Why become a priest now? ‘I want to be a medic on the battlefield of life’

From my Patheos neighbor and friend Father Matthew Schneider, a great witness from a seminarian who explains why he still wants to be a priest, in spite of everything:

One afternoon, after reading article after article about the extensive abuse, I asked myself why I was still studying to be a priest. […] What was my intention? Did I want the benefits of a priestly life? Did I want to escape the world that was seemingly falling apart around me? Did I have something to hide? Then in an illuminating moment, all of my fears and anxiety faded away.

I was reminded why I wanted to become a priest; I wanted to serve Jesus Christ and his Church. I wanted to be a medic on the battlefield of life, binding the wounds left by sin, carrying my brothers and sisters into the safety of the Father’s arms. This was my vocation, and no sin of any priest or bishop could stop me from pursuing that purpose that God had created me for. […]

The priesthood may be disfigured by sinful men who have hidden in its ranks, but the Catholic priesthood is still the love of the heart of Jesus, a self-emptying sacrificial love.

How awesome is that? Read more.