Annual Theme - John Paul II Catholic High School

2024-2025: Walk by Faith, Not by Sight

Courage. Walking by faith, and not by sight, demands courage!

In the everyday life of high school, you are constantly bombarded with information and expectations. We see the pressures of academic success, social acceptance, and future planning. These visible realities can often leave you overwhelmed, and it is easy to get caught up in what we can see and what we can measure.

Faith demands a trust that God has a unique plan for each of us, even when we cannot see the whole picture. High school can feel like a time of uncertainty. You may feel pressure to conform, doubts about your future and you probably ask yourself constantly–will I make friends? Am I good enough to make the team? What college will I go to? What if I don’t get into my dream college? Faith gives us the courage to move forward without having all the answers or seeing the full picture. There will be times when we feel weak or inadequate. That is exactly what St. Paul is pointing out–walking by faith rightly reminds us that we are meant for a homeland that is distant, believed in, yet unseen. In the meantime, I rely on God’s strength rather than my own. I ask God to provide the strength to face whatever comes my way.

How is this even possible? Well, it isn’t without God! My eyes and heart are opened in a different way to the light of the Holy Spirit. Faith isn’t just believing in God but seeking and experiencing His presence in our daily lives. This can be through prayer, reading Scripture, participating in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, serving others, and being part of a faith community like JPII! These practices help us see beyond the immediate and tangible, beyond what can be measured, reminding us that God is working in our lives even when we can’t see immediate results. And yes, this takes courage!

Our faith journey is not just for our benefit. We are called to be witnesses to others, showing through our actions and words the love and the hope that comes from walking by faith. In a world that often prioritizes what is seen and measurable, our faith can be a powerful testimony to the unseen and eternal truth of God’s love and salvation.

When we invite God into every moment of our day, even the ones we do not fully comprehend, even the trials, the storms, the story we can’t yet “see”, we declare our trust in His goodness and sovereignty and give others permission to do the same.

Trust in the loving and unseen hand of God to lead you through every step of your journey this year. Have courage to walk by faith not by sight!! Then, as our patron St. John Paul II reminds us, you will “have no fear of moving into the unknown, simply step out fearlessly…do this in complete faith and confidence.”

We need each other. None of us can reach spiritual maturity, let alone salvation, without help. We need guides, holy men and women who teach the truth and show us by the example of their lives how to be disciples of Jesus. But what about our peers? Do they have a role to play in my reaching holiness or are peers merely a distraction that lead me to make poor choices?

According to the proverb, we all have the responsibility to issue challenges, exact accountability and even offer correction to our friends. Sounds intimidating doesn’t it? How can I help someone else on their journey toward heaven if I don’t have all the answers, if I myself am not perfect?

Look again at the proverb. The proving is mutual. As I sharpen you, you are sharpening me. That is God’s plan. Through Christian community we practice goodness and are perfected; all of us learning charity and striving to will the good of others everywhere and always. Even more reason to take my lifelong conversion seriously; it is not just for myself, but for those around me that I pursue perfection in Christ.

Keep in mind, that failure to be sharpened does not result merely in a dull sheen as you move through the world as opposed to a brilliant one. As anyone who works with tools knows, a dull knife is dangerous. Failing to be sharpened by others actually leads to causing harm; we become dull and rusty with ignorance, poor habits, and depressed spirits. By staying closed in on myself, allowing fear to overtake me, not developing meaningful friendships with others on the journey and thinking I can handle this life on my own, I actually end up hurting myself and others. Self isolation makes it easier to fall into sin and one never fully develops the abilities and capacities necessary to love.

The proverb clearly asserts that if we “do the work” of attending to ours and others’ salvation as God wills, we will reap the benefits.

The last line is a reminder that whether we intend to or not, our faces reflect the condition of our hearts. If our heart is a place where Christ dwells (and He is longing to make His home in you), then it is His face we show to the world. If you are still striving to go it alone, to overcome difficulties without opening up to God, motivated by fear as opposed to joy, then others will be met with a struggling, wounded person who is incapable of mirroring Christ.

This does not mean we should paint a smile of wellness on, but should pray for His healing and His indwelling so that we may exude the peace that passes all understanding and radiate His pure joy.

So let’s get sharpening!!
Isaiah 43:2: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”

If you’ve ever been camping, you know the necessity of a good campfire! Fire provides warmth for our bodies, cooks our food (like delicious S’mores), and keeps predators away. Carelessly, we sometimes get too close to the fire and suffer burns. Sometimes too, we allow a useful fire to get out of control, destroying everything good.

