Believing and Be-living

On a beautiful sunny Saturday morning, I recently attended a high school youth conference at which the keynote speaker asked a simple question: "Who do you believe in?". With great enthusiasm the group responded: "Jesus!" He continued to ask the question over and over directing it to one side of the auditorium or the other and each time the response got louder and even more enthusiastic than my elder ears could imagine possible as each side of the aisle tried to outdo the other. Then, after the last exchange he challenged them with this simple phrase: "Well, if you say you believin' - you better be-living!". Silence pervaded as the depth of the statement sank in among the youth and adults alike. How easy it is to say I believe and how difficult at time to truly be-living what Jesus calls us to in life. As I looked around at the over 300 teens who had made the journey from all over the NY area to be here early on this Saturday morning-I thought of myself at that age and wondered if I would have been there. I also thought of myself and how I grumped around the kitchen earlier that morning, trying to get a sufficient infusion of caffeine, and thinking: " Why am I doing this so early on a Saturday? I'd love to go back to bed!" Then I looked around again at those youthful faces filled with enthusiam and love for Jesus and I knew why I was there - to see a future for our Church and society - a future filled with hope. As they day went on small and large group presentations continued and the energy level never diminished. As we concluded with Eucharist we sang "We Are The Body of Christ" and the voices of women, men, young, old, black, white, rich, poor , religious and laity were truly a physical expression of our mystical union in Christ. Heading back home I could not help but pray, Lord help my beleiving and may all my be-living be done in You! Amen!