“I Am” and “Who am I?”
By Kathy Russell, Director of Youth Ministry
December 21, 2025
“Beloved of God, called to be holy, Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
~Rom 1:7
The weekend of November 20-23 was the weekend of the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) in Indianapolis, IN, where Melissa Kato (Bl. Sacrament YM) and I had the privilege of celebrating our Catholic faith with 12 teens from the Midland area along with 16,000 teens and chaperones from across the country! This was my 13th NCYC that I attended with the youth, but it was a 1st to be joined by our Holy Father, even if not in person, with a live address to the youth!
This year the theme, “I Am”, comes from Exodus 3:14 where God reveals himself to Moses in the burning bush. God has a mission for Moses… “I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” But what was Moses reply to God… “Who am I…that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” ~Exodus 3:10-11. How many times have I (we) said to God, Who am I…I am not qualified, I don’t know enough, no one will listen to me? That was pretty much my answer when my teenage daughter challenged me to be the youth minister here at Assumption 20+ years ago. NCYC helped to prepare and give the youth the courage to say yes to God through prayer, dynamic speakers, Adoration, and the sacraments of reconciliation and Eucharist.
In the 20+ years I have been involved in Youth Ministry, I have heard countless times that our youth are the future of the church. Pope Leo told the youth, “You are not only the future of the Church, you are the present. Your voices, your ideas, your faith matter right now, and the Church needs you.” This is true, not only for the youth, but for all of us. Pope Leo also said, “If you want to help the Church prepare for the future, start by being involved today. Stay connected to your parish, attend Sunday Mass, join youth (parish) activities and say yes to opportunities … where your faith can grow.”
Here are a few practices the youth, and all, are encouraged to embrace…
- Prayer: Keep ATIT! Acknowledge God the Father and thank Him for the person you are praying with or for. Trust Jesus with the petition. Intercede by calling on the Holy Spirit. Thank God for the time of prayer.
- Community: We are not alone! Pope Leo spoke on friendship, “A real friend is someone who helps you grow closer to Jesus, someone who encourages you to become a better person.” Friendships rooted in faith and rooted in love for Jesus is important. At Eucharist we belong to a “common union”… the Body of Christ.
- Share: This is our “Yes.” Faith is not just believing…faith is believing, accepting the truth God revealed, and it requires a response. Pope Leo said, “One great way to build up the Church is by sharing your faith, teaching the faith to others, helping others who need you.”
I would like to thank our Assumption family for your support for our youth. NCYC can truly be a “transforming” experience for those who go. Please read the testimonies of the 12 young people who participated in NCYC and how they were “transformed”.
“Now is the time to dream big, be open to what God can do through your lives,” said Pope Leo.
“Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!… Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel…God is with us.”
~Is 7:11,14, ~Mt 1:23
This Christmas season I invite you to open your hearts to “Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.”
Have a blessed Christmas,
Kathy