Fr. Gary Clark distributes Holy Communion to senior students and teachers serving as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion during school Mass at St. Mary School System in Paducah, in this undated photo. COURTESY OF ST. MARY SCHOOL SYSTEM

Editor’s note: In celebration of the Jubilee of Hope, The Western Kentucky Catholic has launched Pilgrims of Hope, a yearlong blog series inspired by Pope Francis’ Bull of Indiction of the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025: “My thoughts turn to all those pilgrims of hope who will travel to Rome in order to experience the Holy Year and to all those others who, though unable to visit the City of the Apostles Peter and Paul, will celebrate it in their local Churches.” Blog reflections will be written by individuals from across the Diocese of Owensboro, sharing their unique perspectives on the virtue of hope in a world that so greatly needs it.

BY AVA CAMPBELL

Who do you want to present yourself as? What can you do to make things straight? Who do you want to be in faith?

As of right now, I do not know who I want to be. I want to be someone who respects others when they do not respect me. I want to be someone who does not hold grudges. I want to be someone who loves everyone as God loves me.

All of these characteristics can help me overall get to Heaven, and that is my main goal in life. I want to see God face to face and know that I did everything for him. This year, I want to be a representation of Jesus and live throughout his prayers. Jesus would want me to be someone who lives through him.

The only difficult thing is there is sin in the world, there is temptation, and there is hatred. I feel like I can try my hardest to not be tempted, but not everyone is perfect. What is the harm in trying to be the best you can be for God?

Ava Campbell is a senior at St. Mary High School in Paducah, Ky.

To learn more about the Diocese of Owensboro’s celebration of the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025 visit https://owensborodiocese.org/jubilee-year-pilgrims-of-hope/.