Youth and Young Adult Advent

Intermountain Catholic

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SALT LAKE CITY — The Most Rev. John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake City, celebrated an Advent Mass for youth and young adults at Saint Catherine of Siena/Newman Center on Dec. 10. Concelebrating the Mass was Monsignor M. Francis Mannion, pastor emeritus of Saint Vincent de Paul Parish.

The gathering was organized by Samantha Almanza, director of the diocesan Youth and Young Adult Ministry, and hosted by the Newman Center.

"I thought it would be a good time for us to gather in a relaxed mode and celebrate what Advent is really about," Almanza said.

The Mass was celebrated on the day between the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

"The bishop has a strong devotion to the Blessed Mother, so we wanted to honor that and invite the young adults into that devotion if they’re not currently on board with that," said Jon Dalton, campus minister, adding that he believes that having the bishop celebrate Mass at the Newman Center "sparks excitement in the students; it makes them feel cared about by the larger church and gives them the chance to meet other young adults."

The feeling of belonging was a key point in Bishop Wester’s homily, which was drawn from the Gospel reading about the shepherd who leaves behind 99 sheep to find the one that was lost.

The people who originally heard Jesus’ preaching would have laughed because they would know that a shepherd wouldn’t leave the flock to find one sheep, but "he was bringing good news to those who heard his word … because they knew in their lives that nobody cared about them. They were lost. They were like that one sheep. … Jesus was saying ‘My Heavenly Father wants you to know that he loves you and that he is with you, and you have worth."

A wonderful reflection for Advent is to consider "what part of me is lost?" Bishop Wester said. Alternately, the question to ask could be whether there is "someone in your life that you have ignored or pushed aside," he said. "You and I are called to follow the example of Jesus the Good Shepherd, and to search out that which is lost and to give affirmation and to give grace and to give standing to that part of me or to that other person that for whatever reason got lost somewhere in the shuffle."

That message struck a chord with Kevin Priest, a member of the Newman Center who was confirmed last Easter. "The most poignant thing [in Bishop Wester’s homily] was all should be affirming of one another and that God wants to find us,’ Priest said.