William Muraski

My story is summed up in a bunch of circles, going out from Jesus and then always coming back to Him. Sometimes they go way out, sometimes they barely leave, but they always return.

I was raised in a fantastic Catholic home. I have five brothers, and my dad was in the military for the first 16 years of my life and as you can imagine this has shaped who I am today very much. My first memorable choice for Jesus was between 7th and 8th grade. I had been on a retreat and one day at mass the Eucharist was raised during the consecration and I thought to myself, “if this is really God then I have to either change how I live and follow Him completely, or I have to deny it all and leave.” I made the 7th graders version of choosing Jesus and tried my hardest to do that every day after. But the world being the world, it wasn’t that easy, and I quickly found myself feeling pulled away from Jesus and back into habits of the world.

This encounter really became the pattern of my life. Encountering Jesus, hearing His call, feeling His Love, doing my best to choose Him and follow Him, making some progress and changes in life, and then being reminded that I am weak and cannot live the Christian life without Him due to an experience of sin or shame. I always return to Him.

This has continued to be true as I have pursued Him during my year of service with NET Ministries, where I first learned to truly live on His grace, given through personal daily prayer and sacraments. It was also true during my years at Franciscan University. It is true now, during my time at Annunciation Heights Catholic camp and as I learn to be a loving Husband, Father to my wife and two kids, and leader in a mission centered organization.

Now more than ever those circles away from Jesus are smaller and smaller and life shows it every day. I get to spend my days working to bring Youth and Families away to the mountains where Jesus comes to them in His beauty and peace, and after work I get to love on my family, grow with my friends, and live with Jesus in the simplicity of home life. I never do it perfectly, and I still have those circles away from Jesus, but with His providence, love, and mercy, I always am pulled back. It’s simple, but not easy.