Our Saturday morning Holy Mass was celebrated by Bishop Rice of the Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau. This was a votive Mass, celebrated in special recognition of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We were blessed to be joined by priests and deacons from different youth ministry groups that came to the conference. Our team priest, Fr. Joe Freedy gave an empowering homily where we learned about how exciting in can be to be “all in” for Jesus.
Sometimes we can feel scared of what life with Jesus actually looks like. Fr. Freedy let us know that living for Christ is not stifling, but an opportunity to live life to the fullest. The saints have gone before us. Saints like Teresa of Calcutta and Maximillian Kolbe listened to the stirring of the Holy Spirit in their hearts, and they were all in for God. Their fearlessness and examples of selfless love provide us inspiration for our faith lives today.
We don’t have to be perfect to follow Jesus. We don’t even have to be particularly talented or impressive, because Jesus loves us just as we are. He looks at us and tells us He loves us because we are His – before any performance, before anything we do. Nothing can change that. God faithfully sees us as His. We might think He looks at us is angry or disappointed, but we have to remember who God is. He is the One who sustains everything by His love. He looks at you and says, “You are mine.”
We can be fearless because of our Father. He’s our dad–He’s got us. “If God is for us, who could be against us (Romans 8:31)?” Whatever happens, it will be okay, because we are secure in our Father’s love, which allows us to be fearless.
Think About It:
What do you see when you look in the mirror?
Do you sometimes forget that you are perfectly loved by the God who made you?
What is holding you back from being all in for Jesus?
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