explained, is beautiful. Over the past five years as I've gotten to know the faith and not just the stereotypes I have been able to see that. And there are a lot of incorrect stereotypes and a LOT of misconceptions, even among us Catholics about our faith.

So, seeing 250-300 high school kids being able to be in a positive experience with their faith is powerful.

But, sitting on a gym floor for 10 hours or kneeling on that same floor for six or seven hours over the course of a day does nothing to my body but remind me how old I'm getting. I feel 70 years old today. MAN, I'm creaking and cracking, and aching and pills are doing nothing.

It's funny, even as I type this entry I'm censoring because I'm worried about what people will think of me after reading it. Will they dismiss me as another lunatic Jesus freak? If we're friends will that relationship begin to diminish?

It's interesting how typing this and publishing it into the great void that it the internet can have the potential for a profound effect...or none whatsoever. But, the effect I saw this weekend of those students being able to see their faith as the most important things in their lives was beautiful.

After all...at it's absolute simplest Catholicism is about love. Jesus taught us to love God and love one another. Love is the meaning of life. Love is beautiful. Love is not simple, though. But from love comes peace. And peace is beautiful.

The world has never truly given peace a chance. All those who throughout history have preached love and peace have been killed because there are those who feel it is a dangerous message. It's not dangerous, but it is radical.

Love and peace are also counter-cultural. We are taught by advertising and etc. that our goal is to be selfish and listen to what everyone else is doing. What is important is the exact opposite. We need to reach out to one another. To truly have neighbors. To know the people in our lives. To love them. Not like. Not tolerate, but LOVE. Love our friends, love our neighbors, but even more importantly - love those who are different from us. It is easy to love those who love you back. But what about those who are different from us? It is more difficult and more necessary.

LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

What a beautiful concept.