Something occurred to me, perhaps inspired by our Blessed Lord, at the Easter Vigil last night. It marked the second occasion when I had to "work" during the holiest night of the year. The first time was the Easter Vigil of 2005 when I was received into Mother Church. My home parish, Holy Trinity, has a baptismal font large enough for full immersion. Monsignor James Kidder, my pastor, made sure I was completely submerged with each invocation to the Three Persons of the Trinity. Four years later - last night - came the second time. This time I was in cassock and surplice instead of a baptismal garment. The last time I became a new person in Christ, the scarlet of my sins made white as snow by His blood. This time I was wearing the garments of one who serves our Blessed Lord in the Mass. My duties were quite simple on the surface: hold the book for Bishop Soto to read, carry the bowl for the rite of sprinkling, and carry one candle in procession. "He who is faithful in little things will be entrusted with greater things." I am nearly at the end of my first year in the seminary with six years more to go. Seeing the forty catechumens and candidates be received into the Church - seeing them where I was four years ago - filled me with peace and joy.
Our Lord granted me the grace to love them as the People of God. I applied to our Diocese and I desire to be a priest because I sincerely believe it is God's will for me. Seeing the newest members of our Church also confirmed me in my zeal for souls. I want to be a priest because I want to win souls for Christ. I want to receive them into the Church, to reconcile sinners to God, and to be with them at the moment of death to give them their last taste of the Heavenly food on their earthly exile before they enjoy the Presence of our Lord forever.
I will be forever grateful to God for being so generous to me, far more than a sinner like me deserves. If the words we write on this blog inspire even one man to answer the call to serve our Blessed Lord as a priest, or one sinner to reform his life, then we must once again give thanks and glory to God for working miracles of grace through weak vessels of clay like ourselves.
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