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As I look back on my
experiences at the National Catholic Youth Conference in Columbus,
Ohio last year, I realize I grew from them. During the four day
conference in early November, I went from being doubtful and unsure
of my faith to being aware of and refreshed by the presence of God.
I still feel all of the emotions I had throughout my time down in
the capital city of Ohio.
Prior to
participating in this event, I was vehemently attempting not to
attend. I had been to NCYC 2005 in Atlanta, and only came away with
great memories and a break from school. In the end, however, after
much discussion with my parents and my group leader, Gina Rensi, I
decided to attend.
I never imagined
how necessary this conference was for me. Usually, I take part in
several religious activities throughout the year, such as retreats
and the FEST. This year though, I missed out on many of the
activities because of commitments to my sports teams. Since I never
gained back the opportunities I missed, I lost on times to share
emotions I was having through out the year.
By the conference,
I was at an all time low, but you would never know it on the
outside. I smile all the time, and laugh a lot, because I try to be
alive. On the inside, I was depressed and lonely. I felt like no one
cared about me and my endeavors, and I had no one to share my
accomplishments with. I barely had time to be with friends. It
stunk.
Sometime during the
conference, something deep within me awoke. It might have been at
the start when a reenactment of Noah and the Ark took place, and the
memory of a conference participant who passed away early Thursday
morning was shared. Perhaps it was when Tony Melendez, Fr. Tony
Ricard, and Renee Bondi, our three keynote speakers, came onto the
stage throughout the weekend, sharing their own life experiences and
how they were discovering the way, the truth, and the life of Jesus
in them. Their stories revealed Jesus present in our everyday lives.
Maybe, the awakening occurred
on Saturday afternoon when several of my close friends and I took
part in the sacrament of reconciliation. I cannot begin to express
how emotional that moment in time was. I cried before I was even in
line to speak with the priest. I do know that I could not have gone
through with it without the help of my friends.
So here I sit, remembering the
transformation I had in just four short days. Now, I am rejuvenated
to continue walking my journey along the road of life. I am not
alone because God is always there. Content with how my life is
going, I have begun not to worry so much about what is in store for
me. Rather, I look around me, and see what I have, and I enjoy it.
I am happy, and the words of
Mary Baker Eddy explain my thoughts the best, “Happiness is
spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it
cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it.” As long
as I remember to come to Christ, I will be content for he said, “I
am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” |
