Taste and See
Dear Friends in Christ,
The refrain of last Sunday’s Responsorial Psalm, “taste and see the goodness of the Lord,” offered the perfect words to help me articulate how I experienced God’s goodness recently at Camp Summit. Each summer, our Diocese hosts Camp Summit at Eagle Bluff in Lanesboro, MN. Camp Summit is a Catholic Adventure Camp for 6-8th graders and has wonderful leadership opportunities for 9-12th graders.
I would like to use Psalm 34:6-7 to help me share about the many ways I tasted the goodness of God at Camp last week with our seven middle school campers and eight high schoolers:
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy. Our young people at camp were SO joyful, especially the 8 youth that went with our St. John’s group as high school leaders. They were so free to be themselves - the goofy, silly, unique, fun, holy men and women they were created to be! That freedom brought with it such joy, and I pray these young leaders will have the fortitude to keep living out that joy here at home.
And your faces may not blush with shame. At camp we had not one, but two nights of Eucharistic Adoration with the opportunity for Confession. It was such a privilege to sit before Jesus and then watch as middle and high schoolers came back from Confession with smiling faces, tears of release, embracing each other in hugs as they experienced the mercy and love of Christ through the Sacrament of Confession!
When the afflicted man called out, the LORD heard, And from all his distress he saved him. While the joy of the young people was so palpable, so were the wounds and challenges they carry. I wish our youth could be spared anxiety, comparison, self-doubt, injustices, and so many other burdens, but they are not. However, it was so clear that the youth were willing to offer their afflictions, their own sufferings, to Christ. Whether it was during the Offertory at Mass, which we got to celebrate each day, where they offered their afflictions to God, or whether it was overcoming distress and gaining confidence on the high ropes course during our daytime activities. These young people overcame some of their challenges and learned to trust each other and Christ.
It was such a gift to witness all of this and to see friendships grow amongst our youth. The theme of Camp was “Follow Me Out of the Boat.” I want to keep following our young people; they are such witnesses for me, and all of us!
In Christ,
Megan Rodriguez
Formation Director