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I first heard about Ut Fidem through my sister. She had joined a group and always went on and on about how much fun she was having and how much about the faith she was learning. Of course after attending several youth groups, being raised in the Catholic faith, and attending Catholic schools my entire life, I thought what harm would it be to start my own group? I always loved having fun and Jesus would be a cherry on top. I gathered a few of my friends and we met for the first time at the end of my freshmen year.
My first mentor, Leah, met and welcomed us with free candy and Lectio Divina. At the start of our group I didn’t yet have a deep interest in building a friendship with Christ. Instead I was more interested in talking about our weeks and doing highs and lows. I look back on those first months of meetings and can see now that I was interested in learning about Jesus but never about who He was to me.
After a few months, Leah began to show me who Jesus was through her loving kindness. She taught us what it meant to be Catholic and about Jesus’ loving care for each of us. She invited our Ut Fidem group to a Revive night (and evening of Adoration) and not long after, I began my journey of entering into my own personal relationship with Christ. As years went on, I attended more school retreats and weekly Ut Fidem meetings. Over time, I began to fall in love with Jesus and rooting my life in Him. Leah had planted the seeds of my faith that would later extend into learning how to be a disciple.
In my senior year of high school, Leah had to step back from mentoring and my Ut Fidem group was transferred to a set of co-mentors named Chris and Marilyn. These two ladies showed up to our meetings at 6:15 am every Wednesday morning and brought Christ’s light with them. Their light was so bright and I wanted what they had. Over my senior year they really helped deepen my relationship with Christ through service and loving others in return. They taught me about authentic discipleship and what it means to serve. Saint John Paul II once said, “The greatest and total act of love is through a total gift of yourself.” I began seeking out ways I could serve and be the same Christ light Chris and Marilyn were to me.
That fire they instilled in me continued throughout my senior year and remains present in my life today. I have everything to thank for Ut Fidem. During my time, I not only learned how to pray, but also how to be a disciple of Christ. In college, I attend weekly Bible study, evangelize in my Catholic club, and have gone on mission spreading the word and love of the Lord. Of course, I am human and am imperfect, but with the help of Christ’s mercy and love, all things are possible.
Keep the Faith,
Crystal
