Conference speakers encourage young adults to pursue holiness

Young adults who gathered for the fifth annual Columbus Catholic Young Adult Conference on Saturday, Oct. 14 learned how to strive for holiness and commit to God in daily life.                               

The conference, which was held at Sunbury St. John Neumann Church, was an opportunity for young adults to hear keynote speakers and spend time in fellowship. There were exhibitor tables, breakout sessions with priests, religious sisters and laity who serve Christ and His Church, and there were small-group discussions.

The church’s Adoration Chapel was open all day for prayer, and a first-class relic of St. Faustina Kowalska was displayed. The conference concluded with praying the Rosary and a Saturday Vigil Mass celebrated by St. John Neumann’s pastor, Father Dan Dury.

The theme of the conference, “Trust in Him,” was based on Psalm 37:3-5. The Psalm tells the faithful to take delight in the Lord, who will give them their heart’s desire, and to commit to the Lord, trusting that He will act.

Dr. Ralph Martin, a professor of theology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in the Archdiocese of Detroit, served as a keynote speaker. He spoke to young adults about having a desire for God and their call to holiness.

Martin is the president of Renewal Ministries, which is devoted to Catholic renewal and evangelization. The organization sponsors the weekly Catholic radio and television program “The Choices We Face,” which is distributed throughout the world.

He told those gathered that holiness is not an “add-on” or something that is optional.

“It’s a requirement if we want to be with the Lord forever,” he said.

Martin referenced the Letter to the Hebrews, chapter 12. In the letter, the author, which is believed to be St. Paul, told the Hebrew people to work toward holiness. He said to “strive for peace with everyone and for that holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14)

There is a universal call to holiness, Martin said, and all people were created to be holy and in communion with God.

He referenced the 12th chapter of the Gospel of Luke, in which St. Luke writes to “seek His kingdom, and these other things will be given you besides.” (Luke 12:31) Martin said that a person’s primary vocation is to be one with God, Who will provide for all of their needs.

Holiness is “totally dependent on the grace of God,” he said, and people cannot make themselves holy. Human limitations make it impossible to achieve holiness without God’s grace.

Martin recalled the words of St. Teresa of Avila, who said that a person will find themselves at their destination if keep their eyes on Jesus.

“He wants us to keep our eyes on Him,” Martin said.

He encouraged young adults to “just keep showing up” for God, committing to at least 15-20 minutes of daily prayer and spending time with people who strive to honor the Lord.

He said it is “very hard” for Christians to keep their head clear and their heart at peace unless they are surrounded by other people who are seeking the Lord.

Human effort is also necessary for holiness. He said this requires a complete trust and surrender to God.

If a person surrenders their life to God, they are on their way to discovering the purpose that God has for them, Martin said, and nobody will “work right” until they are in complete harmony with the Lord.

People will experience fluctuations in sensing the Lord’s presence and love, he said. There might be times when a person does not sense God’s presence in their life or His love for them, but every person must persist in striving for holiness.

Martin encouraged young adults to ask God to increase their determination and give them a desire for holiness. 

“The culture is trying to silence the Church,” he said. “The culture is trying to intimidate Catholics.”

He said there is a lot of evil, fear, lust and greed in the world. Martin reminded the audience that the immoral and impure will not enter the Kingdom of God.

“Don’t let anybody deceive you,” he said.

Martin urged young adults not to let anybody convince them otherwise, and turn away from disorderly attachments and serious sin. He said unbelievers, fornicators and cowards are among those who will not enter God’s kingdom.

In the afternoon, Sister Mary Grace, S.V., from the Sisters of Life was the second keynote speaker. She took Martin’s talk about the desire for God a step further, speaking to young adults about how to commit and respond to God.

Sister Mary Grace, an Australian native, lives with the Sisters of Life at the St. Frances de Chantal Convent in the Bronx, New York. The religious order seeks to foster a culture of life throughout the U.S. and the world, including through offering pregnancy help, retreats for healing after abortion and evangelization.

Every person has a Father – God – who called them into life, she said, and He is “inviting us to respond to His love.”

Sister Mary Grace broke a person’s response to God into three steps. She said God first commits to every person, people commit to God in their vulnerability and then surrender to Him.

God chose each person “before the foundation of the world,” Sister. Mary Grace said, and spoke life into them. “He is committed to you,” and responding to God begins by “letting in the One Who has committed to us first,” she said.

“It’s hard to believe and easy to forget that what God promises is true.”

Whether or not people believe what God says “the truth remains the same.”

She said God “could not have gone lower” and made Himself more vulnerable than by taking on the form of bread in the Eucharist, and God could not have gotten closer to people than in this way.

She said God “knows our sins better than we do,” and “He’s always been pursuing you.”

Sister Mary Grace told young adults that everyone will experience moments in their life when they feel conflicted and do not know the way forward. She reassured the audience that God is much closer than they realize.

She said everybody has times when they feel overwhelmed or burdened, and she encouraged young adults to give those struggles to God.

With heartbreak or relationship issues, she used as an example, a person can simply say, “Jesus, you put this ache in my heart, deal with it.”

Sister Mary Grace encouraged every person to determine “where is God whispering in my life right now, ‘Trust me.’”

She also said to be weary of lies from the evil one. The belief that “it’s all on you” or “you’re alone” is a lie, she said. Human beings were never designed to self-rely.

“God is aching to meet us in the places where we’re ashamed,” she said.

Vulnerability with God, showing Him the places where there is most shame, becomes a place of intimacy with Him.

“God backs us with the grace we need,” she said.

Sister Mary Grace also spoke about peak times of vulnerability. She said the first and last hour of the day are the most vulnerable times. She said a person’s first choice of the day is crucial to the remainder of their day.

She encouraged young adults not to use their phones during peak vulnerability times. Giving the first and last hour of their day to God during these hours, such as in prayer, will have a significant impact.

People do not have to be perfect when they come to Jesus in prayer. She encouraged young adults to “bring what you’ve got, and that’s perfect for Jesus.”

She also suggested looking to the Blessed Virgin Mary as an example. Mary is the most relatable woman of all time, Sister Mary Grace said, and she was willing to commit to God at all times.

Sister Mary Grace reflected on the Blessed Mother and how she surrendered to God in her poverty and her vulnerability.

The Gospels do not mention Mary being afraid after the Annunciation, when she set out to visit her cousin Elizabeth, but she likely was. Still, she took action, regardless of her fear. She did not fail to act even in times of uncertainty.

Sister Mary Grace said there is no small “yes” to God, and there has never been a moment that He stopped loving a person, whether they see it or not.