Recently I had the incredible grace to attend the March for Life in Washington, DC with 700 youth from across my Diocese. We were 12 buses traveling 25 hours to DC!
The ride up and ride back was probably one of the most memorable parts because it was there that we really became a community and family, from the restroom stops, to sleeping on the bus floor, to “technology free zones” we went through it all. The most common phrase we heard on our bus—which I think was the essence of the trip—was:
“What are we doing? … Saving Babies! How are we doing it? … Prayer and Sacrifice!”
With all of these experiences on the ride home we each had an opportunity to give a brief testimony of our experience. These testimonies were already emotional. The fact that we were 50 girls, 2 seminarians, and a priest helped. And then our chaplain walked to the microphone with tears in his eyes. He looked at us with love and said: “I have been praying during this trip to understand what it means to be a priest—to be a Father, and I couldn't have been placed on a better bus! Girls, never let anyone tell you that you aren't beautiful, it doesn't matter what you wear, you are beautiful. You are so loved. I love you! The Church loves you! The Holy Father loves you! You are my brides and I would die for you!”
At this point everyone began to cry with him. For that moment we all felt beautiful and loved. It reminded me of the passage of the rich young man when it says: “Jesus looked at him and loved him.” The look of love, it consumes your entire being.
This is what the priesthood is about, being another Christ; giving that look of love to so many souls. I think we all have trouble at times accepting Christ’s love, when we see our lives and all we have done, but it isn't until we allow his love to penetrate our hearts that we are able to change ourselves to become souls after his own heart.
By Brooke Bethea
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