My journey to the seminary began as a senior in high school. Two things were prominent in opening my eyes to the possibility of a vocation. One, I was inspired by the example of young priests who conveyed the excitement and adventure of the priesthood. Their joy perplexed me because it contradicted everything the ‘world’ was telling me. How could men be happy without a high paying job and a family? The answer came in the form of a little wafer-shaped host. The Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, the Eucharist, the Real Presence of Jesus Christ alerted me to the reality of the Priesthood. Thus, number two was the Church’s doctrine of Transubstantiation, whereby Jesus Christ becomes ‘really’ present Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity through the consecration of bread at the Mass. It was in the Eucharist that my eyes were opened to the Transcendent. It was in the Eucharist that I saw the beauty, power, and necessity of the Priesthood.

The deal was sealed at college. The ‘world’ still held a grip on my heart and I pursued the many promises the world had made me. However, as I started making money and dreaming of future riches I discovered a great emptiness in my heart. This emptiness redirected me to the Eucharist and the Priesthood. I knew I had to ‘push out into the deep’ and give the seminary a try, because perhaps it was in the Priesthood where I would find the ‘pearl of great price’ that had eluded me. Each and every day of the five years I have been in the seminary has brought me one step closer to the true Pearl wherein my heart finds rest, Jesus Christ.