And then there was one...

If you notice the countdown clock on the left side of my blog, you will see that we have passed the one month marker to my ordination, God willing. One month from today (April 26th), Archbishop Naumann will lay his hands on my head, pronounce the prayer of consecration and call upon the Holy Spirit to forever ordain me a priest of Christ. I will lie prostrate on the floor, symbolizing my dying to a life of self and I will rise again as a servant of God's people giving my life for the Church. The archbishop will anoint my hands with Sacred Chrism forever consecrating them for the ministry of the Church, especially in the celebration of the Eucharist.

All these rituals will occur in less than 30 days, God willing. It is extremely exciting and a little terrifying at the same time. I have huge anticipation for my ordination and just a little fear as well. The responsibility that will be given to me is absolutely immense. It is a responsibility that is very humbling. It is a responsibility that I absolutely cannot fulfill alone. Only by the grace of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit can I even begin to assume this responsibility.

Borrowing a major event in the world, I have decided to blog each day from now to the Thursday before my ordination. My blog entries will consist simply of my thoughts and reflections on preparation for priesthood and for the responsibilities I will assume, God willing. This might seem to be rather odd for me to express these thoughts to an open forum, but my hope is that it will inspire others considering priesthood or religious life to have a better understanding of what God is calling them to. This was the original intent of my blog site when I started blogging over 2 years ago. I am not afraid to express my thoughts nor am I hesitant to share them. I only ask that if you wish to comment on them that you do so through my motime email (click on the Contact Me icon below my bio to the left) instead of the comments element of the blog.

Pray for me. Pray that the Almighty gives me the courage to live as a holy priest of the Church. Pray that I may receive the grace I will need to shepherd God's People faithfully. Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide me and open my heart to the will of God, who is eternally with us. I find great comfort in the wonderful and loving God of us all.

God is great...all the time. All the time...God is great. Pray for me. Until tomorrow...God bless.

posted by: crossman at 17:27 | link | comments |
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