I grew up attending Christ the King, and it was there that I first fully opened my heart to the priesthood. Fr. Ed was preaching one Sunday when I was in high school, and he mentioned the lack of priests in the Church. I remember turning to the tabernacle and saying, not from a place of guilt or pressure but from a place of freedom, “God, if you want me to be a priest, I am willing to do that.” From that simple yes, God has planted a deep desire in my heart for the priesthood. One instance of this desire bursting within my heart came in my senior year at Ave Maria University. I was serving an evening Mass in the student chapel, and I looked out over the congregation of students. My heart surged with love for them, and I wondered how I could adequately express this love. Then, I realized that the priest uniquely participates in highest expression of love, the Cross, which becomes truly present to us at the Altar. At the Altar, the priest completely immolates himself with Christ on the Cross, offering himself to the Father as a gift of love for the entire Church. The prospect of being completely surrendered to the Father and giving myself over for others filled my heart with joy. While I can participate in Christ’s Crucifixion even now, I hope to deepen that participation as a priest at the Altar.