Thinking
back, I realized that it has been a year and a half since I proposed to you all
at Fall Retreat in 2010. Back then , my love and
gratefulness for you was enough for me to "propose," and my love for
you has continued to grow. But, I'm ready to accept the fact that God's vocation for
all of us is probably not to get married.
So out of this sacrificial love I now write to you to say one last thank
you and goodbye.
God has
made all of you so incredibly beautiful-even the gentlemen-and I'm even more
incredibly blessed that He has opened my eyes to see the unique gifts you all
have. There's just something about being
here with all of you even if I barely know you or sometimes forget your name or
call you Beth when your name is Hannah.
God has really created this community to be light in the darkness
especially the darkness of my own life.
I don't
know, but I think that without this community, I would have been exhausted
trying to follow Jesus a long time ago, but it is here that I am best reminded
of the beauty and universality of our Church.
It is here with you all that I am reminded of my need for Christ and
constant conversion. It is here that I
am reminded of the source of my joy and my heart grows in its desire to do
nothing but proclaim this crazy intense Truth to every soul I encounter. Okay, so I can't say I crazily proclaim the
intense Truth of Jesus to every soul I encounter, but I desire to, so pray that
I one day can!
Boys, as
much as I in all my pride, am uncomfortable to admit this. You guys are literally awesome, and I even
must admit as a girl I've been a bit jealous about the bond you have
together. Truly men after St. Joseph's
heart. Because you rejoice so much in
your identity as men of God, you have led us as daughters of the righteous king
to understand our beauty, worth and mission as women that has been so distorted
in our culture. I guess I can't speak
for all the girls, but I know personally that you Tobias men have helped
restore my knowledge of self-worth and gently led me into Mama Mary's
heart. This is a good place to be as God
gently leads me to my vocation-whatever it may be-so thank you.
For the
girls, I am most grateful for the joy you've all brought me. Finding true, solid, edifying friendships in
high school is difficult, but I think that's because in the confusing time of
growing up it is easy to only focus on oneself.
Being here in a place where all you girls rejoice in your compassionate
and nurturing femininity and care totally and selflessly about others, friendship has been easy to find, and now
very hard to move from. I don't know if
I could tell you how much you all have inspired me. Your care for me, all the crazy things we
have done together, accepting my vegetarian Westside differences, and
witnessing to me about how Jesus is kindling the fire of His love in your
hearts are all things that I will keep in my heart as I wait to meet the
beautiful women Jesus puts in my life next.
Know I am still here for you too so all that little pointless pop song
goes-just call me maybe!?
I think
I will end with something I learned at the Matt Maher concert: Jesus needs me. I think this alone is why I'm semi-ok with
leaving you all and moving on. He needs
me for the world, for the darkness. He may have created me just to bring one
soul to heaven, and if I don't follow I may miss out on my crazy beautiful call
to take part in the salvation of the world.
What is even more beautiful is that you all have this call to, and it
has been you all, and core team, and Brad and Fr. Albert who have inspired me
to know, love and serve for this call.
You all are the ones who help remind me of my vocation to
greatness. You all are the ones that
have brought the words of Pope Benedict to life showing me that my call to
greatness is not an ethical choice or a lofty idea but an encounter with the
person Jesus Christ. Our call to
greatness is a call to a person-Jesus-and I thank Him for being able to learn
more about Him through you. Before I go
I would like to pass on a family heirloom to Maggie Drew. This antique has been a prized possession of
mine after winning opposite war the fall retreat I got engaged. Do not worry, for unlike Greco, he promotes the
complementarity of men and women, but must be protected from little children desperate
for sugar. Treasure him and pass him on
to a well deserving freshman like yourself when you're a senior.
Know I am praying for all of you that you may
receive your Creator with a wide open heart and with His help fight the lies of
the flesh, the world and the evil one that tell you that you are unfixable and
unworthy. I challenge you to continue to
pursue Jesus who is the greatness you are being called to. And with one last week of
Easter-Alleluia!
