Hope in Our Youth

Three weeks ago, I began my annual summer trip to Denton, Texas where I work as the Associate Director of Residential Life (aka Dorm Dad) for the Mean Green Debate Workshops. This means I leave the comfort and love of my home to live in a dorm hall at the University of North Texas with about 300 high school debate students for four weeks. In addition to the discomforts of living in college dorm room, I still have to find time to pray and attend Mass.

This is not always easy to work around my ever evolving, "on-call" schedule. Nevertheless, the MGW staff has always been great about accommodating my need to attend Sunday Mass. This year it has meant attending the 8:30AM Mass at Immaculate Conception here in Denton. My close friends and family know I am not a morning person. This has not been easy, especially after serving the late night duty the nigh before.

What has motivated (and necessitated) me to attend the early Mass has been a few of the campers who have asked to be taken to Mass during the brief "free" time they have on Sunday mornings. Most of the other campers sleep in, do laundry or meet family for breakfast at the local IHOP. I have been pleasantly surprised and genuinely impressed that these students are committed to attending Mass even though their parents aren't here to make them. This tells me, at some level, these kids get the meaning of the Mass. It also tells me that that their parents have instilled in them a love and appreciation for the Liturgy and the Eucharist. Most of all, it gives me hope.