Meeting New Friends

Yesterday, I had went to a Christian youth group at my college. It had peeked my interest so I had went, but when I had gotten there it was not what I had expected. I am very much used to “organized” prayer like the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet. I am also accustomed to silent individual prayer like adoration of the blessed sacrament, but what had happened I wasn’t prepared for. It began with a song played on the piano, than a person started to ,out loud, petition and give thanks to God. Another person was doing the same thing in Spanish(She wasn’t translating. I was paying attention). Others were singing, and another person was saying “amen” at any point that inspired him. I was standing in silence, hands clasped together prayer. I thought that It was just a conglomerate of individual prayer, as if they weren’t praying as one, but all doing what came to their heart at the time. It felt awkward. I thought, that in the end, our prayers had just as much power as if we had all prayed alone. I felt that there was praise, but no reverence.

What I had seen though, was a love for God that as Catholics I think we feel embarrassed to show. One girl had referred to God as “daddy”. That one word she said showed such humility, devotion, love, and dependence that just inspires me. She cried out ‘”Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15). They loved God and though there practice wasn’t orthodox, there love was extraordinary. They were inflamed with the love of the Holy Spirit and filled with great zeal.

I had left confused and uncomfortable asking our Blessed Mother whether I should keep going there. I knew that I shouldn’t think them as if they were lower than I was, but I was so troubled that I didn’t know if I wanted to stay. Later that evening after all of my classes were finished I had went back to the room where the group prayer had taken place. I saw the door was open so I walked inside, they welcomed me in and I sat down on the couch in the room. I listened to a conversation that one of students were having, and I was attracted to the fact that they spoke about God with such love in their topic (It was about dating), and I couldn’t help but to enter into the conversation as well. By the time I had to leave I was upset because I had finally found a place where Christ was the center.

It is funny how before that point I was so reluctant to even participate in anything that had to do with other Christian groups, but now I am more open to them. It doesn’t mean that I will not be catholic anymore and just become non-denominational. It means I won’t think of them as outcasts or on the wrong side of the fence, but as brothers and sisters. I feel that as a Catholic I have much to bring to them and share, and I also can learn much from them , and maybe their zeal will rub off on me as well.

Maybe the same feeling comes across with more Catholics than I think. To have the feeling that because we have the fullness of faith, other christian denominations are doing it all wrong, and not even just christian, but all religions and “isms” as well. We should always look to have some sort of dialogue; some kind of unity when it comes to others groups, because when we alienate based on what they believe we become less like christ whom we strive to be. Like christ we must not compromise our faith in an attempt to accept who they are. Rather, know that they are children of God and love them as Christ has loved you, with charity and love, rebukes and blessings.

May God Bless You,

Frantz Jean