Greetings! Please pray for Greg Lambert! He will be ordained a priest for Dubuque this Saturday May 25. Instes of me, Fr. Kevin writing a column, I thought I’d just share here some of Greg Lambert’s own words:
Where/when did your sense of call develop?
After my mother decided to turn back toward the Church and have her children baptized, everything was different in the household. We started going to Mass and learning the scriptures. Still, I was looking for a purpose of what it meant to be Catholic. What is the point of pouring all one’s time into religion? What do I get out of it, you know? My freshman year of high school I got invited to my first parish youth group event and never looked back. A group of people similar in age to me, with a fire for their faith was instrumental in the building of my own faith life. All of us grew in our faith together, and made memories doing it. I quickly became a leader within the group, and noticed a dormant potential not yet realized. It was this group that would introduce the word “vocation” to me.
Who were/are your biggest influences?
My biggest influences came from both positive and negative experiences. I have met amazing priests who have inspired me to go deeper into my faith, push myself when it comes to communicating, and to truly be nourished by the scriptures in search of truth. Amongst all the positive experiences, I’ve had negative experiences with priests as well. This is to say both inspire me to be generous in the giving of myself to this call. God does not deserve a fraction of us, he requires our whole being. If one truly loves something, you will put every ounce of who you are into fighting for its fruition.
What advice would you give other men who are discerning their call?
Coming from a bigger city (I’m not originally from Iowa), finding community is a serious factor on how comfortable one can be in an area. I quickly become enamored with how tightly Iowans stick together. The people of these small towns know each other and defend their community with the ferocity of fighting for a family member. This distinct characteristic of Iowa is something that endeared me to the area and has pushed me to come out of my comfort zone, while at the same time expanding my horizons. My advice to anyone discerning God’s call to the priesthood is to have people close to you that can help you stay grounded. You’re not applying to an everyday field. There is a lot that comes with this endeavor and it’s easy to get overwhelmed in just the application process, so you should have a few good friends that know you well. You don’t need a lot, just a few. Those people are pivotal in keeping you grounded throughout this process. The point of this call to ascend to the altar, but also be able to be amongst the people. God does not wish to cut us off from reality, no matter what the vocation is.
