Samuel has been the new leader of the YP Mass Team (our mass for young professionals Sunday evening) for a few months now. With his charismatic and inviting manner, he not only welcomes new young adults who have made their way into the YP, but also accompanies everyone who comes to the Center on Sunday evenings through the services. What inspired Samuel to take over the leadership of the YP? And how does a young, successful entrepreneur from Styria come to spend a large part of his life bringing people to Jesus?
„Samuel tells us his story“
„I’m originally from south-eastern Styria (a state in the south of Austria), but I completed my community service and my studies in Vienna. I realized very early on in my studies that my professional calling lies in entrepreneurship. Above all, it’s starting projects with motivated teams that are exciting and add value – especially for other people, and particularly in the field of education combined with technology. About four months ago, I happened to get into a conversation with Fr. George and talked to him about the Young Professionals mass – which aims to inspire people who are exactly my age. I can easily identify with young people who are currently facing this huge challenge of moving from the sheltered education sector into the shark tank of the world of work. I want to support them in precisely this area. I’m looking forward to working with so many other young people and helping to build a place here where they can get a taste of the path of discipleship and discover their mission for their lives – now, but especially then in the new Center facilities.
„Mission was already essential for me as a teenager“
With this sentence, Samuel sums up why he is ultimately committed to missionary work here today at the John Paul II Center. However, he also emphasizes that this fire for mission is not just an idea that comes from himself. Samuel shares how Jesus has clearly shown him that he is to be a fisher of men for the world.
„There is a special story about this. When I was around 15 years old, I was at a youth camp where we did a lot of sports, but where the main focus was on the topic of community and building a relationship with God. And there was one night when I really couldn’t sleep – I don’t know if we lost with the team or won and I couldn’t sleep – I was awake and couldn’t sleep. There was a chapel there and I just went there. I really felt God calling me to just come to him – right now, when I couldn’t sleep. And I’ve had a bit of this thought for a long time about what my mission could be, and what the „more“ in my life could be – I’ve had questions that really go deep into my mind. When I came to the chapel, I felt a bit like the Samuel in the Bible – in that well-known story where Samuel can’t sleep and is woken up by God’s voice. Samuel then tries to understand where the voice is coming from, it takes him a while to realize that God is calling him – and I felt a bit like that too. Then I sat down in front of the tabernacle, where God is really present, and had a very strong encounter with Jesus and he gave me a very clear message: That I should be a fisher of men.„
„Business, entrepreneurship & Jesus.“
Since then, this call to mission has strongly influenced his life. God has also blessed this calling with his talent for entrepreneurship, and Samuel has realized that his professional talents, which God has given him, can also help him in his mission for the Church.
„The fact that God has given me the mission to be a fisher of men really hit me. It’s something that’s very much defined my life so far – also in terms of my passion to be entrepreneurial. I think it just fits together really well, because entrepreneurship also basically means having a kind of leadership and giving people a platform/place where they can make the most of themselves.”
„I think the first step is to build a relationship with your Creator.“
Especially in his role as director of the YP Mass, Samuel thinks a lot about how young people can meet God on their journey and give their yes – and above all how we as a community can stand by them. We asked Samuel what words he would give to someone who is currently searching.
„Just why not? We do so many strange things in our lives, we try out so many strange things in our youth – why not just give this crazy idea a chance and dare to say to God ‚hey, I’m at least open to you! – Let’s talk! I just want to take that first step of trust, and then: let’s see what happens‘. In general, I think that we young people in the world have so many challenges. I have the feeling that there is a big hole in ‚meaning‘ and ‚purpose‘. I think this search is the first step in building a relationship with the Creator – with God.
I think that the John Paul II. Center can be a place where I can build a relationship with my Creator. It is also a place where there is community and where you can learn from others. Above all, however, I believe that ‚meaning‘ in life always goes hand in hand with responsibility – and I think it is here at YP that you can learn to take responsibility step by step, especially in terms of service, discipleship and, subsequently, passing on this gift of encountering God that you have received. I dream of a young person entering the chapel in our new center and thinking ‚I can drop everything here. I can meet God here. And here is a place where there is no competition and no judgment.’“
God has gifted Samuel with many talents that he can use for His kingdom and we are grateful and very touched that Samuel has given a „yes“ to using these talents for Jesus and his mission, and that he has given his „yes“. And that we have the privilege to work together in God’s Kingdom, – forming apostles to transform the world.
