Call to Priesthood | Ordinary Men Doing Extraordinary Things for Christ

At his ordination, Fr Chris Eaton MGL spoke of the importance of being ordinary and his call to the priesthood.

I’ve just been reflecting over my life and I think a really significant moment for me was about 12 years ago when I was on a NET team (National Evangelisation Team).

I remember one day, it was actually during vocations week, I was getting some brochures to bring back to our house to give to the young people to tell them about vocations and to be open. As I was walking back to the house I flipped one open, had a look and I saw a picture of a priest and he was throwing a rugby ball. I thought, 'Wow, he's pretty ordinary!'

As I read this brochure it said, ‘Priests are ordinary men called to do extraordinary things for Christ and his Church.’

As I read those words I thought to myself, ‘I know I’m ordinary and God might call me one day.’

I guess that was the opening for me to start to think about the priesthood.

I spent two years on the NET team. I thought about it, prayed about it, talked to my team mates about it and I eventually plucked up the courage to talk to a priest about it, Fr Rick Loughnan. I told him I was really thinking about the priesthood and I wanted to give it a go. And so I went away and shortly afterwards I guess the magnitude of the whole thing came upon me and I thought, ‘I don’t think I can do this.’

I got cold feet.

So I went back to Fr Rick and we prayed together … there was an image of Jesus sitting on some steps and in my mind it was like Jesus was sitting on the staircase that my dad actually built in our home, and he was saying to me, ‘Just take one step at a time and I’ll be with you all the way.’ I realised at that moment that I was trying to jump to the top of the staircase just by taking a small step.

So I took that advice to take it one step at a time and I eventually joined Good Shepherd House which is a formation house in Christchurch for diocesan priests. I was there for two years and after the first year I felt good where I was but as I thought about the future I thought, ‘I don’t know if this is where I’m really meant to be.’

So I borrowed Fr Rick’s computer to use the internet and I felt like I was going behind his back looking up all these religious orders! Anyway, I came across the MGLs and as I read about their way of life, brotherhood and mission, I thought, ‘If I’m going to be a priest, that’s the kind of priest I want to be.’

One night I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d pray, and I just had this overwhelming experience of God’s love, and just a real sense of God’s call. I really felt this desire - I want to be an MGL priest - and just a sense of God’s peace.

I can honestly say I’ve really found that peace has stayed with me over the years. I’ve gone through ups and downs but I’ve still experienced this deep peace and this call of God in my life. I’m very grateful to this call and to be able to have the courage and strength to step into the priesthood.

Something I really want to take into the priesthood and into my life, is that I really want to be an ordinary guy. I want to be down to earth and human. I think it’s so important.

To be a pastor and to be in love with Jesus.