Serra Club vocations essay

Seeing people serve God in the Church helps teen’s discernment

(Editor’s note: Following is the sixth in a series featuring the winners of the Indianapolis Serra Club’s 2015 John D. Kelley Vocations Essay Contest.)
 

By Annie Gregory (Special to The Criterion)

For 11 years, I have attended Catholic schools and the same question has surfaced each year: What are you doing to discern your vocation?

Every year, my answer seems to change slightly. Cathedral High School in Indianapolis gained a Brother of Holy Cross two years ago, and that made me more inquisitive about the religious life.

The Holy Cross identity is one of my favorite things about Cathedral. The Brothers of Holy Cross have created an outstanding institution for learning that I like to call my home. If young men like Blessed Basil Moreau had not dedicated their lives to God, the Holy Cross institution would not exist, and I would not be able to attend one of the best schools in the nation.

Selfless people like Blessed Basil lived their life out of love for God. Each day, they lived their lives to better the lives of people around them.

Every day young men and women devote their lives to serve God fully. I have just recently begun discerning my role within the Catholic community. By watching others serve God, I have realized my need to show my love for God. After attending senior retreat, I realized my need to discern my vocation more thoroughly.

I began praying to find my calling in life, and have been doing so every night since the retreat. Prayer will help guide me to God’s calling for me. I learned so much over my three days on retreat and I vow to, “Live the Fourth” each day forward to discern my path through Christ.

Brothers, sisters, priests and deacons are all examples for me to follow. Their love for God and others is spread throughout the world in all that they do. Whether they are saying Mass, ministering to the sick, preparing parishioners to receive the sacraments, educating students or helping at an orphanage in a foreign country, they are constantly serving God.

No matter where I end up in life, I hope to know, serve and love God. I am eager to discern, understand and follow his call for me and I am ready for my journey with God.
 

(Annie is the daughter of Kevin and Susan Gregory. They are members of St. Malachy Parish in Brownsburg. Annie graduated from Cathedral High School in Indianapolis last spring. She is the 12th-grade division winner in the Indianapolis Serra Club’s 2015 John D. Kelley Vocations Essay Contest.) †