Two observations

I’ve always been a “people watcher,” being fascinated with the way and manner in which people interact with one another. As might be expected, the World Youth Day pilgrimage has offered much opportunity to watch people.

I’ve been particularly struck thus far by the group of boys that have come (perhaps because I’ve been with them more than with the girls, but maybe not). What I’ve noticed is how very easily a group of boys – and, presumably men, too, though I’ve not quite noticed it yet (I will be watching) – forms a society among themselves. It almost happens automatically without any real thought being given to it.

I noticed this especially when it comes to the switching of seats in vehicles so that everyone has a chance to sit in the most uncomfortable seat rather than relegating it to any one person.

Leaders and organizers arise almost instantaneously from within the group and workers, too.

On one seems to question the society which emerges because as it emerges each boy seems to find his role in the group without really even searching for it or clamoring for it.

I’ll just chalk this one up as another difference between the sexes.

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Driving last night from Waimea Bay to Waikiki the boys in my vehicle and I had a very good discussion about a great number of topics of faith, ranging from exorcism to sin to heaven and hell to priesthood to faith itself and the role it should have in life.

What especially struck me is that they wanted to turn the radio down rather low in order to partake in the discussion. The Holy Spirit surely animated that part of the drive on the Kamehameha highway.

It simply proved what I’ve been suggesting all along: the youth are yearning and hungering for solid spiritual food, for people who will honestly present to them the Church’s teaching and the faith of Jesus Christ, for people who sincerely believe what they say. It is as Pope Benedict XVI has said: they hunger for the simple faith that reveals the purpose and meaning to life.

The fields are ripe for the sowing. The soil of their hearts is more than ready to take in the Word of God but they need someone to present it to them.

They also need to be separated a bit from their ordinary life to muster up the courage to toss aside the “cool” image and speak of the desires of their souls. When they do they listen and absorb well.