Fr. Matthew and St. Isidore youth traveled to Rome last summer to immerse themselves in holy places, become friends with the saints, and grow deeper in faith alongside a million young Catholics from around the world.
I think God called me to the Jubilee of Young People so that He could intimately reveal to me the depths of His love. Throughout the trip, I kept finding myself called to sit with the crucifixes over the altars of the churches we visited. Each one seemed to be more realistic than the last. Kneeling in prayer, I found myself ruminating on the “why”.
Why did Jesus die for each of us broken sinners? It was out of love. My sins put Him on the cross, but His love for me was what kept Him there.
Looking up at Christ on the cross at San Damiano in Assisi, kneeling before the most realistic and gruesome depiction of the crucifixion I’d even seen, with a nest of thorns digging into the crown of His head, gouges in His side, and nails carving through His flesh, I was reminded that there is no greater love than the love of God. That sacrifice, made by a perfect man, was in exchange for my soul. For my eternity. My life belongs to Christ. I am here because of Him.
I’m not sure where exactly I am called as a 17 year old, but I do know that God can do great things with my life for His own glory. My vocation is to follow where God leads. Even if the path is uncomfortable or unconventional, looking at Jesus, I know that I am called to be set apart. And even though I continue to fall short, God loves me. The One who knows me better than I know myself loved me enough to give His own life so that I might truly live, united with Him and His mercy.
My sins put Him on the cross, but His love for me was what kept Him there.
—Grace, high school senior
Every year, parishioners at St. Isidore take their own path toward the Catholic faith. Read more journeys, or take the first step in yours.
Back to Jubilee of Young People →