Do I have to go to Mass again, I've been in church all week, Mom?" This all too familiar cry of the little Catholic grade school student was the weekly ritual at the Glover household. Having been the protagonist of this drama, I know just how very strong and persistent my Mother had to be in order to drag me into the car every Sunday on our way out the door to Church. Mass, again? I had been there already at school all week? On Monday I was there for a special class mass, and Wednesday I found myself there again for a prayer service, and Friday, of course, was reconciliation time. I was in Church yet again!

Spoiled I was indeed, in the sense that I had grown up in a very Catholic family, even if I did have to go out the door kicking and screaming to Mass almost every Sunday. Having attended Catholic grade school at St. Elizabeth School in Bristol, Rhode Island too familiar with the typical Catholic things that a young Catholic grade school student should be familiar with, such as stern nuns with rulers, plaid uniforms, the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, and an overall excellent values based education. I am very grateful to my parents that the practice of the Catholic faith was continued in the home, although I must admit that I was a little more afraid of my Father should I step out of line, even though Sister might have had the advantage with the ruler in hand. Both of my parents taught me, in essence, what one cannot possibly be learned in the classroom, as they did so with the example of their lives. What they taught me and continue to teach me is that life is about sacrificing yourself for the good of another person, and that it is to be lived in joy and appreciation, that hard work is essential to grow in virtue, forgiveness is not about just saying you're sorry but living it, and that true hope is not just humanistic optimism but consists in a genuine faith in God who supports you along the journey.

Truly, God was there with me all along the way through grade school and high school. He was there as my friend, Jesus. Like most friends we made promises to each other. I promised Him I would stop teasing my sister every night, but for some reason I never really managed to keep that promise. He promised me His love. I promised Him that I would be good to my parents and never really managed to keep that one either. Yet, He continued to keep His end of the deal, unconditional love. Until one day things changed...I was watching television during my sophomore year in high school and came across a tele-evangelist who promised me the salvation of Jesus if I just prayed along with him. I knew that Jesus was my friend already and that He had saved me, yet what struck me was the fact that so many people on the show were giving their lives to Jesus and I wondered if I had really given Him mine, saved and all? So, I prayed along with him and asked God for the grace to finally live up to all those promises I had not quite so lived up to, as much as a 16 year old can do! What I discovered, unfortunately to the dismay of my sister, was not that I was perfect in keeping all of my promises, but that ultimately having a relationship with God is a two way street. God had blessed me with so much and it was now the time to accept the consequences of those blessings. I had to try to love God back.

While in High School I began to take the faith more seriously, as something not just to be prayed, but also to be lived. So, I carried a little pocket bible around with me to every class and I can remember wearing a Jesus is the Reason for the Season pin around during Christmas time. Somehow, I don't think that was quite the essence of being a disciple of Jesus. I decided, though, that attending daily Mass was to be a priority now that I could drive and that beginning every morning with prayer would be a good start to the day. Although, making my sister late for school nearly every day because of my new routine was practically right in line with my "consistent" behavior towards her.

So, I enjoyed high school like any other kid. I took my studies seriously (so maybe not like every high school kid), was very active in sports and extracurricular activities, and had lots of good friendships. And it was there, in high school, that God broke into my little world and revealed to me that He had some interesting plans for me.

Tow particular situations turned out to be cornerstones in the foundation of my vocation during this time. God began to slowly reveal my vocation to the priesthood through my friends. My friends who I had grown up with my entire life, who I had caused trouble with, often me being the one getting them into trouble, began to tell me that I should think about becoming a priest. I thought that they were out of their minds, until one day when I was getting ready for basketball tryouts my sophomore year, one of my friends came up to me in the locker room and asked me if we could pray together to make the team. I could not believe that Chris actually asked me to pray with him, but I did, and we eventually did make the varsity team, which truly was the work of Almighty God! The entire event made me more aware of the way others viewed me. I began to take their advice seriously, that maybe God wanted me to do this sort of as a "job" for the rest of my life, thanks to my friends.

Secondly, God was at work through the example of my parish priests, Fr. Jim Verdelotti and Fr. Henry Zinno. I had been attending confirmation classes and began to listen more attentively to their lectures. Maybe too attentively to one in particular...Fr. Bob Marciano had come to visit our class to give a presentation on vocations and I will never forget what he said to me on the way out of the parish center that Sunday afternoon, "I noticed that you were listening very well to my talk. You will be a priest one day!" I thought, since when did God ever equate listening well to a talk on vocations a sign that one is called to become a priest. Now I think, and warn others, watch very closely to what you've been listening to lately. God's tune is very catchy, if you know what I mean.

