“YOU ARE PRECIOUS, I NEED YOU, YOU ARE MINE” A Call to Religious Life

The call to religious life begins not with our searching, but with God’s initiative. To every young person, God speaks gently yet firmly: “I have created you. I need you.” Your life is not an accident, nor is your youth a passing phase without meaning. In the ordinary spaces of home, school, friendships, and daily struggles, God is already at work shaping your heart. Your restlessness, questions, and longing for something more are not weaknesses — they are often the first signs of a vocation taking root.

Yet this journey is not without struggle. Youth is filled with distractions, conflicting voices, and temptations that promise fulfillment but leave the heart empty. Many feel lost, unrecognized, or unsure of their place in the world. God does not deny these realities; instead, He enters them. Through the Cross, Christ reveals your true worth: you are precious enough for His life to be given for you. Religious life flows from this truth — a response to a love that has already been poured out completely.

To be called to religious life is to hear Christ knocking at the door of your heart and to dare to open it. He invites you to live not for yourself alone, but according to the Spirit — to see suffering with compassion, to love as He loves, and to stand for truth even when it costs something. In a world wounded by poverty, injustice, violence, and division, the Church needs consecrated men and women who will become light, healing, and hope. God gives His Spirit to guide, strengthen, and sustain those He calls.

The Lord still waits patiently, saying, “You are Mine.” He looks upon your gifts, your limitations, your desires, and your fears, and He sees a laborer for His vineyard. Religious life is not an escape from the world, but a courageous commitment to serve it with an undivided heart. If you sense this quiet yet persistent call, trust it. Make space for prayer, seek guidance, and listen deeply. Your life is needed in God’s Kingdom — and the joy He promises is far greater than anything you leave behind.