Beautiful: Philip Johnson is ordained a priest

These pictures popped up on Facebook today.

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As OSV noted in 2014:

Johnson was on the brink of a shining time in his young life when he was diagnosed with incurable and inoperable brain cancer. He was 24 with excellent career prospects as a Naval officer.  Johnson entered the seminary to pursue the priesthood — a call he’d heard since the age of 19. Patients with his type of cancer are typically given 18 months to live; but six years later, despite the pain and struggle associated with his illness, he is hoping to be ordained a transitional deacon in the spring.

Of his suffering, Johnson wrote: “I have traveled to Lourdes, France, the site of a Marian apparition and a place of physical and spiritual healing that is visited by millions of pilgrims each year. I have had the great opportunity to serve the infirm there who trust in God with their whole hearts to make sense of their suffering. Through my interaction with these people, I received much more than I gave. I learned that the suffering and heartache that is part of the human condition does not have to be wasted and cut short out of fear or seeking control in a seemingly uncontrollable situation. Perhaps this is the most important miracle that God intends for me to experience.”

You can find more photos at New Liturgical Movement, where they note:

His cancer has been “on hold” for about a decade at this point, a beautiful miracle; please offer a prayer that this will remain the case, and that he will be able to serve the Church as a priest for many, many years. Please also offer a prayer for His Excellency Michael Burbidge, the Bishop of Raleigh, who has supported Fr Philip in his vocation. To them both, to Fr Philip’s family, and to the faithful of the Diocese of Raleigh, we offer our heartiest congratulations – ad multos annos!

Amen.

Photos: Facebook