Serra Club vocations essay

Cathedral student is invited to ‘come and see’ many times each day

(Editor’s note: Following is the sixth in a series featuring the winners of the Indianapolis Serra Club’s 2010 John D. Kelley Vocations Essay Contest.)

By Kelley Ford (Special to The Criterion)

“Come and see”—the invitation is extended to all of us countless times every day.

Most of the time, we are too busy, caught up in the details of everyday life that we don’t even realize that the priests, deacons, and religious brothers and sisters that God has given us are inviting us to develop our relationship with him.

This relationship—our faith—isn’t about rules and doctrines. It’s about our God-given ability and personal willingness to say “yes” to the invitation to “come and see.”

For me, the first of these invitations occurs as soon as I get to school each morning. Above the main entrance to my school is a statue of Mary with her outreached hands, palms up, beckoning to me. Shortly after I enter the building, Father William Munshower cordially invites me to daily Mass where I can come and see—and hear—God’s message.

Each and every day, prior to 7:30 in the morning, I am guaranteed to have at least two opportunities to “come and see” others exercising their vocation. And through them, I have a chance to discover my own.

Every morning, I have yet another opportunity to “come and see.” I am one of only 25 students who have been bestowed with the blessing of having Providence Sister Mary Ann Stewart as my first-period teacher.

Sister Mary Ann is so much more than simply a U.S. History teacher. She is a constant reminder of how we should be living our lives. From curving tests to helping serve food to the homeless people of Indianapolis, Sister Mary Ann is a prime example of a loving, compassionate servant of Christ.

She is one of the kindest, most warm-hearted women on this Earth, and I am convinced that God called her to be a teacher so she would have the opportunity to touch hundreds of children’s lives every single day by leading them to see Jesus.

The faith that we are called to “come and see” is a complicated concept to understand. As humans, we seem to understand things better when we can actually see them. But faith itself cannot be seen; it can only be seen through actions.

The actions of Father Munshower, Sister Mary Ann Stewart, and hundreds of other priests, deacons, and religious brothers and sisters allow us to see Christ and to come to him through faith.

We have the opportunity to understand and possibly discover what God is calling us to do in this world. God gives us choices, though. He invites us to faith, but it is our job to accept or reject it.

Should we choose to accept a relationship with God, we can rest assured that we will come to see a life full of love and happiness with God at our side every step of the way.

(Kelley and his parents, Thomas and Lisa Ford, are members of St. Pius X Parish in Indianapolis. He completed the 11th grade at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis last spring, and is the 11th-grade division winner in the Indianapolis Serra Club’s 2010 John D. Kelley Vocations Essay Contest.) †