I was a practicing Catholic teenager. I went to Mass on Sundays, went to confession once or twice a month, and attended every youth conference that came along. Then, a few years ago, I heard a priest from the Missionary Servants of the Poor of the Third World talk in Buffalo, New York. What I heard changed my life.
The priest spoke about the work his missionary order does for God in the Andes Mountains in Cusco, Peru. I was hooked, and later—after a lot of fundraising—I was able to join a group from Buffalo for a two-week mission experience.
When we arrived, we were given a tour of where we would be living and then got to work. We helped shovel dirt and rocks in the mornings to make new stables for the cows and some shower stalls. In the afternoons, we helped kids with school work and played sports with them.
At night we spent an hour in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament and prayed compline—the Church’s night prayer. Listening to the beautiful voices of the young local seminarians singing in Spanish and Latin in the adoration chapel and feeling close to God while serving the poor completely changed my spiritual life.
My experiences in Peru made my problems seem so little and insignificant. I felt so on fire with love for God that it put everything else in a whole new light. I realized that it’s not so hard to put aside my troubles and follow the path that God set for me.
—Richard
Prior to the trip the author was doing everything the Church asks and more, but it took this trip to light him on fire with the Holy Spirit. Are there some ways in which practicing your faith is just going through the motions? What can you do to light the fire in yourself?
Do you remember the greatness of God in comparison to your problems? What difficulties are you facing? Speak to God about them and entrust yourself to him and his deep love for you.