Serra Club Vocations Essay

Youth works with friend to help others grow in holiness, discipleship

By Erik Eigenbrod (Special to The Criterion)

“I have been all things unholy. If God can work through me, he can work through anyone,” said St. Francis of Assisi.

This quote revealed to me the calling to holiness and to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ. Recently, I have recognized this calling by studying and preaching the faith. Through my Internet apostolate, I have made a promise to my Lord to strive to become that “anyone” that St. Francis mentioned.

I first recognized this call when I was very young. When my teachers talked about vocations, the priesthood always stood out to me. Thenceforth, I prayed earnestly to my Lord to show me his plans for my life, to show me how to become the saint he asks me to become.

However, as I grew up, this desire to become a priest slowly faded away until I almost forgot about it completely. My great friend, Joe, reminded me of God’s plan for every one of us, but most importantly God’s plan for me.

After that life-altering moment, I have immersed myself into the faith and re-found my calling from God. With daily theological research, I try to live out the Gospel to my fullest ability. I also put my effort in implementing humility and the Beatitudes in my life.

Additionally, I frequently try to mitigate the amount of technology I use, to keep my heart from becoming attached to earthly possessions. Also, I ask the Holy Spirit to bless me with words of true love and compassion, especially for the conversion of poor sinners.

During this pursuit of spreading the Gospel, Joe and I created a small apostolate called the, “Knights of the Immaculate Heart.” In this group, Joe and I spread the idea for people struggling with sin to turn to Our Blessed Mother for refuge, chiefly through praying the rosary.

We also speak publicly about modern-day issues such as chastity, pornography and keeping reverence for the Holy Eucharist.

We post on technology, like Snapchat and Instagram, to spread Our Lord’s message. Using these media, we hope to reach as many young people as possible and help people on their road to sanctity.

After recognizing my calling from God, living out my calling and striving to become a true steward of the Lord, I have learned that I am the “now of God,” and my purpose here on Earth is to become more like Christ and to help others understand his word and his love for everyone. “Your soul is called to raise itself to God by the elevator of love and not climb the rough stairway of fear,”—St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
 

(Erik and his parents, Kay and Craig Eigenbrod, are members of St. Malachy Parish in Brownsburg. He completed the eighth grade at St. Malachy School this spring and is the eighth-grade division winner in the Indianapolis Serra Club’s 2020 John D. Kelley Vocations Essay Contest.) †