To the God Who Makes My Youth Happy
Hello, my name is Matthew Bare, and I have been a parishioner at St. Max my whole life. I am blessed to be involved in youth ministry (here, at Bergamo, and St. Ignatius), altar serving, Exodus 90, and the Newman Center at Miami University. Many of my friends and I are in a period of vocational discernment, which is what I’d like to discuss today.
“Rejoice, young man, while you are young, and make the most of the days of your youth” (Ecclesiastes 11:9). The value in being single is often overlooked, but it gives Catholic youth the opportunity to focus on growing in virtue and relationship with Christ. Spending time in masses, adoration, and youth groups are just a few ways God has helped me grow into the person He wants me to be. While I am far from perfect, the Lord works on us best when we cooperate with his grace, or as a priest once said, “God can’t drive a parked car. Move!”. Visit religious communities if you think you are called there, and if you think God is calling you to family life, take your romantic relationships seriously. Ask God to help you wherever you are right now.
“I will cleanse you from all your impurities, and from all your idols I will cleanse you” (Ezekiel 36:25). Purity is an extremely important virtue. Young people everywhere struggle with purity, due in no small part to the instant gratification culture we live in. While self-denial is scoffed at, we as Catholics must practice taking up our cross daily and following Him (Luke 9:23), something I have been blessed to learn better through Exodus 90. Exodus taught me the value of being 100% honest with God, which pointed me to this area as somewhere He wanted me to work on. I recommend anyone struggling with purity to talk to your friends. If your friends aren’t taking this battle seriously, I challenge you to make better friends that will help you be honest in your Catholic faith. Bringing our struggles into the light helps us to see more clearly where God is calling us to holiness.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry… Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6:25-27). I hear some Catholics my age constantly worrying, reevaluating, over-discerning, and agonizing over what God is calling them to do. What I have noticed is, God can call us to make decisions amidst uncertainty to help grow our trust in Him. God is our Father, and we should ask for His help, but there comes a point where we must make the first step toward “figuring it out”. If we aren’t doing His will, trust me, He usually says so.
In our Gospel this weekend, Jesus reminds us what is most important: “The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. Therefore you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength… and love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:29-31). There are religious communities everywhere looking for new members, and our Archdiocese’s vocation prayer is an excellent reminder to young people. Our culture is in grave need of holy vocations to marriage; parents who serve God above all else.
Young people, pray to God that we may grow into who we must one day be. If you are already practicing your vocation, please pray for us, as God knows how much we need your prayers!
May God grant us His peace and joy.