There seems to be no other age group of humankind that better represents the authentic nature of a sacrament than that of a teenager. A sacrament is essentially an outward sign of an inward grace. Though at times sensationalized or overtly dramatic, the outward appearance of the typical teenager is a clear outward expression of what is "going on" in the innermost intimate aspect of the person, his or her identity. The sacramentality of the teenager has a critical relevance to informing us of the human condition. Even when the typical teenage angst rears its sublime roar, every witnessing adult is reminded that no one can truly conceal the inner turmoil that exists within. This turmoil is the sign of something beyond the sublime to a whole other intangible reality that is often a struggle to express in words. Thus the inner turmoil each of us has experienced. This common human experience points us directly to the spiritual, to the mystical, to the inexplainable. So the teenage expression is truly a beautiful wonderment because mystery becomes real. There is no denying the existence of that which is beyond the physical that is intimately connected to the physical. In other words, there is no denying the divine. So if you interact with a teenager, you cannot avoid encountering the Spirit of God.
