The Voice of Truth
My apologies for the long absence!
I spent this past weekend with an enthusiastic group of young Catholics from a number of colleges in this region, including about 15 from Loyola University. These were students who are part of, or who are considering starting, a chapter of the organization "Compass" on their campuses. I have been involved with the Compass chapter here at Loyola for the past two years, and it has been a privilege to journey with these young Catholics who are so enthusiastic about their Catholic faith. This weekend's conference, called "the voice of truth" after a popular Christian song was a celebration of that spirit. We "adults" joined some fifty college students, gathering in fellowship, prayer, liturgy and a good dose of just good, clean fun. I already wrote my love letter to my students in my America magazine article of last September entitled "Gen-Y and Catholic," and as our numbers grow I continue to be even more impressed with how they love one another and how they increasingly make fruitful contributions to the spiritual life of the University. They have truly become the kind of collaborators in our University's Catholic mission that we hoped they might be. They challenge all of us to be better and more committed by their enthusiasm!
One of the other graces of this weekend's gathering was the opportunity to meet and collaborate with others who are involved in this ministry. Compass is an apostolate of Regnum Christi and thus connected with the Legionaries of Christ. Thus, at Compass gathering such as this one, there is normally a L.C. priest present. This weekend was no exception. Indeed, of the "older" adults present this weekend were myself and two Jesuit priests from Loyola, a lay member of our university ministry team, a diocesan priest from Texas, a layman from the Diocese of Galveston-Houston, and the aforementioned LC priest. What a grace it was to see this diverse group of priests, religious and lay people, many of whom, let's face it, might not have anything to do with each other otherwise, working and praying together, supporting and ministering to these young men and women who need to see the witness of a Church unified, not divided as it too often is.
What a great witness of how fostering the Church of the future, represented by these young people can be an opportunity for engendering unity rather than a battleground to perpetuate divisions. I pray that we all in our humility and love of Christ can continue to foster such opportunities.
For doesn't the "voice of truth" say that we should be collaborators and brothers and sisters in the service of Christ, rather than rivals in the service of ideologies or agendas.
May we continue to come closer to answering Christ's prayer that all his disciples be one, just as he and the Father are one!
I spent this past weekend with an enthusiastic group of young Catholics from a number of colleges in this region, including about 15 from Loyola University. These were students who are part of, or who are considering starting, a chapter of the organization "Compass" on their campuses. I have been involved with the Compass chapter here at Loyola for the past two years, and it has been a privilege to journey with these young Catholics who are so enthusiastic about their Catholic faith. This weekend's conference, called "the voice of truth" after a popular Christian song was a celebration of that spirit. We "adults" joined some fifty college students, gathering in fellowship, prayer, liturgy and a good dose of just good, clean fun. I already wrote my love letter to my students in my America magazine article of last September entitled "Gen-Y and Catholic," and as our numbers grow I continue to be even more impressed with how they love one another and how they increasingly make fruitful contributions to the spiritual life of the University. They have truly become the kind of collaborators in our University's Catholic mission that we hoped they might be. They challenge all of us to be better and more committed by their enthusiasm!
One of the other graces of this weekend's gathering was the opportunity to meet and collaborate with others who are involved in this ministry. Compass is an apostolate of Regnum Christi and thus connected with the Legionaries of Christ. Thus, at Compass gathering such as this one, there is normally a L.C. priest present. This weekend was no exception. Indeed, of the "older" adults present this weekend were myself and two Jesuit priests from Loyola, a lay member of our university ministry team, a diocesan priest from Texas, a layman from the Diocese of Galveston-Houston, and the aforementioned LC priest. What a grace it was to see this diverse group of priests, religious and lay people, many of whom, let's face it, might not have anything to do with each other otherwise, working and praying together, supporting and ministering to these young men and women who need to see the witness of a Church unified, not divided as it too often is.
What a great witness of how fostering the Church of the future, represented by these young people can be an opportunity for engendering unity rather than a battleground to perpetuate divisions. I pray that we all in our humility and love of Christ can continue to foster such opportunities.
For doesn't the "voice of truth" say that we should be collaborators and brothers and sisters in the service of Christ, rather than rivals in the service of ideologies or agendas.
May we continue to come closer to answering Christ's prayer that all his disciples be one, just as he and the Father are one!
posted by Mark Mossa, SJ at 12:09 AM
1 Comments:
Welcome back to the world of blogging! Thanks for the reflections on the weekend -- was great to meet you, as I mentioned on my blog. From the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston ... ;-)
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