NCDVD Convention Officially Over

OK - now I'm a 'better trained' vocation director after three days here in Denver. Aside from the 'business meetings' and a few workshops that weren't too helpful, it was really three great days of prayer, training and developing relationships that will keep me joyful in vocation ministry. Tonight before the final banquet we had Mass with Archbishop Chaput of Denver. He gave a great homily (sad I didn't ask him to record it so I could put it on kckvocations.com) and then I got a chance to meet him briefly at the reception. He is from Concordia Kansas not that far from where I grew up. Probably the most fruitful thing of the week was learning how not to just challenge young men to respond to the Church's objective and legitimate need for good and holy priests, but to actually help them to deepen their conversation and friendship with Jesus, and to allow Him to do the calling by getting guys to open up their lives to Him more deeply. This is hard and scary for me, but I hope to have gained some tools for helping with this. Of course, the challenge is always to grow deeper in intimacy with Christ yourself so that you can lead others to where you are. I am grateful for this chance to learn and to pray and am eager to return to the Archdiocese tomorrow. Go Angels - beat the Red Sox (they're losing as I post this!) I'm only an Angels fan because my dear friends the Larsons have moved this year from KC to LA and are big Angels fans! amdg +m