Jason's theme: Staying busy to stay happy

He is a senior at Maple Hill High, like me, and is also very involved in the Church, along with many other activities.

Somehow, he finds a way to not only pray and nurture his relationship with God, but also to create friendships that will last a lifetime. He has earned a reputation among his friends that will never be forgotten.

Stay busy

He's a member of the Diocesan Youth Ministry Team and the Diocesan Retreat team; he has been involved in the Youth Scripture Congress; and he is a very active member of his parish's Youth Ministry Team, which includes activities like Equinox and the Living Stations of the Cross.

He will travel with a group from Albany to Indianapolis this December to participate in the National Catholic Youth Conference. He is also vice president of the Key Club, and on the baseball, cross country and volleyball teams at Maple Hill.

CLI-inspired

Before that, he participated some in the Church; afterwards, he realized how many others his age shared his faith, and that inspired him to take more action. He believes that the most important part of his relationship with God is being able to help others through God's name by getting involved in many organizations.

Some might think that a youth being so involved in the Church would receive judgment from his peers, but Jace feels that this is far from the truth.

"All I know is that I am a Roman Catholic, which means I am a Christian," he said. "By being a Christian, I am supposed to help others. I don't care what others may say about Catholics. I try to prove to them that I am myself. Not everyone is alike; to prejudge someone because of faith, color or nationality makes that person ignorant."

Words of wisdom

"I believe that I have a good relationship with God," Jace noted. "He understands that we are all not perfect, but accepts us for who we are. I might disagree with some of the Church's practices, but that doesn't mean I disagree with God."

When asked what advice he would give to others his age who are struggling along the faith journey, he replied: "You just have to believe and not question everything about our faith. There are some things that we cannot explain, but that doesn't mean that God doesn't exist. My faith has helped me through a lot. Without it, I wouldn't be the person I am."

That person includes disciple, evangelist and friend.

(11-08-01) [[In-content Ad]]