The first time that I encountered the call to the priesthood came on a Steubenville
Conference in Louisiana. This conference is for High School teenagers, and I was just about to start the 9th grade (The youth here at Christ the Redeemer attend this conference every year).
At the end of the conference, they asked anyone who is open to consider the priesthood to come to the front of the auditorium. When they said this, I felt a burning sensation in my heart, and I knew that I needed to go forward. I decided to go forward, and while I was walking up, I felt a
great sense of peace with the thought of becoming a priest.
However, after the conference, I did not give much thought or prayer to this call that I
experienced. I went through most of high school not thinking about being a priest. I planned on going to college and having a family. God, on the other hand, had different plans. Periodically throughout high school, God would remind me of my call to the priesthood, and I would initially be open to the call, but I would never really discerned if God was truly calling me, until I was a senior.
During my senior year, I had to start making decisions about my future. I applied to a
couple of colleges, and I planned on majoring in mechanical engineering, but in the spring
semester of my senior year, I began to experience some anxiety and unrest. I was worried that I was not going to get into the school that I wanted to go to, and the girl that I liked at the time did not like me. These two things really stressed me out as a young high school senior. God however did not give up on me. Through His grace, I recognized that I needed to develop a prayer life. I knew that peace was only found with Jesus, and if I wanted to find the true peace that comes only from a relationship with Him, I should probably start spending time with Him. I then decided that I would go to my parish’s adoration chapel every day. Some days, I was there for 20 minutes, and other days, I was there for five minutes, but I kept my commitment to go every day.
During my visits with Jesus, I began to pour out my stresses before Him. I began to
explain my anxieties and fears, especially about the future. After pouring out my anxieties about the future, God revealed to me that I haven’t asked Him what He made me for. I was reminded of what my parents always told me when I was growing up. Every time I told them what I wanted to do or become when I grow up, they said, “Just make sure you do what God wants you to do.” I then began to ask God what He created me for. I did not receive an answer right away, but I kept returning to the adoration chapel, and I kept asking Him this question. Finally, I was reminded of the times that I felt the call to the priesthood, and I realized that I had never prayed about those experiences.
I began to pray about those experiences and I again felt the peace that I originally felt
when I heard the call at Steubenville. I decided to then talk to the pastor at my parish, and he connected me with the Vocation Director of the Archdiocese. After a few conversations with the Vocation Director and some more prayer, I discovered that God was calling me to enter the seminary. I then entered the seminary and continued to discern if God was calling me to the priesthood.
Now, six years later, I feel confident that God is calling me to be a priest, and I am excited to serve God and His people as a priest. In reflecting on how God called me, I encourage all parents to tell their children to follow God’s plan for their life because only when we follow God’s plan are we truly fulfilled. Also, I encourage everyone to discern God’s will for their life, and this process begins by establishing a relationship with God by praying to Him and listening to Him every day. Thank you to all who have prayed for me and supported me during my time at Christ the Redeemer. Please pray for me as I continue to journey toward the priesthood. Be assured that you will always have a special place in my heart.