Another event bears mentioning during this time that lead to my eventual entrance into the college seminary formation program after high school. I had my final confirmation interview with Fr. Zinno and after our meeting he told me that in the course of his many interviews with other students from my class they had mentioned that I would make a good priest. So, he handed me a copy of the Providence Visitor and suggested that I attend a retreat at the college seminary for men thinking about the priesthood that was advertised within. I thanked him politely and placed my fresh copy of the Visitor in my bottom desk draw and there it would remain, for good. I had made other career plans for myself, anything, I thought, that involved a wife and children.

Somehow I did end up attending that retreat because I knew if I never did "come and see" what the priesthood was all about I might wonder about it for the rest of my life. After continued prayer and discernment throughout my final years of high school I decided that the right thing to do would be to enter the college seminary at Our Lady of Providence Seminary. The only thought at that time that brought me the most joy and interior peace was the thought of serving the Lord and the Church as one of His priests. So, I knew it was the right decision to enter the seminary after high school.

My time at OLP Seminary was an excellent opportunity to discern the priesthood with many other young men considering it also. The rhythm of life there, with daily mass, the liturgy of the hours, weekly conferences, and spiritual direction was beneficial in deepening my awareness of the gifts God had given me as well as the varied ways He was calling others to follow Him. Yet, but the end of my sophomore year something interesting happened to me. In as much as I felt called to the priesthood I also felt that God was also calling me to leave the seminary at that time. It was not that I d not think I had a vocation to the priesthood, but there were many 'doors' that were opened up for me at Providence College during that time and I understood it to be God's way of allowing me another context in which to discern His will for my life. And as difficult a decision it was to leave the seminary, still feeling called to the priesthood, having to explain my decision to family members and friends, I absolutely know today that it was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. I know that I would not be the person I am today had I not left the college seminary for Providence College.

My time at Providence College was some of the best-spent years of my life. I had wanted to discern God's will for me outside the all too familiar context of the seminary and God had given me the perfect opportunity to do so. God had placed an amazing group of friends in my life, who are still today a very fundamental part of my life and vocation to the priesthood that I can claim this as one of His greatest blessings to me during this time spent away from seminary formation. In my relationships with them my desire to be a priest only increased because I saw myself among them as one wanting to serve. Also, without a doubt, His greatest blessing to me during this time was the gift of Leah. I had fallen in love and like any experience of love it changes you, challenges you, and transforms you. I know to this day that I will be a better priest because of what we shared. God's grace was there in these moments at Providence College calling me to realize that my heart would only be restless until it rested in His.

After college I did not want to enter major seminary right away because I still felt called to discern God's call away from that context. I wanted to have the experience of working and living away from Rhode Island in order to discern if God would still be calling me even in this context, as if somehow things would be different if I moved to a different state! Yes, God does live and work outside of Rhode Island in case you were wondering! So, I moved down to Maryland and took a teaching job in a Catholic school right outside of Washington, DC. Living on my own, away from my family and friends, having to start a new life in some ways, allowed me the time to reflect on my life and the many blessings God had given me. As a grade school teacher, I was blessed with the opportunity to be part of the lives of many students. Yet, what I loved about teaching them the most was not about the Ancient Roman Empire, nor about decimals and fractions, but about Jesus! I had a love for teaching in general, but even more specifically a love for teaching my students about God. So, the more I began to become part of the parish school and church community in Bethesda, the more I realized that God was calling me to dedicate my entire life to the service of the catholic community as a priest.

I knew the only thing left to do was call Fr. Kenney at the seminary in Providence and schedule a meeting over my Christmas break to ask to be accepted as a seminary for the Diocese of Providence once again. The thought of returning to the seminary to continue my formation for the priesthood brought me much joy and interior peace because I knew that throughout all my experiences at Providence College and in Washington DC God had been there all along the way guiding me to this particular moment. My decision to return to seminary formation was the fruit of much prayer and discernment, but even more so, it was the grace of God's presence in all the twists and turns in my life.

From 'spoiled' grade school student to the grade school teacher, God was there calling me to the priesthood all the way. Only this time, as one of God's priests, I don't think I'll be able to get away with the same excuse if I ask Mom to be excused from Mass "because I've been there all week!"