You Must Be Different
“You must be different and you must go out.”
Recently I closed a ten year chapter of my life. I began my higher educational aspirations in 2015 first attending Tarleton State University before transferring to the Franciscan University of Steubenville (FUS) in 2017. I graduated in the Spring 2020 with a BA in Theology and a BA in Catechetics. Due to Covid and starting a new job in Texas, I did not get the privilege to walk at my graduation. In many ways this left a deep longing in my heart. I had felt like there were many things still left unsaid, many friends from who I never got to say a proper goodbye, and many things I felt I still needed to learn. Fast forward to the fall of 2023 and I had just moved to a new state to pursue a job in Catholic school education. Since graduating I had worked three different jobs in two different states, attending multiple weddings of some of my best friends, and longed for a solid Catholic community and formation. As I began to write this new paragraph of my life’s story, I turned to Andrew’s wife Miriam (shout out Miriam) for advice on being a good Catholic school teacher. In our conversations we both expressed similar feelings about needed more formation. If we wanted to advance in our careers and make a living wage we would both need to pursue Master’s degrees. We both decided to embark on this adventure together pursing a MA in Catholic Studies from FUS. After commiserating together for six semesters, we can both now say that we are the proud holders of a Master’s degree. We both missed out on the opportunity to walk for our undergrad degrees and now ten years later we walked across the stage. This moment alone brought a lot of healing and closure in my life. However there was something deeper that I still needed to be reminded of and to consider.
At the end of the commencement ceremony, the university president, Fr. Dave Pivonka, gave his final remarks to the graduates. Father Dave spoke about his love for the graduates and how great it has been to see them grow. He also expressed through that they must leave. He said (in more or less words) that “you must be different and you must go out.” Laughter came forth from the crowd as many saw it like a dad kicking his kids out of their familiar home, but there is a much deeper reality to what he was saying. These words echo in my mind as I write this and think about the last ten years which have been moments of encounter and preparation. They also remind me of the Biblical narrative of the woman at the well.
In John 4 we hear of a Samaritan woman’s encounter with Jesus at a well dug by their common ancestor Jacob. Throughout this encounter Jesus slowly reveals Himself to this woman, first as a Jew, then as a prophet, and finally as the long awaited Messiah. As Jesus slowly reveals the truth to this woman of His identity she is slowly changed. At first she as a Samaritan women is hesitant towards Jesus. Then, as a woman who is ostracized by her community by her many marriages, seeks the help of a prophet. When Jesus gives not only a prophet’s answer, but reveals His nature to her she is changed. She rushes away leaving behind the jar she came with to go to the city and people who had left her ostracized. She goes throughout the whole city telling anyone she encounter about this man claiming to be the Christ. Many out to see Jesus because of her testimony and many come to believe in Him after encountering Him.
The significance of this story can be found in reflecting on our response to truth being revealed to us. Jesus revealed the truth of who He was to the woman. He revealed the truth to her that the life she was living was not what she was called to. He revealed the truth that the living water which He gives is the only thing that can satisfy us. With this knowledge we must then respond. The response of the woman was to leave behind everything she brought with her. She had been changed and she was different from those around her. So different in fact that when she came into the city many people believed because of her witness, her words and attitudes about the world. Jesus did not tell her to leave as Fr. Dave had, but she new that the good news of the Messiah was not something she could keep for herself. She had to go out. She had to leave and she had to be different then the world around her.
One of the greatest gifts I have received in the last ten years throughout my formal education has been small moments of encounter through studying the faith. As I learned more about the faith, I was brought into encountering Jesus through what I was learning and He was drawing me deeper into the adventure that is a life with Christ. Having learned so much and encountering Christ in so many ways my only response is to be different and to go out into the deep. I cannot remain the same as I was nor can I stay where I am. Deep calls out to deep and Christ calls me ever deeper still. If we want to change the world and share the love of God we must be changed and transformed by our encounters with Christ and we must go out. Cast out into the deep and be amazed at what Christ will do.
