But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name. John 20:31

As I was watching the New Orleans Saints play in the Monday football game a few weeks ago, I got excited! Not because I am a big Saints fan, or even because it was a great night to watch football. Rather I found myself thinking about the Youth Gathering next summer. The Saints were playing in the Superdome, and I started to think that next summer there will be more saints playing in that building!

For the past two years, the Youth Gathering was held in Orlando. If you attended one or both of them, you know that they were great events.Orlando is set up well to serve the Gathering with a very large convention center for mass gatherings. Although the Spirit was alive in that building, I kept thinking about the days when the mass gatherings were in stadiums. You see, having the mass events in a stadium is a special experience. It is so amazing to be part of so many thousands of people. It is so great to be in the stands and look to the left, to the right, look up, look down, and see so many people praising and worshiping Jesus! It seems that the youth and even the adults thrive off of each other and we really become one together in Christ.

It is also an amazing thing to be in a stadium where so many significant events have taken place. Being a sports fan, it is so neat for me to be praising my Lord in a place where National Championship games and Super Bowls have been played. But, more importantly, the Superdome was a place that served as a refuge, as well as a place of devastation, during Hurricane Katrina (this is something that you will hear more about during the Sunday night Mass Event).

It is a pleasure that we have a place where so many of God’s saints will be able to praise Jesus!  I hope you are excited! I hope that as you watch the New Orleans Saints do some amazing things in the Superdome, you also imagine the amazing thing God is going to do with His saints in July!  Blessings as you continue on the Road to the Gathering!