Living on the rivers, sounds, and ocean in eastern North Carolina, we likewise know the joys of life on the water. The tumult that surrounds us creates the thrill of sailing and surfboarding as well as the bounty of sustenance that fills nets, crab pots, and our bellies! Sometimes however, we drift past where it’s safe or push the limits and take risks on the water. We also know all too well the ravages of an angry sea due to hurricanes and storms.

None of us escapes the fires and storms of this life. It may even seem that there is more encroaching flame and high water than calm. But, our God has promised that even when the blaze or the swell that is about consume or drown us is due to our own carelessness – or worse, is of our own prideful doing – He is with us; He will help us “walk through fire.” This confidence gives peace knowing that whatever we go through, God has been, is, and will be, with us.

Which leaves us with a question: what do we do? The simple answer is to WALK THROUGH. To follow Him through the difficulty, to say “Yes” just as Mary, our Blessed Mother, said yes! When we give ourselves completely to God and allow Him to do what He wants, we can “pass through the waters.” He loves us so much that he will never abandon us, whom he calls: sons and daughters and, in return, we have the privilege and honor of calling God our Father.
Have you ever been on a boat before? One going super fast? It can be thrilling as you easily skim across the water and feel the wind pass through your hair (unless you have seasickness!). But what if that ride finds you in the middle of a storm? It can be scary, and the fear of the unknown starts to sink in while wind and rain rush around you and the blue skies turn to dark clouds.

When the chaos and confusion of the storm comes into your life, what do you do? You can run around, like a chicken without its head, or enter into a deep and dark place, shutting everyone who loves you away. Or you can cling to an anchor, who firmly roots us in His love, who will constantly be with us in all things.

Like the ship in the midst of a storm, we have an anchor, one which will be with us in the midst of our chaos. Who is this anchor? Christ, the Son of God. As Jesus calms the storms in the Gospel, He also calms the storms in our lives. So cling to Him! He will not abandon you, even when the world around you seems dark and scary. He will hold you firm, and love you, even when you don’t feel lovable!
The Beatles told us, “All you need is love.” It’s true because Jesus also tells us this!

“If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him? Children let us love not in word or speech, but in deed and truth.” (1 John 3:17-18)

What is love? What does it mean to be loved? How should we give love? How are we to remain in God’s love? This year we will seek answers to these questions.

We are standing witness to our world’s descent into fear, anxiety, and darkness. As Christians we know that only love will heal our world. But this must be a heroic love. This love is focused on the other, rather than ourselves; this love stretches us beyond what is comfortable; this love can only be learned at the foot of the Cross of Christ.

Just as Christ gives of himself completely, we must also give ourselves completely. God has given every person many gifts and talents. At JPII we give completely by placing one’s gifts to the service of the community and others. Hold nothing back! JPII Saints learn to love in truth in every moment and practice love in every action. We will confidently confront the fears and anxieties of the world with the love of Christ! This is Christianity in action…and this is what makes us Saints!
Without light, we are in darkness. At JPII, we do not leave anyone in the dark. Academically – when there is confusion and questions, we bring understanding and answers. The spiritual life at JPII is what drives our community. It is the source of our faith, our hope, and our love. Spiritually, we always seek the light of Christ. We begin each day in prayer hearing from the Gospels, we worship together each week in Mass, we take a day-long retreat during the year, we thank God for the blessings we receive, we ask God for help, we ask for his mercy. It is Christ’s light which grows within each one of us.

Our theme for 2019-2020 is based on Matthew 5:14-16:

You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.

Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lamp stand, where it gives light to all in the house.

Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.

Jesus speaks to his disciples, instructing them to let their light shine. This light does not begin with us, but a fire that grows from God’s love and grace.

Each and every one of the JPII saints is a light. Our goal and desire is for these lights to shine bright so as to bring glory to God and draw others near to Him. It’s all about Jesus, y’all!

So this year, let us all recognize the God-given light within us! Let us shine bright before men so that all can see God’s goodness! Let us truly strive to be saints in this world!
For the 2018-2019 theme, Director of Spiritual Life Ms. Shynett looked to St. John where he wrote in his first letter, “See what love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God. And so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” So the theme for 2018-2019 was AND SO WE ARE. JPII.

Our first identity is that we are children of God. He has given us immense love that we might know Him and love him in return. From this flows our identity as “JPII Saints.” Simply by showing up – being a student, a parent, a sibling, a teacher, a benefactor, or a supporter – you have become a JPII Saint. This community is marked by something special: we do things differently. We work to grow in virtue, we respect one another, we recognize the dignity of every person, we strive for greatness in every moment, we serve one another and the community at large, we pray, we hope, we love. At JPII we put God first. Ultimately we are working to live up to the name of our mascot – the saints.

And so we are. JPII.