Youth Sunday

By Clare Reid, Senior at St. Columba's

This past Sunday, I had the privilege of giving the Youth Sunday homily at my church. For a long time a few days before, I sat on my bed with a blank Word document in front of me, trying to figure out what to write. What do you say to a group of people who have supported you your entire life? My church has shaped my faith in ways I never could have imagined, and I didn't want to just preach to them about the lessons and the Gospel. I wanted to tell them about the amazing journey that I've been on with them. Because of my church, I've been given so much direction in my life. So I decided to take the time I was given and thank everyone. Looking out on all the faces in the congregation, I had this amazing sense of calm wash over me. I felt secure and at home, and it really hit home for me how much this group of people had affected me. I had known that it was a huge part of my life, but in that moment, the impact of that community was made very real to me. I love my church community more than anything, and it will be so hard to leave it. Even though I'm not going very far away, I'll miss my community, and being able to see my friends from EYC every Sunday night. But the lessons that the people in my church have given me will go with me to college, and I'll always be able to carry them with me. I'm so thankful for the gift that God has given me in my church community, and most of all, I'm thankful that the church community has given me my faith.