“Realizing that the Lord qualifies the called instead of calls the qualified helped to put the entire vocation in perspective.”

Meet Joseph Lennon, Theology I Seminarian for the Archdiocese of Detroit.

How did you experience God’s call to be a priest?

The first time I felt called to be a priest I was four years old. I loved to “play Mass”, it brought a lot of joy to spend my days as a child “playing Mass” as the priest. The priest at my parish was a great role model for me. Then in college, at a silent retreat, during adoration; I heard the Lord once again inviting me to be a priest for Him.

How has your relationship with Jesus grown since you entered seminary?  

Since entering seminary, I have been able to grow in my prayer life and apostolic work. By spending time in quiet prayer, I allow the Lord to share His very being and life with me. Through serving the people of God I have had the beautiful experience of being Christ to everyone and seeing Christ in them. 

Did you have any fears about pursuing the call to the priesthood? If so, how did you overcome them?

There was definitely the fear that I was not good enough to be a priest and that the Lord could have chosen a million other men to be priest. But realizing that the Lord qualifies the called instead of calls the qualified helped to put the entire vocation in perspective.

What attracts you about the priesthood?

I want to live out what St. Paul writes about in Galatians, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me”. I want to do this as a priest! In persona Christi! 

“To go from men to God to offer Him their prayers, and to return from God to men to bring pardon and hope”. This quote from Lacordaire says it all. The priest does this most profoundly in the holy Sacrifice of the Mass, but he also does it through every action of his life.

Who has helped you the most on your journey to pursue this vocation?

Fr. Jeffery Day was the priest at my home parish growing up, he was a great model of living a joyful priesthood for me. My Grandpa and Grandma Lennon were very encouraging of my desire for priesthood growing up (my grandpa is a deacon and my grandma made me vestments when I was a boy  to “play Mass”). Finally living in a parish, the year before I entered seminary with Fr. Tim Birney, Fr. Adam Novak, and Fr. Steve Mateja gave me a first-hand look into the life of a parish priesthood.

Do you have any advice for young men considering a vocation to the priesthood?

Be not afraid and trust in the Lord! Jesus wants your life to be filled with joy and fulfilling, if you are called to be a priest, it is in this vocation that you will find joy and fulfillment! I heard seminary described this way and it helped me greatly in the undergrad program: seminary is a place where I encounter Jesus, where I fall in love with Jesus, and Jesus shows me my vocation! He will show you your vocation in seminary, whether that is to be a priest or not!