The Archdiocese of Louisville’s Vocation Office and St. Serra Club have announced the winners of their annual Vocation Essay and Poster Contest.
Essay writers were asked to respond to the following prompt:
“At what point in Mass does God speak to you, or draw you closer to the priesthood, religious life, diaconate, or holy matrimony? What does he say?”
Addison Abell, an eighth-grader at St. Dominic School in Springfield, Ky., won first place. Her essay appears below.
Second place went to Smith Buckman, a seventh-grader at St. Dominic. Thomas Hickson, an eighth-grader at Corpus Christi Classical Academy, placed third.
Poster competitors were asked to create a poster that promotes vocations to the priesthood, consecrated religious life, permanent diaconate, married life or single life.
Morgan Sadler, a sixth-grader at St. Gabriel School, won first place.
Haley Kiefer, a sixth-grader at St. Gabriel, won second place.
Nathan Scott, a sixth-grader at St. Edward School, placed third.
The annual contest is meant to prompt young people to think and learn about vocations. This year, there were 181 entries.
First-place winners will be recognized at the Serra Club luncheon on March 17 and all top finishers will receive a monetary prize.
VOCATION ESSAY WINNER
First Place Essay – Addison Abell, St. Dominic School, Springfield, Ky.
During Mass, God draws me closest to my calling during the consecration of the bread and wine. God communicates to me the most during this unique time in Mass because, as the priest restates Jesus’s impactful words, “Do this in memory of me,” it is a reminder of the foundation of my faith.
Those words encourage me to reflect on my life and ponder what Jesus plans for my future. We believe the bread truly becomes the Body of Christ through the Holy Spirit during this blessed sacrament. As the sacrament unfolds, it reminds me of Jesus’s dedication to saving my life, even if it cost him his own.
He talks to me most throughout this moment because he shows me his love and truth at this point of the Mass as a compassionate father to all. I believe that at this point in my life, when the time is right, I am called to be a faithful mother through holy matrimony, and I hope to pass along my faith and love of the miracles of the Eucharist to all I encounter.
I feel as though I am called down this path because God has blessed me with the gift of understanding and compassion for children to spread his everlasting love and mercy to these future generations of our world.
The principle that I strive to always keep in mind when thinking about the future, is to be granted the gift that I may recognize and accept God’s will for me, whether through religious life, marriage or single life and to be given the grace to follow the path he has laid out for me.
Second Place Essay — Smith Buckman, St. Dominic
“It is just not right to exclude the idea that God, who made us, will not talk with us.” — C.S. Lewis.
Throughout Mass, God often speaks to me. One of the most substantial moments is when the priest blesses the Eucharist. According to Usccb.org, “The Eucharistic Prayer concludes with the Final Doxology. The celebrant makes the prayer through, in, and with Jesus, in union with the Holy Spirit, and presents it to God the Father. The people respond with the Great Amen a joyous affirmation of their faith and participation in this great sacrifice of praise.”
Transubstantiation is the most important moment of Mass because this is when all the angels and saints come down from Heaven to celebrate the Eucharist. During the Transubstantiation of the Eucharist, I feel God and all of the angels and saints’ Holy presence. Not only do I get to experience the Eucharist, but I also get to experience the fullest participation in Divine life on Earth. When the Eucharist is blessed, Jesus is present in the Mass, changing the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, just like He did in the Last Supper.
The blessing of the Eucharist gives me a sense of comfort like God is watching over and protecting me. It is at this time I close my eyes and can most often hear God’s loving voice speaking to me. Although I do not yet know what vocation God is calling me to, I am open to hearing His voice the most at this point in Mass. As I grow in faith and wisdom, I hope to one day hear God’s voice calling me to my path of Holy Orders, the diaconate, or holy matrimony; until then, I will be praying and listening for His voice.
Third Place Essay — Thomas Hickson, Corpus Christi Classical Academy
“Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my body, which will be given up for you … take this all of you and drink of it, for this is the chalice of my blood, the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and many for the forgiveness of sins, do this in memory of me and eat it … do this in remembrance of me.”
These are the words used to transubstantiate the wafers and wine into the body, blood, soul, and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ during the consecration at Mass. The consecration opened my eyes to the reality that God dwells among us, and that fact alone, makes me want to offer my all to him. I am still discerning my calling, but I now see that whatever route God has chosen for me, I must follow it and do his will.
I once had an amazing experience at Catholic Youth Summer Camp. During Eucharistic Adoration, I saw the face of Jesus in the monstrance, and he said to me “you are loved.” This struck me because even though I always believed in the Real Presence, I had never encountered God in that way.
Whether I become a priest or a parent, I will need to reveal to my parishioners or children the reality that God loves us so much that he gave himself to us as the sacrificial lamb. I hope and pray that when I am supposed to fulfill my call, I will not shirk or cower but stand up and fulfill my duty to its fullest.
