Serra Club vocations essay: Priests, brothers and sisters are rich in happiness found in God

By Brian Frick

“Do you realize what I have done for you?”

These are the words spoken by Jesus after he washed the feet of the disciples.

People such as priests, brothers and sisters, in a way, are washing the feet of others in their everyday work and yet people do not realize the acts of love and kindness being demonstrated for them.

“Washing the feet of others” does not have to involve literally washing the feet of others. It can be something as simple as helping a person when he is down or giving a compliment to someone in the hallway.

Priests, brothers, and sisters have dedicated their whole lives to God and to washing the feet of others. They are following Jesus’ call to wash others’ feet as others have washed theirs. As Jesus has done for us, we should also do for others.

When Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, he demonstrated the ultimate act of love, which shows that though they called him master and teacher, he was willing to do this degrading task to show how much he cared for them and for all of us.

People who have answered God’s call to a religious vocation as a priest, sister or brother are washing our feet.

By entering this lifestyle, they help us to get closer to God and share the good news with us, which is, “God loves us and wants to have a relationship with us.”

They teach us how to get to heaven by their example. They explain some of the mysteries of our faith that we could not previously understand. They are there for us and, in this way, they are washing our feet.

There is a hole inside of everyone, and many people try to fill it with worldly possessions when the only thing that can truly fill it is God.

Priests, brothers and sisters have discovered this truth, and while a life of celibacy seems unbearable to some people, these religious have found true happiness.

Priests, brothers and sisters are continuing to fill the hole inside of them with God’s love and mercy.

Life is a journey to find happiness, and there are many paths out there, but there is only one thing which can fill the hole permanently and that is God. God gave us his only Son so that we could learn this, and yet many people still are stubbornly trying to fill the hole with junk.

If only people would stop and listen to what God is trying to say then they might understand why a man or woman chooses a life dedicated to God and the service of others. Priests, brothers and sisters may not have money by worldly standards, but they are rich beyond our wildest dreams.

Jesus set the example of being a foot washer, and now it’s our turn to follow his lead and be of service.

(Brian Frick is the son of Ron and Anne Frick, members of Holy Spirit Parish in Indianapolis. Ron just completed the ninth grade at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis and is the ninth-grade division winner in the 2006 Serra Club Vocations Essay Contest.) †