Visiting Ursuline high schools is something I get to do each year, and for me it’s a perk of my service as vocation minister. Last week I was at Ursuline Academy of Dedham, Massachusetts, then the Academy of Mt. St. Ursula in the Bronx, NY. The girls were delightful, very animated and engaged, even though excited about upcoming pep rallies and Christmas preparations.
The workshop is centered on the conviction that each person is created by God with unique gifts, goodness and beauty and is invited to be and do something special for this world. “I have called you by your name; you are precious to me,” we read in Isaiah. I try to help students believe that. Each one has the ability to discover who she is, her strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, gifts and talents. There’s no need to make comparisons with others, because we are not meant to be duplicates.
With the help of the Holy Spirit, every person can believe in who she is and learn just how best to share her gifts with others. It’s called “vocation.” When found, it brings the deepest happiness. My hope is that these students are on the road to know their own unique passion and place in life, and that they will transform our world as well.