Sixth-graders learn about ways to answer their call to be saints
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Living out one’s calling in life is never easy.
“But then again, LIFE isn’t easy!” stated Trish Lutz, a member of Ss. Peter & Paul Parish in Boonville.
“But if you’re doing what God has called you to do, it’s so unbelievably worth it!” she told several hundred participants in this year’s Sixth Grade Vocation Day.
More than 500 sixth-graders from Catholic schools and parishes throughout the diocese attended the event, held May 7 at Our Lady of Lourdes Church and Interparish School in Columbia.
In addition to panel discussions and Q & A sessions with priests, religious sisters and brothers and married couples about the joys and challenges of their particular vocation, the students enjoyed lunch, games, fellowship on the playground, Mass and Adoration.
The theme was “Called to Sainthood.”
“Really, the only way to be a saint is to be holy,” said Sister M. Karolyn Nunes FSGM, vocation director for the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George.
“Holiness is the perfection of love — loving God perfectly and loving my neighbor perfectly,” she said. “And so, when we talk about vocation, ultimately, the universal vocation is holiness.”
Within that universal calling, God has in mind a particular way for each individual in the Church to grow in holiness — “The particular way that he’s created each of us to love.”
“For me,” said Sr. Karolyn, “the particular way God has created my heart to grow in love is to be a religious sister. That is the vehicle, essentially, for me to grow in holiness.”
In order to find true joy and fulfillment along the road to heaven, each Catholic must figure out and pursue his or her unique vocation, with the help of God and the rest of the Church.
“So,” Sr. Karolyn told the sixth-graders, “what is the vehicle that the Lord is inviting you to get into, to go toward this life of holiness you’re called to, as you’re called to be a saint?”
Father Paul Clark, diocesan director of vocations and seminarians and chaplain at Helias Catholic High School in Jefferson City, carried that theme forward at Mass.
He talked about Blessed Carlo Acutis (1991-2006), who until his death at age 15 was an ardent believer in and promoter of Christ fully present in the Eucharist.
He will soon be declared a saint.
Blessed Carlo was fond of saying, “the Eucharist is my highway to heaven.”
One needn’t hitch a ride with strangers on that road, Fr. Clark noted.
“We get into the car with someone we know, and Jesus is driving the car,” he said.
“And, so, the invitation of Jesus is, ‘Get in the car. We’re going to drive to holiness!’” the priest stated.
Priesthood
In freewheeling panel discussions, priests, consecrated religious men and women, and married couples shared candid and often lighthearted insights into the joys and challenges of the vocation God has chosen for them.
Father Christopher Hoffmann, associate pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Columbia, said his favorite part of Priesthood is being present to people at important times of their lives — be it their Baptism or their final moments in this world.
“That’s also the hardest part,” Fr. Hoffmann stated. “You have to meet people where they are. That’s where a lot of trust in the Holy Spirit comes into play.”
Father Christopher Cordes enjoys the variety of experiences the Priesthood affords him, “a lot of them involving people and being a representative of the Church.”
“Basically, to play a positive role in other people’s lives,” said Fr. Cordes, pastor of St. Andrew Parish in Holts Summit and vicar for priests of the diocese.
“All the different kinds of things you experience in the parish are very rewarding but also very challenging,” stated Father Brad Berhorst, administrator of Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Lake Ozark, judicial vicar for the diocese and master of ceremonies to the bishop.
“So, I pray, ‘Come Holy Spirit’ a lot’” he said.
“We trust in God’s wisdom,” stated Father Louis Nelen, pastor of St. Pius X Parish in Moberly.
For him, the best part of being a priest is being able to offer the Sacraments.
Father Colin Franklin said he enjoys being part of people’s lives in a meaningful way.
“What I don’t really like are all the meetings I have to go to,” said Fr. Franklin, pastor of St. George Parish in Linn and Our Lady Help of Christians Parish in Frankenstein.
Consecrated Religious
A panel of religious sisters, a Benedictine monk and a postulant in a religious congregation fielded questions.
“Fun fact: when you try to enter the convent, you don’t become a nun right away,” said Gabby, a postulant with the Daughters of St. Paul.
“The first stage of formation is called postulancy,” she said. “The root of that word is ‘to ask.’ So it’s really a time of deeper learning or discernment — asking the Lord, asking the community if this is really where God is calling me.”
Sister Amanda Marie Detry of the Daughters of St. Paul in St. Louis spoke of the vows most religious sisters profess.
“The call to religious life is a call to follow Jesus more closely, to resemble him even in the ways we are living out our life,” she said. “The vows of poverty, chastity and obedience are inspired by and modeled on the life of Jesus.”
Jesus did not own anything, instead relying fully on his Father to provide for him.
“As religious, we take the vow of poverty, meaning we don’t have anything that’s personal to us. We put everything in common,” said Sr. Amanda Marie.
Jesus was not married, instead giving himself over to the Father and to taking care of the people entrusted to him.
“As religious, we’re called to belong completely to the Lord, that our hearts belong to him,” said Sr. Amanda Marie. “So we don’t have families of our own, but we’re taking care of the universal family, God’s family.”
