Saskatoon

Thanks to your prayers, it seems that the young adult retreat in Saskatoon went well. Of course it is easy to teach a bunch of people who want to learn.
One of the themes that kept coming up was humility, not humility as a "virtue," as though someone who is humble would know it. Rather, in conversations, confessions and at various points throughout the talks, I found myself encouraging the young people to own their weaknesses and accept their dependence on God's Grace, especially as it comes to us through others. Christianity is a group activity. None of us have the talents nor the strength to make it on our own. Successful Christian living, which just means life as a healthy human being, is not possible without the help of others, without the saints--living and departed.
When we own our weaknesses, instead of blaming others or excusing ourselves, we can then call out to God and His Holy Ones for help. Tears at our brokenness and the brokenness of our relationships and the pain we cause ourselves and others draws the Grace of the Holy Spirit which begins to work meekness in our souls. A meek heart is a soft heart, a pliable heart, a teachable spirit, a mind willing to change, repentance. Then we can learn and grow, but humility is key. We cannot learn what we think we already know. We cannot grow when someone else has the problem. We cannot share in the Life in Christ if we do not need the body. How can the foot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you'? Of course I can't make it on my own, and accepting this is the first step toward humility.