Entry One: Intro

I cannot begin to express how grateful I am to God, our Almighty Father, for everything He has done in my life—for calling me to be His priest, to serve His Church as a visible sign of Jesus Christ, our High Priest, here on earth and particularly here in Flushing, MI. This calling, which I am unworthy to have received, can only be lived out if I continually allow the Lord to work through me. Only when my heart remains open to God’s love and the workings of the Holy Spirit will God’s work be accomplished. Essentially, I need to get out of the way and allow God to love His people through me. This is something I never thought was possible, and yet here I am—praise God.

I also want to thank all of you at St. Robert and Good Shepherd. Thank you for graciously welcoming me to your parish community. It is not easy moving to a new place and meeting new people, especially when you do not know anyone. It is also not easy welcoming someone you do not know into your parish, but I have certainly felt welcomed, and that is such a great gift for which I am grateful to all of you. I can certainly tell that the Holy Spirit is working and guiding us here at St. Robert and Good Shepherd. He has incredible plans for all of us, and I am excited to see what He does next.

For my bulletin entries, which will occur once a month, I want to provide you all with a glimpse into my own life. During prayer, I had a thought that it might be interesting to reveal what goes through the heart of a newly ordained priest as he transitions from seminary to living his life as a priest—to help you understand all the joys and sorrows, the successes and failures, the moments that lead to elation, and the moments that lead to heartache that a new priest experiences during his first year of priesthood.

My life is very different from what it used to be. I used to attend daily classes, hang out with my closest friends, study with them, and pray with them every single day. Now, I am with the Lord in Flushing, assisting Fr. Brian, and serving all of you. My community and surroundings have certainly changed, and yet there is consistency in the Lord, in whom I place my trust. No matter where I go, I place my trust in Him who loves me and has saved me.

My goal with these entries is to ultimately show you that a priest, even though he may have a different vocation, is not all that different from you. I am still a man, I am still a disciple of Jesus, and I am still a person in need of community, friendships, hobbies, and support. I too must always surround myself with other disciples who seek to give their lives to God.

“I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” I pray my time here will contribute to our Lord’s wishes—that all our hearts may burn with the fire of divine love. Happy 20th Sunday in OT and have a blessed week.