During his early teenage years, Diocese of Lansing seminarian Luke Henderson lapsed from the practice of his Catholic faith only to return with greater fervor a few years later through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It was this experience that sparked in him a great appreciation of the worth and, indeed, necessity of the ministerial priesthood. But given his years away from the Church, asked Luke, could God really be calling him to discern the sacred priesthood?
“There was one night, specifically, I remember praying to God: ‘Why would you call someone like me to discern the priesthood?’ And I woke up that night and my TV was on and, out of all movies, starting was Paul, Apostle of Christ,” recalls Luke who is a parishioner at Queen of the Miraculous Medal Parish in Jackson.
“So, I watched that fully and, then, I told my mom about it the next morning and she said: ‘Well, what better answer when you're asking why would someone like you be called than Paul who persecuted Christians before [he was called]?’ And that's really when I just felt that fire [for God] grow stronger in my heart. So, that started me on a path.”
That path now finds 24-year-old Luke studying for the priesthood at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. Please keep Luke, and all the Diocese of Lansing seminarians, in your prayers in the months and years to come. Saint Charles Borromeo, patron of seminarians, pray for him.
• Do you also feel that Almighty God may be to the Sacred Priesthood? Contact Father John Whitlock, Director of Seminarians for the Diocese of Lansing on 517-342-2507 or at jwhitlock@dioceseoflansing.org