Jesus' last words in Matthew's Gospel are a mission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” Pope Francis wrote that every Christian is a missionary disciple, and that the joy of the Gospel fills the hearts of all who meet Jesus. You are not only a student of the faith; you are sent.
Many young people drift away from the Church after high school, not because they decide to leave, but because they never made their faith their own. The years ahead, with new schools, jobs, cities and friends, are a chance to choose your faith freely and deeply.
Jesus said, “Abide in me… apart from me you can do nothing.” A faith that lasts rests on daily habits:
- Daily prayer, even ten minutes, with Scripture.
- Sunday Mass wherever you are: find the parish or campus ministry near your new home in your first week.
- Regular Confession.
- Catholic friends and a community who support you.
- Service to the poor, which keeps faith real.
Evangelization is not pressuring people. It starts with a life that makes people curious, a friendship that listens, and a willingness to share your story of what Jesus has done for you. Saint Paul VI said that people today listen more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if they listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.
Mission can take many forms: a year of volunteer service, serving in your parish, becoming a catechist, working with integrity in your profession, raising a family in faith, or going to distant countries. Isaiah heard God ask, “Whom shall I send?” and answered, “Here I am! Send me.”
You have now journeyed from Kindergarten to Grade 12 through the whole Catholic faith: what we believe, how we celebrate, how we live and how we pray. But this is not the end; it is the beginning of a lifelong friendship with Jesus. Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.