I wondered for half a lifetime what my “call” was. One day, in prayer, I “heard”, “What is your name?” How silly: of course God knows my name! But, I said it out loud, “Carol”. And, in reply, I heard, “And what did your mother tell you was the meaning, the reason she chose it?” “She always said it was French for ‘a little song of joy’.” DUH! I don’t need a building to fall on me–much!

I still don’t do it well, or all the time, but I’m working on it.

I’m free to teach anything. While pondering my topic, the Holy Spirit whispered to me, in the wee hours, “How have the most recent popes challenged young people?”

Clearly they believe young people are an engine in the New Evangelization. “Be not afraid” challenged Pope John Paul II while assuring kids they were on a mission from God.

Therefore, I started my first class by using as an ice breaker the question, “who is your favorite saint.” I had them retell the story of Samuel and had them focus on the line, “speak Lord for your servant is listening”. We prayed that line too before an activity where the kids wrote what they thought God was calling them to do either at this moment in time or in the future.

Next they taped their statements on outlines of a male student and a female student. I explained that God created us as the Image of God: male and female. We are, through the Eucharist, the Body of Christ and do the work he calls us to do.

Then I returned to the saints and explored the biographical information they gave me. For instance, St Anthony of Padua wanted to be a martyr but was called to the Franciscan order instead. St Therese the Little Flower wanted to be a missionary in the traditional sense but was called to pray for the missions in her cloister and from heaven. St Catherine of Siena loved her Tuscan hills but was called to be a hermit for a time.

Repeatedly we must listen to the still, small voice whispering to us. The breath of the Holy Spirit is trying to kindle in us the fire of love and service to God’s unique call to each of us. Yes, we are all called to be saints through our vocation and we must listen to His promptings throughout our lives. For as Patrice correctly said “at least for the moment I was called…..”

To live outside of God’s will for you is nothing more than pomp and pride.

As Blessed Theresa of Calcutta said, “I am but a pencil in the hand of God.”