Last week I had the opportunity to have dinner with a fellow youth minister from another parish. We sat and talked and, naturally, the topic of ministry came up.
I have done some ministry work with this person before, but we have never really had time to get to know each other. As we sat talking about our jobs and our lives, we started to hit on some of the issues that were really important to each of us.
She shared with me that she has a passion for the Catholic Pro-Life movement. She speaks to young people of all ages about the real effects of premarital sex and abortion. This is one of the most challenging topics to address with young people.
I had to find out what gave her the strength and courage to do what she does!
It turns out that she came from a rough background, an unhealthy family environment and few if any faith influences. She converted to Catholicism in her twenties and after having her own children really found a passion for Pro-Life ministry.
I understood that having a family could have given her a direction, but I needed to know, "what could have been the source of such a dramatic conversion?"
The answer, it turned out, was much more ordinary than I expected. As I pressed her, she said, "I went to RCIA classes…"
"Yeah," I said, "but who was it?"
At that moment, her face changed, as if suddenly recalling the memory of a long lost magical spring day, full of loving friends and family. "Oh, I know what you're asking…"
She recalled for me a person, a member of a small discussion group at one of her RCIA classes. She couldn't recall the person's name, but she said she remembered her face. She had never shared the story of her past hurts with anyone before. During this RCIA discussion, however, she felt the need to let it all out. When she was finished telling her story to the RCIA group, she sat, afraid, waiting for the group's disapproval and the shame that would come with it. Instead, this person, this young lady in her small group, looked her in the eyes and said, "I understand, I went through the same thing, and it's okay…"
For so many of us, our conversion experiences, those moments when we really came to a new understanding of God, His love, and His presence, did not come from retreat talks or activities. Those moments of revelation did not come from a certain homily or lecture. Those moments when we first caught a glimpse of God almost always came, not from a what, but from a who. Rarely does God reveal himself in the howling wind of a parish-wide service event, or the passionate fire of a retreat program, or even the earth moving speech of a conference speaker. God reveals himself in the whisper. Few things are more powerful than that first person who, in one way or another, whispers the words, "I understand. Its okay! You are created in the image and likeness of God. He loves you, now and always, and He has created you for greatness!"
I asked her, "Do you think it would have made a difference if someone had looked you in the eyes and told you that earlier?"
"Oh, yes, what a blessing that would have been!"
"Then shouldn't we be doing that every chance we get?"
For those of you who are reading this, wherever you are, whatever is going on around you, close your eyes and see the eyes of Christ! He has a message for you!
"I understand! It's okay! I love you, now and always! You are created in the image and likeness of God. And God has great plans for you!"
Your first job, spread the message!
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