In an event filled with inspiring messages, the celebration of Mass, fellowship and Eucharistic adoration, young Catholics pondered how their lives uniquely fit into God’s vast design of creation during the SEEK 21 Conference Feb. 4–7 at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Baton Rouge.
The national virtual conference, hosted by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), featured live and pre-recorded content to fit the needs of each local gathering.
After an opening Mass, Bishop Robert E. Barron of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and Sister Miriam Heidland SOLT, kicked off the conference by speaking about their faith experiences.
Sister Miriam urged attendees to ask, “How did I get here (mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically)?” She said often in life people end up places and have no idea how they got there, which eventually leads to the bigger question, “Who am I?”
She referenced the potential of venturing down negative paths when Catholics forget who they are.
“When we forget who we are we are easily led astray. We easily fall into cancel culture and outrage. In my heart, I don’t believe for a second that is what we really want,” Sister Miriam said.
Isabel Rodriguez, a freshman at LSU and a member of Christ the King Church and Catholic Center in Baton Rouge, welcomed the conference’s messages challenging the young Catholics to “not hide their faith under a rock” but to make it more prominent.
“I want to step out of my comfort zone. I want to be open to the plans God has for me,” said Rodriguez.
Bishop Barron discussed the character of Jesus.
He noted Scriptures repeatedly point to Jesus as “the eternal word … the highest good,” and a complete representation of divinity and humanity.
“We can understand the famously weird question that Jesus poses: ‘Who do the crowds say that I am?’ ” Bishop Barron said. “It makes the point that the Gospels are not first and foremost interested in the moral teaching of Jesus. They are interested in who he is.”
Dr. Jonathan Reyes, senior vice president of evangelization and faith formation for the Knights of Columbus, emphasized that God created each person in a certain way, for a certain purpose. He said the way to finding happiness and purpose is to find his or her place in that order and growing in grace for it.
Reyes said God created people for a relationship, a relationship of the father, son and Holy Spirit. He talked about how this is reflected in the marriage between a man and woman who have an openness to having children. He said the vision of a family points back to God.
Sister Bethany Madonna SV illustrated the beauty of God’s creation and his relationship with humanity by talking about Michelangelo’s frescos, most notably “The Story of Creation” on the Sistine Chapel. A renovation of the fresco removed centuries of grime, dust and candle smoke from the fresco and revealed “the splendid beauty” of the masterpieces.
Sister Bethany said the frescos exemplify how God is the author of love and life and has an order and design for relationships. Ever since the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden Satan has tried to usurp men’s and women’s relationship with God and with each other, according to Sister Bethany.
She urged attendees to receive the truth of the Holy Spirit and God to guide them in relationships to find the “splendid beauty” God intends for their lives.
In speaking to women, Sister Bethany said the “call to be fruitful and love is the vocation of women.”
Sister Bethany’s talk struck a chord with LSU freshman and CTK member Katelyn Powell, who has been studying St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body.
“I know that love is a gift to be received,” said Powell, who noted today’s worldly culture presents messages of sexuality that serves only its own purposes.
A moving talk which particularly inspired the young adults was delivered by Father Joshua Johnson, pastor of Holy Rosary Church in St. Amant, about including everyone at the table of Christ. Father Johnson urged the young people to go out to the peripheries to invite people to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ and his church “again and again.”
He shared the story of one woman who was ravaged by life on the streets and spit and cursed as a group of religious sisters who repeatedly poured out support and messages of love. She was eventually won over by their love.
“She said, ‘Why have you been so good to me. I have been spitting and cursing at you?’ ” said Father Johnson. “They looked at her and said, ‘Because you are the body of Christ, the body of Christ is within you.’ ”
That woman came into the church and received the sacraments. Although she died from health complications, she died “with a smile on her face,” according to Father Johnson.
He shared other such stories of conversion and urged those present to “go out” and, like the disciples, be faithful to the mission of Jesus to evangelize.
“Go out to all ethnicities and invite them to a relationship with Jesus Christ and the sacraments and the church,” said Father Johnson.
Colten Poche, a freshman at LSU and CTK member, connected with Father Johnson’s message of helping people to encounter the Lord.
“I feel that we can make changes in society if we help make disciples of the Lord,” said Poche.
The messages of reconciliation throughout also hit home with conference attendees.
Jacob Street, a junior at LSU who spent four years in the Marine Corps after graduating from high school, said he had “gotten a bit lazy” when it came to his faith. But after joining CTK he felt his faith has been renewed and getting back on the right path.
“I like the fact that no matter how far you strayed from the path, there’s always a way back into Jesus’ arms,” said Street.
The conference also shed a light on what true success means for him.
“Because of Jesus you will be accepted no matter what,” said Street.