Jesus was completely obedient to the Father, out of the fullness of trust and love.
“So, for us, obedience means following God’s will,” said Sr. Amanda Marie. “But also following the leadership of a superior in our religious community.”
Brother Placid, a Benedictine monk from Conception Abbey in northwest Missouri, explained his monastic vows.
“A monk is a person who lives in a community, and we live under a rule — the Rule of St. Benedict. It’s our way of life,” he said.
Benedictine monks profess vows to be obedient to God through the religious superior of their monastery, and through one another.
They also promise God to remain in the community of their monastery.
“That means we live our lives, once we make our solemn vows, we live our whole lives in the monastery until death,” he said.
They also make a vow of fidelity to monastic life.
“It basically means a life of continual conversation,” said Brother Placid. “A monk is a person who is living their entire life, journeying with the community toward Christ, seeking that eternal union with him.
“So, I like to say, I’m a monk who’s becoming a monk, someone who’s constantly working on my life,” he stated. “And I’m doing that with my brothers.”
Hannibal native Sister Clementia Toalson of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George, outlined a typical day in her life as a sister.
It is a balance of prayer, apostolic work and community life.
“We’re sent out to do the mission entrusted to us from our community,” she said.
One student asked, “Do you wear those outfits every day?”
“This is called a habit, and it’s what we wear,” said Sr. Karolyn.
“In our community, unless you’re sleeping or swimming, this is what you’re wearing!” she said.
Marriage
The marriage panel consisted of two married couples and a man who’s engaged to be married.
Each panelist talked about the liberating joy of becoming incomparably close to another person.
“In this relationship, you have an opportunity to really get to know somebody and surrender in that way to them finally being able to know you, as well,” said Jared Horban, who is married to Jordan Horban.
It also means growing together and being transformed together into the likeness of Christ.
“Since Jesus came not to be served but to serve, and my marriage is supposed to be an emulation of Jesus Christ’s marriage to the Church, then my job within it is to serve my husband and serve my son as a family,” said Mrs. Horban.
“We make a choice every day to do that,” she said.
Brian Lutz, who’s been married to Trish for 28 years, said he’s delighted to have someone he could love more and more each day.
“And when you put God in the mix, make him the center of your relationship, that love becomes even greater,” he said.
Mrs. Lutz said being married requires openness to deep vulnerability and being able to say “I’m sorry” when necessary.
Sharing the inevitable difficulties and suffering brings spouses closer to one another and to God, she said.
Jared said a lot of people don’t want to get married because they’d rather not be “tied down” to one person.
“But that’s the whole point!” he said. “That’s the design of marriage that God calls you out of your own pride and calls you out of yourself.
“And when you have kids, it’s even more so,” he said. “Nothing is about you. That’s how God created the whole vocation of marriage. To call you out of yourself.”
The entire panel agreed that marriage is difficult but worth every bit of it.
“Every one of those times that we step deeper into the reality of what’s going on, it becomes more challenging for us,” said Mr. Horban.
“We get to walk through each other’s wounds, walk through each other’s brokenness, and we do so with God, together,” he stated.
As with all vocations, marriage is a path to imitating Christ.
“In that way, it can be super-difficult at times to lay down my life and everything I want for the sake of my husband,” said Mrs. Horban.
“It’s also my greatest joy to do that,” she stated.
Mr. Lutz said marriage is a journey, “and each day, you get to experience that journey with somebody beside you.”
Husbands and wives work toward common goals together.
“And it’s so much more enjoyable when you work for that success and get to experience things together,” said Mr. Lutz.
That, his wife insisted, is “very much worth it.”
“I cannot imagine my life without this man next to me,” said Mrs. Lutz. “He’s my best friend. He’s the one I tell everything to. He knows me better than anybody, and I’m grateful for that.”
“It doesn’t end”
At Adoration, Fr. Clark spoke of Jesus as “the Bread of Life here with us! Choosing to be here with us. Loving to be here with us.”
In silent prayer, the sixth-graders presented what they had learned throughout the day back to God, asking him for help and guidance.
Before sending them forth with a blessing, Fr. Clark reminded the students to continue actively participating in their relationship with God.
“It doesn’t end,” the priest said. “The ‘yes’ that everyone here afforded today is ultimately for the glory of God and his goodness.”
Parental guidance
Sr. Karoline encourages parents and grandparents of children who attended Sixth Grade Vocation Day to keep asking questions and offering support.
“I think oftentimes, moms and dads want their kids to be happy, but it can be hard for them to imagine what happiness looks like outside of what they know to be the vehicle that THEY’RE in, on the way to happiness and holiness,” she noted.
“And so, just to be open to the possibility that maybe your kids are made to love differently,” she said.
She believes family life is the ideal environment for children to learn how to give and receive love.
“Learning how to receive as sons and daughters, learning how to give as brothers and sisters prepares them to be able to make a total gift of themselves in spousal love — whether that’s in Marriage or Consecrated Life or Priesthood,” she said.
