I was Baptized the day that I was born because I was in danger of dying. From that day onwards, my parents took me to Church every weekend along with the family. It was a regular weekly custom for which I am now grateful. But in my younger years I often did not want to go to Mass. It was not interesting or engaging, and frankly, I thought I had better things to do with my time. As the years went on, I flirted with atheism – not so much in principle, but certainly in practice. I lived, generally, as though God did not exist. 

God definitely was at work in my life through my first experience in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Confirmation… but these moments of grace fell dormant – my heart was elsewhere, most of the time. I would go on to make many hurtful decisions. I was always thinking about how things could benefit me. I was selfish with my decision making, and I didn’t really care if others were hurt. I was serving the unholy trinity of me, myself, and I. In a word, I was a ‘jerk’… to myself, my friends, and especially my family. Life was not about love, it was about the next thrill. 

What really changed things for me was the example of Our Lady – the Blessed Virgin Mary. As I entered the last few years of High School, her example touched me. I’m not sure why – apart from God’s grace—but her example was interesting to me. She was someone who said ‘yes’ to God, and look what happened: God became man, in her womb, at the Annunciation. At the wedding feast of Cana, she intervened, telling the attendants to do ‘whatever [Jesus] tells you to do’. 

I found her example mysteriously interesting. Mary pointed me to her son Jesus in word and deed. I realized that I could also ‘magnify’ God—certainly not in so lofty a way, but in some way nevertheless. So I happened upon a better course in life. I became more peaceful, loving, and joyful – though certainly I have a long ways to go!

A real turning point came when a relationship with a particular girl did not exactly pan out according to plan. At this juncture, I was left with a concrete opportunity to put Mary’s example into practice.  I then felt these words in my soul: “repeat your consecration to my Immaculate Heart”.

I had made that consecration a while before – to try and imitate Mary. But to my sheer horror and fright, I then began getting a call to the priesthood. You see, priesthood in those days would have been perhaps the dead last thing I would have wanted to do with my life. I was not personally attracted to it at all. I wanted a beautiful wife and kids! But God had a different plan for me, and it was time to say ‘yes’ to that- even if it involved saying ‘no’ to myself.

Things then just fell into place. In hindsight, the Priesthood is the most beautiful gift that God could have prepared for me, and I am eternally grateful that he has called me to priestly fatherhood.