THE FOLLOWING IS AN EMAIL OF MY REFLECTIONS THAT I SENT TO JESUS YOUTH OF AMERICA
ABOUT THE KAIROS CONFERENCE HELD JULY 5-8 HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.
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Dear Saints of God in Jesus Youth,
I finally found sometime to sit down and write about my experience with Kairos.
First of all, I would like to say that again I have been inspired to live more fully
my Christian and Catholic faith. I'm very glad that the Lord put it on my heart to go
to Kairos. I was blessed tremendously.
There are three things that I can say really had an positive impact on my life from
Kairos.
1. The people
2. What the Lord specifically showed me and spoke to me about.
3. The solid and informative teaching.
1. As with every conference I have been to with Jesus Youth,it is the people involve
that really touch my life. I am continually impressed with the depth of faith and
love of the people I meet. It was a very beautiful sight to see families that are
trying to serve the Lord and each individual doing their part. The youth were an
inspiration because I saw that they really wanted to be there and really wanted to
grow in their faith. So many beautiful people who love God and are doing their very
best to live the faith and share the faith with others.
2. The Lord showed me that I haven't been listening to Him in my life and I have not
been putting Him first. The scripture that came to me at Kairos was "You have ears
but do not hear, you have eyes but do not see." When God speaks to me many times I
don't want to listen. And when I don't understand what the Lord has told me I don't
seek to understand more. I went to adoration twice to pray about going to Kairos.
The first time I went, the
Lord said "go". I thought about it and all the difficulties associated with it and
decided I didn't want to go. When I went again to adoration the Lord put it on my
heart again, "go". I said I would go if someone else from Minnesota would go with me.
That day a conversation started between a friend of mine and he said he wanted to go.
After making plans and deciding to go he called me several days later and said that
it wouldn't work out for
him. I decide to go and just enjoy the adventure God wanted me to go on.
The Lord has been basically telling me that I need to be in tune with him. I really
liked the email from Sijo on joynet. It confirmed what the Lord has been saying to
me. In truth, sometimes I am afraid to hear from God. What if He asks me to do
something I don't want to do? What if I misunderstand what He has said? What if I do
hear and do understand and do try, but fail? In my life it seems like I have made
fear lord of my life,
instead of Jesus.
Here is a scripture that I happened read when I got back from Kairos:
"You, who wanted no sacrifice and oblation,
opened my ear,
you asked for no holocaust or sacrifice for sin:
then I said, "Here I am! I am coming!"
Psalm 40:6
May God who is just and merciful give me and everyone in JesusYouth that ability to
hear and obey the voice of God.
3. I was very impressed in how many of the speakers were very knowledgeable in the
documents of Vatican II and the encyclicals of the Popes. The talk on sanctity and
holiness was very good. The one talk that really caught my attention was the one
given by Fr. Thomas Tharayil about the Charismatic Renewal. He talked about the need
for structure which would include prayer groups, core group, cells, ministries, and
local and regional service teams. Organization is a way of helping the charismatic
renewal be effective. Here in Minnesota the charismatic renewal is mostly older
people who meet for prayer group and that's all. Through the talk given by Fr.
Thomas, I got a glimpse of a vision in which the charismatic renewal in Minnesota
would once again live out the mission to renewal the church and society.
I really am glad that I went to Kairos. The Lord blessed me greatly. I always enjoy
meeting new friends in the Lord.
God bless you all and keep you. If the Lord puts it on your heart to pray for me, I
would appreciate it. Pray that I would have the gift of courage. Courage to listen
and obey dispite any fears that I might have. Thanks.
Love of Christ,
--
Lukas Stevens
Minnesota
USA
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