This weekend we were joined 4 Religious Sisters from 2 different communities and 39 priests. While all of us are called to be saints through the universal call to holiness, Christ has set some apart for priesthood and religious life.
What is the purpose of this weekend conference? It’s simple: individual hearts and their journey with Christ. Imperfectly, with mistakes along the way, this weekend is about joining the journey of hearts being pursued by Christ.
The Closing Prayer at Mass says, “… to lead us from former ways to newness of life.” This weekend, a time of restoration, is a beginning point of Jesus leading us to be better than we were before we came. Somewhere along the way, God touched your heart this weekend. Maybe it was during Mass, Adoration, Reconciliation, or in the words of a talk. What He has in store for you next a mystery. The graces from this weekend will bear fruit in the days and years to come. There is a whole journey of life and grace ahead. The key to this weekend is what you do next.
This weekend, something happened. We are no longer the same.
Sin is a twisting of the truth, and we often minimize it to convince ourselves that it’s okay or not that big of a deal. This weekend God has restored our hearts and our understanding of the truth of Jesus Christ. We know better now. We are changed. However, we are going home to friends and family that may expect us to be the same. We will encounter people who don’t have our restored vision.
Clare is a longtime Youth Minister at Mary Mother of the Church in St. Louis. She has attended a Steubenville conference every year since 1999! She took some time to answer some of our questions, so take a look at what she shared!