Sophomore Retreat
"Who am I?" and "Who will I become?"
Editor’s Note: Fr. Ben Daghir recently led the sophomore retreat for DuBois Central Catholic students, held at St. Bernard Church in Falls Creek.
I recently had the opportunity to lead the sophomore retreat at DuBois Central Catholic. I focused on two questions for the sophomores that I find relevant and practical in their lives.
“Who am I?”
“Who will I become?”
These are two fundamental questions in high school, especially sophomore year. But, honestly, these are two questions we ask throughout life. I still ask these questions in my thirties, and I still ask them after being ordained a priest.
During the retreat, we studied the Gospel story of when Jesus calls Matthew to no longer be a tax collector but to become an apostle. It’s a short passage but rich in meaning.
The Gospel of Matthew includes the following words: “Jesus noticed a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. Jesus said to him, ‘Follow me,’ and he got up and followed him” (Matthew 9:9).
There are a few important facts to consider. First, Matthew’s identity comes from Christ. Jesus identifies Matthew from this point forward in his life. Second, the future of Matthew’s life is under the guidance and control of Christ. Matthew comes to accept these truths and embraces them.
Even though Matthew always had a tremendous amount of money in his fingers, only now did he come to know what real wealth was. Only now does Matthew understand what it means to be rich in purpose, meaning, and mission. Jesus Christ offers Matthew something the coins and taxes never could - adventure with God.
As I spoke to the students, we looked closely at Caravaggio’s famous painting, “The Calling of Saint Matthew.” It’s a well-known image and one of my favorites. We examined the meaning within the image by looking closely at each person (especially Matthew), the table, and Christ.
We considered what must have been going through Matthew’s mind and heart once he heard Jesus say, “Follow me.” Matthew is the one who is pointing his finger toward himself. Caravaggio brilliantly depicts Matthew as saying, “Really? Me? You want me to follow you? Do you even know who I am?”
How rich this is for our high school students and for every one of us in life!
Yes, Jesus knows who we indeed are. Yes, Jesus knows who we can become.
We also looked closely at the other individuals in the painting surrounding Matthew. Notice each person around the table of coins reflects a different stage in the adventure with God. The two men on the far left are still consumed with the coins. They cannot even consider a different perspective on the questions “Who am I?” and “Who will I become?” Their lives are limited to their control.
But notice the two younger men on the other side of Matthew. They are leaning toward Jesus. One of them is ready to leave the table and walk with Christ. Between Matthew and Jesus, these two individuals are prepared for adventure with the Lord. They are curious about what Jesus thinks concerning two crucial questions: “Who am I?” and “Who will I become?”
Of course, the person standing right next to Jesus is Peter. He has learned that only Jesus Christ can answer “Who am I?” and “Who will I become?” Peter has learned that life goes awry when he independently tries to answer those questions.
My talks were very reflective. Students had sheets in front of them and had to consider various aspects of their lives: relationships, goals, fears, dreams, experiences, challenges, adversities, worries, and much more.
I then helped them unpack all of these and consider our questions. I was very impressed with our students’ ability to focus, spend time on various dimensions of their lives, and seriously consider the questions. I was also very impressed with their ability to look at famous artwork and see themselves within the painting.
The retreat included talks, adoration, and Mass. The adoration provided silent time before Christ himself. This gave the students a prayerful and silent opportunity to review and reflect upon the two questions, “Who am I?” and “Who will I become?”
One of the lines in my homily was, “To look toward the future without God is a fantasy and, even worse, a potential nightmare. But to look ahead with God is not just a dream but a reality filled with adventure.”
Matthew offers tremendous insight into identity and purpose. The Gospel passage and the Caravaggio painting provide unique perspectives on “Who am I?” and “Who will I become?”
I look forward to seeing how our students embrace the unique vocation and adventure that God has for them.
St. Matthew, pray for us.
Fr. Ben Daghir
