Commitment - Being ALL IN

By Todd Sylvester, Mobile, Ala. - St. Ignatius

I just returned from visiting my son at the seminary and it took me a few days to process the sea of emotions that I swam through. I was obviously elated at seeing him and the wonderful formation that he is ascribing to, but what took me by surprise was his sense of commitment. He honestly doesn’t know yet if God is calling him to the priesthood, but he is committed to finding out. He is committed to doing whatever it takes to grow closer to God and learn more about His love and His Church. He is committed to embracing all the precepts of the seminary schedule- the 6am Holy Hours, the daily prayer and spiritual direction. He is committed to not dating while he is discerning and he is committed to whatever God asks of him and wherever that may take him. In other words, he’s ALL IN. The word commitment comes from a Latin root that means to begin a course of action and to hold fast.

I think we get into trouble when we lose this sense of commitment. Letting my “Yes” mean “Yes” and my “No” mean “No” would solve so many of my mistakes and problems. God desires us to be fully committed. There is only one place in the whole Bible where the term “lukewarm” is used. Revelation 3:16- "So because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spew you out of my mouth." Not a pleasant image. Today I invite you to recommit yourselves to your faith in God. Let’s not just say the creed, let’s live it. Peace, Todd
 
(Todd's son, Stephen, is a first-year seminarian for the Archdiocese of Mobile, at St. John Vianney Seminary, in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he attends St. Thomas University.)