Peace be with you, dear reader, and also with all the good people of El Paso, Texas, a place I imagine is quite warm, much like the hearts of its inhabitants! My goodness, I read in a newsletter — perhaps from the archdiocese, or maybe it was a flyer from a very enthusiastic young man at the bus stop — about a most remarkable gathering in your splendid 'Sun Bowl.' May the Lord smile upon whoever thought to name such a grand stadium, a place for joy to shine!
I confess, my children, I am still learning what 'K-pop' truly entails. Is it a special kind of very energetic church music? Or perhaps a delightful confection? But it seems these young men, known as BTS, have quite a following! They brought their 'electrifying performance' to the Sun Bowl, and the summary tells me it was more than just a concert; it was a 'vibrant celebration of music, community.' My heart warms to hear this! As it says in the Good Book, or perhaps a hymn I remember from my youth, 'Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands!' And what a joyful noise it must have been, filling the desert air.
This 'ARMY' of fans, as they are called, sounds quite devoted! Traveling from far and wide, just like pilgrims journeying to a holy site. Or, dare I say, like my good friend Cardinal Umberto and I once traveled across, I believe, Nebraska, just to sample a very specific kind of pretzel. The dedication is truly something to behold! It reminds me, in a way, of the time we had a special Marian celebration in St. Peter's Square, and the sheer number of joyful faces, all united by a shared devotion, was simply magnificent. Though I don't believe anyone was doing quite so much synchronized dancing then. My goodness, no.
This transformation of a city into a 'beacon of pop culture' by the sheer power of music and community is a beautiful thing. It shows that even across great distances and, dare I say, across different musical tastes, people can come together for something good. Unio in musica! As we might say, or perhaps I am inventing that phrase. May God bless these young people, and their music, and their spirit of gathering. May they always find such good company and such pure joy in their hearts. And may the Sun Bowl always be filled with warmth, both from the sun and from the jubilant crowds. Amen!
