In my last parish, we started a youth group for high school students that met once a week. We had a lot of fun on many of those nights! We mostly did fun, social stuff but also included some serious nights. Our first meeting was Fear Factor – we were outside doing games and stunts like you might see on the show. It was a blast! People were running around yelling, hooting, and hollering…ok, so I was yelling, hooting, and hollering (“woo hoo”), getting in water fights…you know, the usual stuff a priest does! At one point, my pastor had to remind me that I was not one of the teens…oops. I had a lot of fun with those teens and I look forward to having a lot of fun with you all.
As I said, we did mostly social nights but also included some serious stuff. Once a month, we did Eucharistic Adoration in the Church. Almost all of our teens did not know what Adoration is; Adoration is when the Eucharist is brought out from the tabernacle and exposed on the altar for people to worship…to adore. It means being in the Real Presence of Christ. It is AWESOME! Now, at first, it was bit intense for the kids, but they were very intrigued by it. They began to fall in love with Adoration. There was a stretch there when they were coming out more for Adoration than the fun stuff! I’ll finish with a cool story about one of our teen’s experience in Adoration.
It is within the context of Adoration that I most often consider the question Jesus poses to the disciples in tonight’s Gospel: “who do people say that I am?” We can picture ourselves sitting here in front of the Eucharist talking to Christ, and he asks us this very question in regards to the Eucharist. “Who do people say that I am (in the Eucharist)?” We could answer, ‘some say a symbol, others a representation, still others a piece of bread only’. This would be accurate because most Christians say this. And, it’s not just non-Catholic Christians (Protestants) who say this. A study from years ago found that 70% of Catholics believe that the Eucharist is just a symbol. 70%. I think that the 70% don’t believe in the Eucharist because they don’t know the teaching. They don’t know John 6 where Jesus teaches about the Eucharist, they don’t know that that “this is my body” means this is my body. We really don’t hear the teaching much at all in homilies, in school, or at home. One of the biggest reasons I became a priest is to teach the 70% as I have been taught. As I indicated last week, I used to be among the 70%.
So, if we’re sitting there in Adoration having a conversation with our Lord just as the disciples were, He could ask us the next question: “who do you say that I am (in the Eucharist)?” This is a question I want you all to focus on this year. When you come to Mass and I elevate the Host, hear our Lord asking you, “who do you say that I am?” When you come to Adoration – we have Adoration at the Newman Center every Wednesday from 8-10 pm - or come on retreat with us – we’ll do Adoration in a powerful way on retreat – start to work toward an answer like Peter gave, “you are the Christ”. If it is the Body of Christ which we adore and receive at Mass, then we are in the presence of God! If it is Him, then it’s the most amazing gift on earth. We are that close to God…a few feet away in Adoration and actually have Him inside us in Holy Communion. Christ makes Himself present in the Eucharist so that He will be that close to us! He wants to be that close to us, that much a part of our lives, to have that much of a personal relationship with Him. The invitation for us this year is to have a personal relationship with Him in the Eucharist.
Finally, one of the teens from the youth group only came out every once in a while and didn’t seem to be all that into Adoration when he came. He was a nice guy who was very popular with the teens. He had had a very rough couple of years because his father died suddenly the year before he started high school. He came to Adoration one night and told me afterwards, “Father Greg, during Adoration, I felt the presence of God”. His statement certainly was a pleasant surprise. But, the look on his face was pure joy. I had never seen this kid look so happy! It was a turning point for him; he is now a leader in the youth group and a great one at that. This is one of the major points about the Eucharist: it brings us into the Presence of Christ which is where we find true peace, joy, happiness, and love. This is what I want all of you to experience this year. Through the Eucharist, may you know the peace and joy of Christ. May you know His love. May each and every one of you know God’s love this year.
1 comment:
27-17: Ouch.
Movin' on to the best of the best way to spend time - Adoration. Christ truly comes alive in silence and offers the most wonderful embrace you'll ever find. Give it a try. Adoration is truly the highlight of my week. Here's a sample.
I kneel and sit, in almost total silence, without interruptions - an incredible treat. I quietly talk to God. The conversation is pretty much one sided - I talk, He listens. I have yet to hear Him loud and clear. Sometimes I feel like shouting really loud, with my hands cupped around my mouth. I want to scream; "Hey God, do you hear me?" ….Silence. "Can you offer me just a wee bit of advice? I'm struggling, struggling to make sense of the mess around me. I'm having a hard time understanding the carrying of the cross stuff." ….Silence. Again, I hear no words. Sometimes I read, write, cry, feel sorry for myself, or listen to the tunes or chants. I offer thanks for what I have, even if I don't understand it. Many times I just sit with Him. I have no ideas or particular thoughts or needs to share. I just sit. My rounded bottom becomes flat. He watches me and I watch Him. Slowly, in the quiet, I'm beginning to realize that Christ doesn't always use words to speak His love. He takes me just as I am, flat bottom and all.
After two years of enjoying His hour, my hands are no longer clenched in tight fists. I still feel like screaming, but I don't. I'm beginning to feel a little more comfortable with the carrying of the cross concept, but, I'll be honest, I don't wake up and say, "Yippee. I get to carry my cross today. Come on, join me, it's fun." I still wait, thinking I'm going to hear Him with the kind of hearing my ears were created for, but to date, no such luck. I'm slowly understanding that His words are spoken through a warm embrace. He is there, with extended arms and open hands. I need only to offer my hands and trust that He'll continue to hold His embrace and guide me through His silent love. I'll be back next week.
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