Every once in a while, we get the opportunity to look good when it's not our fault. Others' actions reflect on us and we get compliments because they showed goodness.

This happened to me last week in Louisiana. We stayed at the Days 8 Motel with 133 youth and adults. On Sunday morning the waitress came up to me and said, "I've been working here for six years and this is the best behaved and well mannered group of young people for whom I've had the pleasure of working. They always said, `Thank you,' and `Please.' They were such a great group to have here."

This is exactly what any pastor wants to hear. In fact, it is often the same with parents when their daughter or son spends time at a neighbor's house. The neighbor tells mom or dad what a great child they have. He or she is so well behaved, etc. The parents often gives a blank stare and wonders whether the neighbor knows with whom she is speaking.

Parents are well aware of their children's weaknesses and failures. What can get overlooked are the good sides to a child. Brothers and sister who fight at home can be great when away from home. They look after each other and can be very protective. Like mom and dad, when away from home, they are on their best behavior.

Why is it, that we often act the worst when we are with the people who love us the most? Perhaps we realize that they have to accept us and we take advantage of this. We know the others' weaknesses and take advantage of them. I don't know the complete answer, but so often it is the case.

What we can say today is that our families are doing a very good job. Are our children perfect? Of course not. Is everything just peachy keen? No! But we do live in an imperfect world, filled with imperfect people, making incorrect choices, sinning every day, etc. All in all, with all this going against us, we are making progress.

Our youth were deeply touched by the Holy Spirit this past weekend. Over 100 young people attended the retreat and 15% of them have promised you and me to pray and discern about a religious vocation for the next year. I ask you to keep them in your prayers also. Pray that your son or daughter will receive and recognize a religious vocation if that is God's will for them.

We have a great generation of God's children in our midst. God always raises up great souls for hard times. These days are not the easiest and God will call forth people to accomplish His perfect will. We must nurture these calls, these vocations, to the religious life and to matrimony.

I often ask young couples how they know God has called them to marriage and they look at me as if I'm speaking a strange language [this happens a lot on Sunday mornings also]. Marriage is a vocation not by default (an older thinking) but by the positive call of God. Too many enter marriage because they think they are not called by God to religious life and therefore it must be marriage. Not so. Marriage is a direct invitation from God for one to become a wife or husband for the sake of the Kingdom.