To say that altar serving was transformative in my life would be an understatement. Whenever I entered the sacristy and began to vest for Mass, I felt a profound contentment. The closer I was to the altar, the more at peace I felt. I entered into the liturgy much more deeply than I had when I simply attended Mass. Previously, attending Mass had been like looking at a beautiful painting; when serving, it was like viewing the same painting through 3-D glasses. I noticed things that I never had before, and the entire experience was much more vivid and moving.

When a seminarian was tasked with training altar servers in some changes our new pastor wanted to implement, I was intrigued. We conversed a lot, and he asked if I wanted to learn how to be Master of Ceremonies (a role that helps prepare for the Mass and assists the priest in ensuring the proper flow of the liturgy). I accepted, eager to learn more. Eventually, this same seminarian also asked if I’d ever thought about the priesthood, noting how seriously I took the liturgy and how eager I was to participate in it.

In the past, the people who had mentioned the priesthood to me didn’t really know me. This time, it was different. This seminarian knew me well – we had served Mass together, he had taught me a lot about the liturgy, and I admired him for his reverence and knowledge. He arranged for me to talk to the diocesan vocations director, who pointed out several areas in my life that indicated a potential calling and asked me to consider them. For the first time, I started to think seriously about being a priest. It was such a big and unexpected change that it took several months for me to truly process.

My mind was full of uncertainty, so my prayer became a simple one: “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” I asked God what he wanted me to do, and He quieted my doubts. The profound silence was loud and clear. I applied to the seminary, and have not looked back since.

I look forward to serving as a priest of the Diocese of Memphis – to training the next generation to serve the Mass, to helping lead youth ministry, and most of all, to serving at the altar daily, bringing the True Presence of Christ’s Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity to His people in the celebration of the Eucharist.