“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28: 18-20).

As I watched my son compete in a cross country race this weekend, I realized that cross country reminds me about perseverance in prayer life. Both share the need for discipline, sacrifice, and commitment without the need for elaborate tools. What is expected is that you show up even when it’s hard or your tired and trust that God will meet you there. Just as a runner commits to daily practice, prayer is the connection that our heart desires with Christ.

Celebrating Mass and receiving the Body of Christ is like a breath of fresh air for our community.  It’s not a school event or an obligation, but the heartbeat of our Catholic identity.  Making the liturgy a true priority in the rhythm of our school life sets the tone for everything else we do in a Catholic school. As Campus Ministers and Catholic school leaders, we are called not only to help students attend the liturgy, but to teach them how to live from it.

If you had told me in high school that Eucharistic Adoration could change lives, I wouldn’t have known what you meant. But years later, that first encounter at a Steubenville conference became the turning point in my faith. Now, I’ve seen how the same encounter with Jesus transforms our students. I encourage every Campus Minister to give your teens the chance to sit at the feet of Jesus in the Eucharist. He will do the rest.