A joyful guide for high school students: Draw closer to Christ in your daily life
Rachel Gilman, left, and Megan Lauritsen work together as the leaders of youth ministry in the archdiocese. (Photo by John Shaughnessy)
By John Shaughnessy
The joy that Rachel Gilman and Megan Lauritsen show in their work—and their relationships with God—shines through in the advice they have for high school youths to draw closer to Jesus Christ in their daily lives.
In moments of laughter and reverence, the two leaders of youth ministry in the archdiocese shared the following tips to help students in Catholic and public high schools embrace God during their classes, their sports and other activities in this new school year.
Embrace the best way to start the day
“Create an intentional space for prayer every day and carve out five minutes at the beginning of every school day,” advises Gilman, the director of youth ministry for the archdiocese.
“For instance, if someone is taking the bus to school and they’re waiting at the bus stop, there’s five minutes there. Or if you go to a Catholic school and they have a chapel in the school, it’s a great opportunity to get to school five minutes early, pop in, sit down and spend some time with Jesus. That moment can also be done at home, the moment they wake up.
“That takes commitment, for sure, but carving out that time at the beginning of the day—especially for school where everything is thrown at them—can be a great way to start. And the more we pray, the closer we become to Christ and the more we’re in tune with our faith.”
Get nourishment for the soul
“Another crucial part is Sunday Mass—connecting with Christ and receiving his body and blood in the Eucharist,” Gilman says. “It’s nourishment for the soul. And it’s also being part of a community. There is something really powerful about starting the week with Jesus, having that moment and preparing for the week ahead.
“All those times when we’re feeling burnt out by school, by sports, by fighting with our siblings, coming back to the Mass every week is where we need to be to find and re-establish and reinvigorate our relationship with Christ, especially in the Eucharist.”
Draw inspiration from ‘a horrible test-taker’ who passed the ultimate test
“The patron saint of test-takers is
St. Joseph of Cupertino,” says Lauritsen, the coordinator of youth ministry in the archdiocese. “He was always my guy before a math test.”
With a laugh, she adds, “He’s the patron saint of test-takers because he was a horrid test-taker. School was not his thing. It was very peaceful for me because if he was a horrible test-taker and he’s a saint, then there’s hope. ‘Will I do well on this test? Maybe not, but there’s still a chance for heaven.’ ”
‘Turn to God even in what feels like a funny instance’
“I played volleyball, and I was also in musicals in high school. And both of them have a lot of aspects of high pressure of performance. I would pray before a lot of things, like even that my serves would go over the net,” Gilman says with a laugh.
“Having the ability to turn to God even in what feels like a funny instance, I remember relying on that so much. Especially going on stage. As I was working on singing and getting over my nerves, I would spend time saying, ‘Alright God, here we go! Help me to do well.’ That got really ingrained in a lot of high-pressure situations for me. And that really calmed me a lot.”
Look for Jesus in the everyday moments
“All throughout the day, be aware of your surroundings and constantly keep yourself oriented toward prayer,” says Lauritsen, a 2019 graduate of Pontiac Township High School in Pontiac, Ill. “When you’re driving past a church, maybe you don’t have time to stop, but take the time—even if it’s a quick, 30-second prayer—to say, ‘Thank you, Jesus, for this day. Please help me as I continue on.’
“It can be easy to think prayer has to be big and elaborate. Just take time to orient your mind toward God throughout the course of the day.”
Tap into the power of the Holy Spirit
“Pray before tests or presentations, those moments when you can say, ‘Come, Holy Spirit, come,’ ” says Gilman, a 2010 graduate of Marian High School in Mishawaka, Ind., in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.
“It’s such a quick and easy thing, but it does orient you to know God is with you. I know I enjoyed doing that, and it made me feel more calm.”
Take advantage of an ‘incredible’ opportunity
“This is a bigger commitment, but I do think if students can find one time during the year when they can go on a retreat, it is so crucial,” Gilman says. “There is so much value to getting away for the weekend and having an excuse to let go of the pressures of school, sports, music, whatever, and to focus on your relationship with Christ.
“It’s incredible the influence it has, not only on your faith and your relationship with God but also in being able to come out of that with a lot more peace—to understand priorities, what’s really important, and that you’re loved and cared for. I highly recommend a weekend retreat. If someone could build that into their life every year, the impact that would have is pretty amazing.”
Enjoy the rewards of making prayer an important part of your life
“In a physical sense, prayer is very calming. It can help with anxieties, as a coping practice,” Gilman says. “And on the spiritual side, just the repetition of praying over and over again, even for small amounts of time, connects you closer and closer to Christ.
“Even if you don’t realize it, it’s true. When we have moments where we spend an entire month and we realize we haven’t invested in conversations with God in any way, we feel extremely distant. But when we have that moment of prayer each day, we’re really helping ourselves stay connected. It really gets us closer to Christ every time.” †
