Matt Maher - LIVE!

Friday night most of my family, along with a healthy dose of my daughter's youth group friends and Espiritu Santo Lifeteen band members, trekked to St. Raphael's Catholic Church for a wonderful outdoor concert featuring my favorite Christian artist, Matt Maher, along with his mentor and fellow musician Tom Booth.

Matt and Tom on stage

They tailored their performance to be more contemplative and prayerful in honor of the Lenten season. These two very talented musicians, with only guitars and microphones at the ready, touched us with their words and music. They shared stories of their lives and offered numerous prayerful moments.

It was a wonderful night of music.

Cathy and Dea

To only add to the night was the ability to share it with some of the great friends and truly wonderful people that we have come to know and love at Espiritu Santo. I got to speak at length, for the first time, with Cathy, the leader of our Lifeteen band, only to find we had a lot in common. She is a beautiful person inside and out. We laughed a lot and were grateful for the faith community of which we had become a part.

The girls having fun

We marveled at how blessed we were to have such wonderful children who have so peacefully and willingly embraced their faith. We realized that it was beyond our own doing, but instead that of the Holy Spirit, which ignites the fires of faith within them. We are merely tenders of the fire, stoking it with example and direction and prayer.

Seeing my daughter, DC, with her friends, Tiffany, Mary, Kelli, the Larame's, among others... it was very touching. It reminded me when I was with my youth group as a teen, full of life and hope and ambition and a faith that was so incredibly pure. I envied her a bit.

As the songs played, Dea and I, arms wrapped around each other, stood behind the teens near the stage, singing loudly to the wonderful songs being performed.

My sister Mary, who had known Matt M. for years (as he roomed with her son, Matt Smith, for quite some time), had all of us make signs to hold up during the concert so he would know we were there. My son Gabe was right up front, waving signs along with his cousin Chaz. Other family members with signs were scattered about the crowd. Mary also had her son text message Matt M to give him a heads up that we would be attending. When he saw the signs he smiled and acknowledged us in the audience. The kids loved that!

Cathy's daughter, Tiffany, a serious Matt Maher fan, tried to convince me that I had adopted her so I could give her permission to marry Matt. She is such a funny, vibrant kid! She joked all night calling me Dad and saying she was Tiffany Bauer. She made me laugh quite a few times.

After the music and prayers Matt M and Tom were available to sign autographs, take pictures and sell CDs. Once the crowds had thinned out we made our way over to see Matt. I was touched that he remembered me (at Matt Smith's bachelor party I gave Matt M $50 because I had received copies of three of his CDs). When I saw him I jokingly told him I overpaid and wanted $5 bucks back.

Matt stiffing me the

$5.oo he owes me :)

He was very gracious and humble, as always, shaking hands and taking pictures with our youth group from Espiritu. It was a brief visit, but it was great to see him again. He is such a talented person! He is truly gifted and his music inspires me like no other. I am so impressed by his ability.

Matt and the ecstatic Tiffany "Bauer"

It was a nice end to an otherwise emotional day. We all left with our spirits renewed, our faith strengthened and our appreciation for the gifts we have been given amplified.

A fun, fun night.