This column is a reflection on material presented in a workshop at NCCYM in Denver, 2002.It originally appeared in Volume 8, Issue III of Seed to Harvest, published by the Office of Religious Formation in Omaha.It is reprinted with permission of the author and workshop presenter.

As we prepare for the National Catholic Youth Conference, I am conscious of how much of my energy goes into the event itself, but challenged by the knowledge that it should be more than just an event.

I have been reflecting on the Transfiguration story in the Gospels and am challenged by many things. First, we read that Jesus did not invite all the disciples to go with him; he took only Peter, James, and John. Why did he not invite everyone? I am not able to answer that, but what I do know is that when we provide mountaintop experiences for young people, those experiences are not always designed for all young people. NCYC is for 9th—12th graders, but not all 9th—12th graders will enjoy or be mature enough to participate in the experience. In short, not everything is for everyone.

On the mountaintop, Peter, James, and John prayed and shared and even slept (unlike some of our programs), and like many experiences we provide for youth, they did not want to see it come to an end. Peter wanted to put up tents, but he soon realized that he could not do so. It is unrealistic to maintain a spiritual high all the time. Doing so can be unhealthy. The challenge in living our faith is back down in the valley.

Though our faith is enlivened by mountaintop experiences, living out the lessons of Jesus daily is what sustains us. The test of faith is more than the “warm fuzzies” that young people feel on the mountaintop. The depth of the experience is more than the tears shed. How they (and we) live day by day off the mountain is the stuff of real life.

Our work with young people does not begin and end with a particular event.
We need to journey up the mountain with them (and their families), and we do this best by:

• Preparing them for the experience: providing orientations, sessions on the theme, community building before the departure, good communication with families.
• Celebrating while on the mountaintop: praying together, sharing, sleeping (Yes! Sleeping!), and building community.
• Integrating them into the community when they come down from the mountaintop.

Often, we are so exhausted upon return that when the last parent picks up the last youth, we breathe a sigh of relief, happy that it is all over. In actuality, things are just beginning. The real work involves:

• Providing follow-up support.
• Offering opportunities for service.
• Participating in the parish community.

The Transfiguration—seeing Jesus in his glory—must have been a memorable moment for Peter, James, and John. My guess is that after the experience they asked themselves, “Now what?” In what direction were they being asked to go?
We need to ask our young people the same question:

“Where is it that God is inviting you to go after the NCYC experience?”

When we take young people on a journey, a journey that prepares them well, celebrates the experience, and helps integrate the experience and lessons into the things of every day life, and when we can be witness to the same preparation, celebration, and integration in our own lives, then we have made the jump from a program to a pilgrimage. The U.S. bishops, in Renewing the Vision (USCC, 1997), would call this empowerment, participation, and growth.