The Great Adventure of Following Christ

A few years ago, I led my Bible Study group through the story of salvation history using the Great Adventure Bible Study. Many Catholics find that the Bible can be initially intimidating and parts of it can be difficult to understand, but that is why following the story of salvation in chronological order was so helpful for the members of our group. Not only did it provide a helpful context for the various books of the Bible, but it also challenged us to follow the thread of God’s action throughout the centuries, culminating in Jesus Christ.

The story obviously does not end with Jesus Christ, but takes off in dramatic fashion as the Holy Spirit empowered the Apostles and the early Church to teach, preach, and witness the Good News. As these tasks are now entrusted to the Church and her individual members, it was easy for everyone in our Bible Study group to make the connection that we are participants in salvation history, and in fact, we are part of the greatest adventure on which one could ever embark.

I visit often with college students who are discerning their vocation and young men considering monastic life at Conception Abbey. They can be overwhelmed by the prospect of discernment and wrestling with the idea of where they should go and what God is asking of them. Sometimes their discernment is the source of much fear, worry, and anxiety.

In whatever decisions we have to make in life, I think it is helpful to reframe concerns about the future within the notion of the “great adventure” of following God. Most of us like the idea of a good adventure, whether that is road trip with friends, exploring new places, a hike in the mountains, or backpacking across Europe. Many of my friends have participated in pilgrimages and several have walked the Camino de Santiago, and it makes me wonder if the experience of pilgrimage is partly because people are looking for an adventure to complement the inner transformation God desires for their lives.

Adventure involves uncertainty, risk, obstacles, and challenge, but it also includes exploration, purpose, growth, moments of wonder, and triumph. Our vocation is an adventure. It is meant to be an adventure with God, and it should be exciting and full of life. It is not uncommon that the young people I encounter relay their feelings about their vocation in a way that makes the future sound more like something to dread, a burden to dread, rather than a life open to new possibilities and wonder. It is true that at the outset we do not know the whole journey or how it ends, but God invites us to be with Him in the present moment and simply take the next step in faith.

Our monastic community has been blessed with a good number and fine quality of new members. I am tremendously proud of these young men for taking a step in faith that our culture does not always encourage or support very well. I have found that some candidates can be paralyzed by fear or brood over their decision and struggle to entrust their lives to God. Their discernment becomes burdensome and a real trial. Others maintain remarkable interior peace and see discerning monastic life as the first step on a new adventure. They exhibit a willingness to try it out, adapt to circumstances, embrace adversity, and allow God to reveal Himself along the journey.

I want more young men to see discerning their vocation as both a journey and a relationship of love into which God is calling them deeper. With a stable prayer life and a good spiritual guide, we should give ourselves permission to take that first step and test our vocation, allowing ourselves room to learn from our mistakes, to act, and to try something new. I do not think we were intended to live a life of safety and security, but rather to allow our discernment to lead us to action—acting with confidence in God. God sees our heart, our good will, and our desire to please Him, and this relationship should give us the assurance that we can move forward in pursuing that which God has prepared for us. Following our vocation leads us to a willingness to make real sacrifices out of love. The saints grew in holiness because they took leaps of faith. I challenge young men to allow their prayer and discernment to lead to action—to making a choice. It could quite possible be the best choice you ever make. Who is ready to set out on an adventure?

 —Fr. Paul Sheller, OSB
Vocation Director

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