His will is my will

Young adults pray at Eucharistic Adoration at the Young Adult Summer Nights at St. Ann Parish in Burleson. (NTC/Matthew Redden)

It’s helpful for those discerning a vocation to hear stories of how Jesus Christ called someone to follow Him as a priest or religious. 

I’ll share a little about my story. 

I always knew God was real when I was growing up, that He loved me, that He had a purpose for me. I would go with my mom to St. Vincent de Paul in Arlington for Sunday Mass, kicking and screaming. At 16, I got confirmed and quit going to Mass altogether. I was really interested in sports, in my friends, and finding a girlfriend.

But I was beginning to sense in myself that I was unhappy, that something was deeply missing. 

St. Paul says in Philippians: “Their God is their stomach; their glory is in their ‘shame.’ Their minds are occupied with earthly things” (3:19). My God had become my stomach; that is, I was only searching after my own pleasure, my own desires. My mind was occupied with only earthly things.

This deep unhappiness in my life eventually led me to say, “Lord, I need you. I need your help.” 

When I was 22, I began praying every day and reading the Bible for the first time. Then my aunt gave me a book called “Catholicism for Dummies.” It changed my life! I never knew Jesus Christ was in the Eucharist — Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. I never knew I could go to confession and have all my sins forgiven. I never knew the Catholic Church was 2,000 years old. When I read this, I was inspired to go to reconciliation after 15 years. It was powerful! Christ forgave all my sins. I encountered His love and mercy in a profound way. I had a joy and peace I had never had before. 

From that moment on, I began trying to go to Mass and Adoration every day, to pray the Rosary often, and be active in my local parish, St. Philip the Apostle in Flower Mound. 

From there, I told God my happiness would come only from following His will, not mine. I wanted to get married, have kids, but I was willing to sacrifice that for what God wanted for me. I enjoyed sharing the love of Christ with others, so I thought maybe God was calling me to some ministry in the Church. I got in touch with the vocation director, Father Kyle Walterscheid, and he prudently said to wait at least a year before joining seminary. I continued working at Chili’s as a waiter, helping out at St. Philip, and growing in my relationship with Jesus Christ. 

I finally entered seminary, and the glove fit: I enjoyed it, I was able to flourish, and I had a desire to offer the sacraments to the people of God. It became clear to me this was where God wanted me to be, even though I had strong desires to be a husband and father. 

Just the other day, I saw a video of a kid catching his first big fish with his dad, and they are going crazy with excitement. That experience looked awesome, but that is not what God wants for me. What He wants for me is to preach and teach the Word of God, to absolve sinners in reconciliation, to baptize babies and adults, to bring sacraments to the dying and prepare them for eternal life, to be another Christ for people in all their ups and downs of life. 

I love being a Catholic priest. It’s tough, but so is any other vocation. God’s grace is sufficient. He wants us to trust in Him daily. 

I hope my vocation story can help someone discerning his or her vocation. This is how the Lord led me, and I pray you trust Him enough to lead you to the amazing vocation He wants for you. All you have to do is say yes to Him each day.