Answering The Call: Diocesan Youth Retreat

Just over a week ago, 257 teenagers and 60 leaders from the Diocese ofSan Jose embarked on a week-long retreat to encounter Christ in beautiful South Lake Tahoe. It was an incredible week consisting of an engaging Catholic speaker, daily themes to reflect on, various workshops and prayer experiences, and an opportunity to make new friends.

I was blessed to be able to witness the transformation of so many young people as we dove deeper into “The Call,” our theme of the retreat week. The week was spent reflecting on the reality that the Lord has placed a specific calling in each of our lives—that God has given each of us a specific way to use our gifts and talents to build His Kingdom on earth. Here are just a few post-retreat reflection questions that I think we could all ask ourselves in our own faith journeys:

Do you daily live out God’s call for you?

Do you take the time to ask God to lead the way even in the daily routines of your life? Is having an open dialogue with God (prayer) the very first thing you do when you wake up? Does God have full control of your plans, despite your busy calendar?

How are you becoming a Gift to the world?

Do you recognize the gifts and talents that God has given you? Do you use those gifts to build up His Kingdom, or just your kingdom? What are you doing to help others recognize that they are also gifts to the world?

May the Lord bless you and your families this summer. Stay tuned for exciting new Youth Ministry events coming in the 2017-2018 school year.

Chris Mardesich, Director of Youth and Young Adults