Anyone who has been at the BeFree Mass on the weekend has probably already been greeted by Agnes with a broad smile.
Agnes is 18 years old and is involved in many different ways in the John Paul II Center. Agnes experienced for herself what a great influence it can have on your personal journey of faith, when someone tells you about Jesus with fire and accompanies you to Him. That is why Agnes serves with joy and empathy in various ministries. She warmly welcomes people who come to the BeFree Mass at the weekend and accompanies young people on their journey, who start their adventure with God at “Alpha Youth.”
„“It is simply important to me that the people, who are new to the masses not merely feel tolerated, but really welcome.“
„When I was new to the Center, I always really appreciated the HOST team’s commitment, as I didn’t know that many people back then. The Alpha (youth) course 2022/23 was also a great enrichment for me and it was important for me to get involved and help out there too. It gives me incredible joy to see that more and more new people are coming to the BeFree masses and Alpha (youth) courses and I have been able to meet many wonderful new people myself through the HOST and ALPHA (youth) team. I get so much joy, satisfaction, and motivation to keep going from my involvement in the two teams, as they are both activities that make sense and help people feel at home. It is important to me that the people, who are new to the masses not merely feel tolerated, but really welcome. I want to be able to return the hospitality that I was able to experience. This is why I have been actively involved for almost six months. For me, it’s now an integral part of my weekly routine. It really enriches my life. By actively helping out, I also notice that it boosts my mental well-being enormously, as I investing my time in something meaningful.“
„„Looking back, I realized that every person unconsciously longs for Jesus.“
Agnes tells us how she was able to discover God and how she came to realize that Jesus is the fulfilment of every longing. Her religion teacher in secondary school played a major role in her path to God.
„Never before had I met a teacher, let alone a religion teacher, who even on a Monday morning spoke about the Lord with such fire and enthusiasm. She actively told us about Jesus, played worship songs, showed us sermons by Dr. Johannes Hartl, for example. She invited us to Masses and told us how much the Lord loves us and that we are royal children of the Most High.“
„She ended up telling me about the John Paul II Center. She gave us a flyer for ShutUp! it’s Christmas in 2019.“
Agnes struggles with something that many young Christians know:
„Although the religious instruction was very encouraging, I often felt lonely in my faith. I didn’t have any Catholic friends who wanted to talk to me about faith issues and I found it very difficult to talk openly about my faith. I longed so much for Catholic friends my own age and prayed to have a community like the one I now have at the John Paul Center,“ she says.
So how did that change?
„One night I had a dream of a man in white robes standing under a willow tree against a pastel-colored sky and felt a pleasant, light breeze. „I want you to know that everything will be alright“ is what I heard. This gave me a lot of strength and hope that my prayers for a community will one day be fulfilled.“
„Two years ago, I spent a year abroad in the south of the USA, in Texas. Faith is very different there, almost every family goes to church, the young people read the Bible together and can talk freely about their faith. I had many friends there who brought me closer to Jesus and a host family who actively incorporated Jesus into their everyday life. I loved how much the people there, especially the young people, were on fire for Jesus. I no longer felt alone and learned not to be ashamed of my faith.„
I took this strength back with me to Austria. Now I can now openly and honestly say that I stand by my God, my Jesus. Looking back, I realized that every soul unconsciously longs for Jesus. We all seek acceptance, love and freedom and that is exactly what we find in Jesus Christ, even if we may not realize it at first.“
When she returned, she found this community at the John Paul II Center.
„For me, the Center is a place where I feel 100% comfortable and don’t have to pretend. The John Paul Center strengthens me in my faith and gives me the feeling that I can share my faith in Jesus without having to be ashamed of it, it’s simply my safe place. I was able to meet a lot of new Catholic young people here, which has led to good friendships.“
Loving Father – peace – care
These are the words that come to Agnes‘ mind when she thinks of God.
„For me, God is a Father who will always love me, no matter what my life looks like or what decisions I make. I know that he will never leave me and is always there for me, even if I feel far away from him at the moment and cannot feel his presence. It took me a long time to understand that. I know the feeling of a loving father from my own earthly father, but our heavenly Father’s love for us is infinite and will never fade. My faith enriches me in all moments of my life and gives me the certainty that this life is only temporary and that one day we will be perfect with our Father in heaven, where there will be no more suffering and no more tears. The thought that I don’t have to perform any miracles for God’s love and that he loves me regardless of my faults and thus gives me unconditional love is the greatest gift for me. Through my relationship with God, I have a positive outlook on my future because I know who the author of my life story is and that he has plans that give me hope. Especially as a teenager, I realize every day that there are no worldly things that can fulfill me as much as a relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Everything is fleeting, but God’s love for us will never fade.“
Agnes inspires in her young years with a burning love for God. She wants to pass on this love so that other young people can experience something similar.
„It is very important to me that young people in particular find Jesus more and more and can say ‚yes‘ to his love. I am aware that this can be a great challenge, especially at a young age, as you are exposed to so many worldly temptations. Especially at this time, it is so important that we have Jesus as our life compass and point of reference, as everything else is fleeting. I didn’t have a single Christian friendship until I was 16 years old, as I was ashamed of my faith and was given the feeling, especially through social media, that the Catholic faith was out of date and totally uncool. That’s why I want to encourage all young people who are going through the same experiences and let them know that it won’t always be like this. Stay firm in your faith and don’t stop praying for Christian friendships. I ended up finding the friendships I prayed for so long at the John Paul Center and at my church in the US and have made many more friends than I could have ever imagined.“
Thank you Agnes and thank you God for such a loving heart that burns for Jesus and an inspiring spirit that wants to inspire others about Jesus!
