2024-2025 THEME: WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT

Courage. Walking by faith, and not by sight, demands courage!

In the everyday life of high school, you are constantly bombarded with information and expectations.  We see the pressures of academic success, social acceptance, and future planning. These visible realities can often leave you overwhelmed, and it is easy to get caught up in what we can see and what we can measure. 

Faith demands a trust that God has a unique plan for each of us, even when we cannot see the whole picture.  High school can feel like a time of uncertainty. You may feel pressure to conform, doubts about your future and you probably ask yourself constantly–will I make friends? Am I good enough to make the team? What college will I go to?  What if I don’t get into my dream college? Faith gives us the courage to move forward without having all the answers or seeing the full picture.  There will be times when we feel weak or inadequate. That is exactly what St. Paul is pointing out–walking by faith rightly reminds us that we are meant for a homeland that is distant, believed in, yet unseen. In the meantime, I rely on God’s strength rather than my own. I ask God to provide the strength to face whatever comes my way. 

How is this even possible? Well, it isn’t without God! My eyes and heart are opened in a different way to the light of the Holy Spirit. Faith isn’t just believing in God but seeking and experiencing His presence in our daily lives. This can be through prayer, reading Scripture, participating in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, serving others, and being part of a faith community like JPII!  These practices help us see beyond the immediate and tangible, beyond what can be measured, reminding us that God is working in our lives even when we can’t see immediate results.  And yes, this takes courage!

Our faith journey is not just for our benefit. We are called to be witnesses to others, showing through our actions and words the love and the hope that comes from walking by faith. In a world that often prioritizes what is seen and measurable, our faith can be a powerful testimony to the unseen and eternal truth of God’s love and salvation. 

When we invite God into every moment of our day, even the ones we do not fully comprehend, even the trials, the storms, the story we can’t yet “see”, we declare our trust in His goodness and sovereignty and give others permission to do the same. 

Trust in the loving and unseen hand of God to lead you through every step of your journey this year. Have courage to walk by faith not by sight!! Then, as our patron St. John Paul II reminds us, you will “have no fear of moving into the unknown, simply step out fearlessly…do this in complete faith and confidence.”