This past weekend I had the awesome experience of going to Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary. A youth minister that I know said that she had some extra money in her budget to bring me along for their annual retreat, Mount 2000. This year’s theme was Seeking the Face of Christ. Now this is a retreat aimed at young adults, but mostly high-schoolers attended. It was not as much of a discernment retreat as I had thought it would be, rather just your typical youth conference. However, my spiritual director, an alumnus, had contacted one of our Archdiocese brothers to show me around. All I can say is that I have never felt more called to be somewhere. The men there made me feel so welcome. They were all like me, granted most of them were a good bit older. I felt that the Lord is really calling me into this more and more. One guy told me that the only bad thing he thought is if you come in with an attitude of conservatism and like to do things the RIGHT way that the Mount wouldn’t really break you of that. Now I don’t at all see how that could be a bad thing. Our seminaries SHOULD rule out any mediocrity and “Spirit of Vatican II” liberalness.

The retreat itself was great except for the music. Now I understand–as was the case when I was only a few years younger– that when having high-schoolers the praise and worship music is a must to grab their attention (unfortunately). I just think that at a seminary they should really be able to differentiate for the youth that Mass is not a concert, but rather the most solemn and prayerful experience that we have. Of course though, the guy that they hired for the music was more of a “lets clap during the Gospel acclamation and the Kyrie and the Lamb of God Kind of guy.” Now when the National Catholic Youth Conference was held here in Atlanta, I thought that it was done very well. There were times for the Praise and worship Concerts, but when it came time for the Mass, it was toned down. They certainly didn’t rewrite the Kyrie as this guy did. As I said though, aside from that it was great. They had nocturnal Adoration; and before they presented the Blessed Sacrament they had a forty-five minute Eucharistic Procession. This was a phenomenal experience. It was just such an awesome feeling to have Jesus right in front of you and moving through the crowds as if He would do when He was on earth teaching. Also we had Mass every day, and Confessions were heard throughout the duration of the retreat. They said that over six thousand confessions were heard.

Now I won’t be there for another three years, I have to finish out my undergrad, but I really do look forward to being there.