As I sit in the hotel restaurant in Tucson, AZ, awaiting the third and final ordination I will be attending this season with and for friends, I'm feeling an enormous sense of gratitude in my heart. I absolutely love being a priest! Not because I get to travel a lot (which is a nice perk) but because I have the unique opportunity to meet so many people and discuss with them those intimate desires of their hearts. I don't only have these discussions with Catholics; I have these discussions with atheists, agnostics, protestants, muslims, and mostly with people who "don't care." 

Traveling to my friends ordinations these past three weeks has been a blast and a great reminder of my primary responsibility to pray and offer sacrifice for the people of God.  The only way I, as a priest, am going to be an effective minister of God's mercy and love is if I pray daily (especially the Liturgy of the Hours) and offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with the respect and reverence the celebration deserves. 

Do I fail in this? 

     All. The. Time. 

Do I let my failures stop me from starting again? 

     Sometimes. 

But once I get back on that horse, I'm starting from where I left off in my relationship with God. Unlike us, God is faithful and never abandons us, no matter how often we abandon him. Being a saint is hard work and not just for priests...for everybody. But just as a married couple is reminded of their vows at another wedding, I'm reminded of mine at these ordinations and how lucky I am that God called me to this awesome vocation.

Please please please continue praying for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Please pray for all the new priests this year around the world and for all priests that  we will continue in our own vocation to the universal call to holiness. We all need help and prayer is the best help.