The Call to Discipleship ... by 410 alum (and Paulo's big sister) Karen Leal

​                Here’s the thing; exactly 4 years ago, I was sitting in your shoes. I was going through confirmation class every Sunday, in room 410. I promise you that when I say I can relate to you, I really mean it. I’ve been there. I know what it’s like to doubt the whole “God story.” I know what it’s like to lose someone who’s really close to you. I know what it’s like to feel completely alone, what it’s like to feel inadequate. I know what it’s like to think that you’re too deep into sin that you can’t come up. I know what it’s like to be scared, terrified even, of the future. I know what it’s like to feel like the world is caving down on you. I promise you that I have been there. Maybe not in the same ways that you have, but I’ve been there, and chances are, many of your classmates have too. If I could go back and tell myself one thing when I was in your shoes it would be this: you are a beloved child of God. Maybe you’ve heard this before and you believe it. Or, maybe you’ve never been told this.
                Like many of you, I’m a cradle catholic. My brother and I have been raised catholic our whole lives, but just because we were raised with these ideals doesn’t necessarily mean that we fully believed them. I thought I did; I thought I was on fire for Christ. However, when I came to college, I realized that I was so wrong. Yes, I believed with my mind, with my brain, that I was a beloved child of God, but my heart believed a different message.
                Because of this, I quickly gave into temptation. I gave into the partying, the drinking, the “typical” college life. I began to adapt other identities and let everything but the truth define who I was. The organizations I joined, the leadership positions I held, my major, my GPA, and even the amount of followers and friends that I had on social media, these things were who I was. I established this new, comfortable lifestyle for myself and I let it continue for a little over a year. I had absolutely no desire to change. Now, don’t get me wrong, I still went to mass, I studied tons, got good grades, but I didn’t know true joy.
                About a year ago, I made a friend who showed me what it’s like to live a life with Christ, to live a life full of real, authentic joy. This friend challenged me in my faith in ways that no one has ever done, and I want to challenge y’all in the same way. I want to lovingly encourage you to make prayer a priority in your life. Catholicism, confirmation, is more than just a long mass; you’re making a commitment to not only God and the people around you, but to yourself. You’re committing to living your life as a true disciple of Christ. In making prayer a priority, you’ll begin to encounter Him in so many different ways. Just like I have been tempted, Jesus was also tempted in the desert, and you will be too. You’ll be tempted to make things like your GPA, your extracurriculars, the colleges you apply to, the scholarships you receive, and even your friend group your identities, but in reality, none of these things define you. Of course you should study hard, in fact, I really encourage you to aim for that 4.0. Join organizations, take pride in your extracurriculars, but keep in mind that you CAN live out your identity of being a beloved child of God while striving for these things. These things should be tools that you use to live out your identity in Christ. In order to do this, you have to let Him actually reveal to you the truth of who you are: His Beloved.
                When I began to pray daily (and I don’t just mean like my night time daily prayers, I’m talking about like sitting in silence and resting in Christ’s presence, attending mass and not just going through the motions, reading a devotional, and even learning how to pray the rosary), I slowly began to understand with my heart what this identity in Christ really means. It means that not only am I called to follow Christ as His disciple and spread the gospel, but even more, it means that regardless of how much I mess up, my Father will always welcome me with open arms.
                Guys, please take my word for it now, and know that you cannot put your identity in worldly things. I’ve tried it. It doesn’t work. Pope Benedict XVI tells us that this world offers us lots of comfort, but the reality is that we “are not made for comfort, we’re made for greatness.” Get uncomfortable, pray daily, strive for sainthood, and more importantly, help the people around you get to Heaven too. I promise you won’t regret it.