What follows is a post that i actually wrote last week. Due to a series of events, I wasn't able to get to posting it until now. So, enjoy my time-machine with a blast to last week when World Youth Day was in full swing in Sydney, Australia.
Great times are being had in Australia. And Dan and I have been wistfully reliving some of our good times we had down under when we visited years ago. If only we were there to see the Pope! That would've made it even better.
My friend Tim is live blogging the event for the National Catholic Register. In today's post, Tim posted some great pics of folks even I know from Minnesota! What I love about these pics are the youthful, attractive faces of vowed religious and ordained priests who live chaste, simple lives for God and His children. This is the face of the Church. Not a dry, withery, down-in-the-mouth kind of Church that some imagine.
I remember a time, a number of years ago I brought a friend of mine to work with me where she met my co-workers. She was young (eighteen at the time) and really kinda cute. After she left, I mentioned to one of said co-workers that she was entering a convent. He just about hit the roof. (Rebecca, Janie and Mark: it was Steve. Are you surprised?)
"You mean people still do that???" And, "But she's cute!?!" He was stunned. His bewilderment took me by surprise. But I guess most people think of religious as quaint and as outdated as the Sound of Music.
Then there was another time, years ago again, when I was sharing some pictures with a friend of mine. I was showing him who was who and what we were doing, etc. I mentioned that one of the friends in my picture had just consecrated herself as a lay consecrated (they take all the vows of a religious, and live in community, but are still considered laypeople according to Canon Law).
"Oh, yeah. I could see that. She looks like a nun."
What the heck does that mean????? Because the picture wasn't flattering? I assured him that she really was cute. He just nodded. Sure, then why is she running away to the nunnery, is what he was thinking.
I remember a time, a number of years ago I brought a friend of mine to work with me where she met my co-workers. She was young (eighteen at the time) and really kinda cute. After she left, I mentioned to one of said co-workers that she was entering a convent. He just about hit the roof. (Rebecca, Janie and Mark: it was Steve. Are you surprised?)"You mean people still do that???" And, "But she's cute!?!" He was stunned. His bewilderment took me by surprise. But I guess most people think of religious as quaint and as outdated as the Sound of Music.
Then there was another time, years ago again, when I was sharing some pictures with a friend of mine. I was showing him who was who and what we were doing, etc. I mentioned that one of the friends in my picture had just consecrated herself as a lay consecrated (they take all the vows of a religious, and live in community, but are still considered laypeople according to Canon Law)."Oh, yeah. I could see that. She looks like a nun."
What the heck does that mean????? Because the picture wasn't flattering? I assured him that she really was cute. He just nodded. Sure, then why is she running away to the nunnery, is what he was thinking.
So, when I see these wonderful faces who are joyfully living their vows of celibacy, poverty and obedience to Christ and His Church, I am thankful that more and more people are getting to see this face of Christ.
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