It was at this moment where God impressed upon me that this was a priest who was laying down his life through prayer, preaching and his example so that souls may have life through the merciful, redeeming love of Christ.
I would eventually find myself back in Europe in college. During my travels there, I was greatly inspired in seeing the history of the Catholic Faith as seen at various Marian Shrines and the tombs of the saints and martyrs. I would see Pope John Paul II again during the last moments of his life in Rome and be present for his last Easter blessing at Saint Peter's Basilica. A week after this, I would find myself travelling with my fellow classmates and thousands of other people to see the Pope’s body in state. This was one of the most profound moments of my life and it led me to reflect more about becoming a priest. On the day of the election of Cardinal Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI, I remember going before the Blessed Sacrament to offer a prayer of thanksgiving to God for his election. It was at this moment when God made me realize the reality of His love for me and how my love for Him and His Church was at the very core of who I was as a person. From this moment on, I knew that He was calling me to lay down my life in service to Him and His Church as a priest.
We need priests to serve as examples of holiness and love in our fallen world and to continue Our Lord’s work of salvation. I encourage all young men discerning a vocation to stay close in prayer to Our Lady and the Blessed Sacrament for they are the pillars of priestly life. I also encourage you to not be afraid to entrust your lives completely to Christ, for it is through this that you will find Him and also find your vocation."
| Name: | Matthew MacDonald | |
| Age: | 25 | |
| Hometown: | Lynbrook, NY | |
| Seminary Year: | I Theology (Class of 2013) | |
| What is drawing you to the priesthood?: | God is calling me to be a priest to preach the Gospel for the salvation of souls. He has placed this call on my heart and I am striving to respond faithfully to Him. I am also motivated to become a priest to help strengthen Catholic community, which is threatened by the secularism of our culture. | |
| Parish: | Church of Saint Vincent Ferrer, New York, NY (Lexington & East 63rd Street) |
|
| Interests: | History, Philosophy, Politics, New York Mets Baseball, Sports, Travelling, Singing, Fishing, and Writing | |
| Favorite Movies: | The Passion of the Christ, Gladiator, Braveheart, Ben Hur, Becket, Michael Collins, Saving Private Ryan, Hoosiers, Lord of the Rings Trilogy | |
| Favorite Books: | Imitation of Christ, True Devotion to Mary, The Sacred Heart and the Priesthood, Providence, The Spirit of the Liturgy, The Person and the Common Good, A Man for All Seasons, Story of a Soul, To Kill a Mockingbird | |
| Favorite Quote: | "For this cause I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom all paternity in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened by His Spirit with might unto the inward man, that Christ may dwell by faith in your hearts; that being rooted and founded in charity, you may be able to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth, and length, and height, and depth: To know also the charity of Christ, which surpasses all knowledge, that you may be filled unto all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:14-19 |
|
| Blog: | http://instaurareinchristo.blogspot.com/ |
