Now Everything Changes

There have been some major changes in my life in the last five days. It has caused a good deal of emotions and to be honest, it has run the gamut.

I will be leaving Kellenberg High School at the end of this year to pursue other areas of ministry.

The last four years at Kellenberg has been incredible for me. I have learned an amazing amount about myself from the students as they responded, didn't respond, or rejected what I have taught.

Working with the Scripture course caused me to rethink the way that I looked at Scripture and when I first started teaching in 2005, I had no idea that I would be presenting the Bible Timeline project to the entire school or even teaching others how to teach from it around the country.

The junior morality course has really caused me to explore different areas of Catholic thought and basic philosophy. I have stared into the pit of moral relativism on the face of a 17 year-old and it causes me to fear for the future. I have heard Grace-given wisdom from the mouths of 16 year-olds and been filled with hope.

I think the one event that has caused me to grow the most is leading eXaLT. This weekly meeting of students which sometimes numbered over 200 was a voluntary moment to come together to worship in song, to pray, and to adore Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. I don't think that things can be the same for me after witnessing the way students have learned to simply surrender to God. I have never worked with a group of musicians under the age of 18 who understand that leading worship is not a performance, and that each of their skills are simply part of the whole experience of adoration.

There are other things that I participated in that I will never forget. Small groups of students that I met with over the course of four years who showed me what it meant to be a high school student with courage. To love under incredibly tough circumstances. To laugh in the midst of it all.

My heart was in leading the annual trip of Juniors to the Life Teen Leadership Conference the first week of every July. In the last eight years, this conference has become one of my favorite. The students and teens and ministers that are there are truly an inspiration and gift from God. If any of those students from groups that I led ever knew how much I received spiritually from that week, they would understand that they were leading me.

What next?

The first thing that is going to change is the web site. I have bought the rights to and will start publishing the site under www.sainthoodandsurrender.com. I think the world needs more saints. I think the world needs more people who are willing to stand up and say that they desire sainthood in today's world. That means that they are going to choose sainthood in everything that they do.

Their jobs.

Their hobbies.

Their families.

They can be Catholic, but they don't have to be. The only requirement is that they desire sainthood. Everything else is secondary. When that first thing is introduced in your life, then everything will fall into place. Everything will make sense. What is a priority when it comes to this decision or that decision? Choose sainthood and the way becomes clear.

The first thing I would like to do (and this reflects Seth's talk below) is announce The Sainthood Project. TSP is simple. Gather 1000 people who want to be saints. Period.

1000 people who desire to give their lives completely to God so that God can do what He will.

1000 people that will be open to vocations if God asks.

1000 people that will be open to doing mission work if God asks.

1000 people that are going to care more about others than themselves.

1000 people that are going to pray as if their lives depended on it... because they do.

1000 people that are going to give a witness to the joy that is in them.

1000 people that are going to allow the Grace of God to completely disrupt their lives, make them dangerous to the world, open them to persecution, but be willing to stand up for the truth in complete love.

1000 people that are going to change the culture by living counter-culturally.

1000 people that are going to reflect each and every day on how God is working in their lives. On how God is calling them deeper into a relationship of love. Simple, pure, beautiful, good, true love.

This is not a political party. God is bigger than that.

This is not some marketing scheme. You don't have to pay a thing.

This is not a new church. Jesus already gave us one.

This is not a T-shirt, a bumper sticker, a slogan, or a television show. You can't market the human heart.

This is not easy. Watch Gibson's film for an idea of what sainthood requires.

For now, spread the word.

Pray. What is God calling you to? Is God calling you to be a saint? If not, what the hell are you going to do with eternal life?