This past weekend I participated in a gathering of over 7,000 Catholics at the Anaheim Convention Center.

It began on Thursday with Youth Day. Thousands of high school aged teens gathered, including a bus load from our parish, for workshops and a Mass in the full Arena with Archbishop Gomez.

Then Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were the adult days. They began with morning praise, we then went to three workshops, and days ended with Mass.

Incredible music and beautiful decorations made the praise times and Masses even more moving.

My favorite part of the whole thing was the awesome feeling of being with thousands of Catholics from countries around the world and from around the United States.

The theme of the weekend was Called to Compassion.

I heard stories from people who have lost their home to fire.

I heard stories of a friend who took in a homeless mom and her 6 children.

I ran into priests I’ve worked with over the years and reconnected.

Running into people I haven’t seen in a while and connecting was so great.

I also had inspirational workshops, then great conversations about them with fellow Saint Peter Claver people that also went.

A good person out of the store of goodness in their heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. Luke 6:45

This coming Sunday’s Gospel reading ends with Jesus saying that verse as He is teaching His disciples.

We are His disciple, so He is teaching us too…

I spent 4 days at the Anaheim Convention Center listening to a lot of people and could hear in their words the goodness that must be in their hearts.

I am striving to carry that theme with me – Called to Compassion.

I hope that enables the goodness of God to grow in my heart and to be heard in the words I speak.

Blessings of goodness in your heart!