There are moments that define my vocation, moments that make me stop and say, “This is it. This is what my life is about.” January 24-26, 2019 will be one of those moments for me. It just may be one of those moments for you too.
When I consider my life in Christ and my service to the Church, there are a few things that I stand for, ideals that draw the best out of me, horizons that tug at my heart and guide my journey. The first is Jesus Christ. I can never forget that my faith was forged in an encounter with the living God who came in the person of Jesus. Not just a creed, not merely a moral compass, but a divine Person who speaks and listens, who challenges and forgives, who saves me from the pit and sets my foot upon the rock. Like He did for every one of us, I live and die for Jesus Christ.
The second defining ideal is unity in the body of Christ. This has always been a deep plumb line for me. Christ’s body is one. Many parts we are, but together we are the Mystical Body of Christ on earth. Broken and tattered as we are, we are the ark of salvation. Darkened by sin and prone to wander, we are nonetheless the People of God. When Jesus prayed “that they all may be one” (Jn 17:21), it always resonated with me. It struck me as one of the most important parting words that He spoke. As Christians we are called to overcome the stain of division and love each other in a way that the world would see Jesus (Jn 17:23). I want my life to build up the Church, the body of Christ, “until we have come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord” (Eph 4:12).
The third defining ideal is mission. We don’t just have a mission, we are a mission. We are a sent people. From our encounters with Christ we are sent out to proclaim the kingdom of God and manifest His will “on earth as it is in heaven.” We can’t wait for it. We can’t wait passively in our church buildings, Pope Francis reminds us. We have to go. Like Jesus came searching for us, we have to go after people – engage them, listen to them, love them. This is precisely how the kingdom will come. Saints like you and I leaving our comfort zone and sacrificing our lives so that others might encounter Jesus and have eternal life in Him. I want my life to be a mission.
So it is with great enthusiasm that I invite each of you to participate in an event that is decidedly about Jesus, unity, and mission – the Young Life Catholic Forum. Co-sponsored by Young Life Catholic Relations and the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, we invite you to a historic gathering in the heart of New York City, January 24-26, 2019. Be a part of the surging movement of unity, friends on mission for Christ and for kids. Young Life staff and volunteers, Catholics from parishes, schools and dioceses from around the country, coming together to glorify God and equip God’s people to do His work in reaching every kid, everywhere for eternity.
This is a defining moment. Be a part of it. Come to New York. Jesus is calling.
Click on this link for more details! https://younglifecatholicforum.splashthat.com
