From the Pastor's Desk- September 13

Dear parishioners,

Father Álvaro asked me to write to you about my upcoming priestly ordination next weekend. I am happy to do so!

On my road to verifying my calling to the priesthood, many elements have helped me hear the Lord’s voice. Sometimes we imagine that the Lord’s calling is abstract and vague. However, it is not. It is concrete. This is why verifying one’s vocation can be difficult; we tend to make the concrete calling appear vague in our minds. We may ask ourselves, “Why would he pick me?” Or, “What good could the Lord see in me?” These questions only distract us. When the Lord calls, we must leave everything behind and follow him. He is the treasure in the field and the perfect pearl. The call of the Lord is concrete because it is an invitation to a deeper relationship with Him.

Where did I see the Good Shepherd’s call for me to become a priest? For me, there are three ways I experienced the Lord calling me. The first was witnessing the work of the priest while serving at daily Mass with my older brother, Corey. Daily Mass, with the Liturgy of the Word, homily, and Eucharist, nourished my daily life in all its aspects. It was there that I experienced the Good Shepherd’s daily care.

Second, I received the care of the Good Shepherd within the context of my family. First, I learned to pray and receive the sacraments with my family at the parish, where the disciples played a significant role. Later, as a Disciple, I continued to witness the role of the Good Shepherd in a more specific way: as a person called to deepen my vocation as a priest with the High Priest. My vocation to the priesthood stems from my religious profession. It was through living with Christ that I knew I was called to have a deeper relationship with Him by serving the Church.

One final place where I discovered my calling was in prayer. The intercession of Our Lady and many saints, including St. Joseph, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Anthony of Padua, and my Guardian Angel, was crucial. Prayer and the spiritual life are often described as combat, and rightly so. To hear the Good Shepherd’s voice and establish a true friendship with Christ, one must die to their old self. This is impossible to do alone, especially in an individualistic society. One needs help from the saints and a spiritual director. When I asked a disciple to guide me spiritually, my vocation story began to flourish. It became much easier to listen to the Holy Spirit when I talked to someone experienced who led a deep spiritual life.

For me, understanding my calling came from recognizing the ways the Lord was present in my life. Being called to be a priest is not just about being a servant, though that is an important aspect. It is also about participating in the priesthood of the high priest. It means serving Him and the Church based on a solid foundation of faith, hope, and love. It is about being a friend of the Good Shepherd.

Can you recognize me and Fr Alvaro in the picture?

God bless you!

Deacon Riley Blanchard, DCJM