I don’t know how many high school and college students read the parish bulletin. But, I do know that some do. Even though it may be rather bold, I would like to address this parish letter particularly to high school and college students. Permit me to give you three counsels.
Choose your friends wisely. Friends can make you or break you. In the good life that God gave us, we all need friends and family. Sometimes our friends become our family. To a certain degree our friends either help us to be a better person or worse they alienate us from responsibilities and even our faith in God.
Study. Whether a person is gifted in academics or has to study extra hours to understand the material, studying is necessary to be successful in one’s profession. If you receive high scores by studying, it will help you to get into the college that you desire. By having a high GPA in college, you will get the job you are seeking. If you are desperate and need a miracle to do well on an exam or a paper, pray to St. Joseph of Cupertino. He has been there before.
Prayer. Considering I am a Catholic priest, it would only be just if I told you that prayer is essential. I urge you at the very least to attend Mass every Sunday. Pray a decade of the Rosary daily. Read a passage from the Gospels as often as you can. If you are near a Catholic Church spend 5-10 minutes with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
Prayer will also help you to have courage. There are college students that I know that without any embarrassment they tell their fellow students that they go to Mass. There are students who go to Mass during the week and on Sunday at Campus. These same students have encouraged others to come to Mass with them and even encouraged them to be baptized. What a wonderful witness of the Faith!
For College students, there are 4 essential Catholic things that you should bring with you to your dorm: a rosary, a bible, a crucifix, and a sacred image of our Lady. For High School students just bring your Rosary and bible with you and keep it in your backpack.
Should you have any questions about the faith, I am here to help. I would be happy to proofread your theology papers. May all of the students from St. Barnabas Parish have a blessed and fruitful academic year.
In Jesus and Mary,
Fr. Jeff Yildirmaz
