The Calling: A Priestly Vocation Testimony by Fr Justin Uzabeaga | Discernment of Priesthood

Fr Justin Uzabeaga recently celebrated his second anniversary as a priest. He gives an honest account of his calling to the priesthood, and of the fulfilment of this calling over the last two years.

“It’s hard to put into words what it’s like to experience the special ministry of doing this priestly work of the sacraments and preaching and teaching,” Fr Justin says.

“Over the last two years, I’ve really felt that calling come alive as I’ve gone out and preached the Gospel, baptised new Christians, prayed for the sick, ministered the sacraments.”

He adds, “I felt like I’ve found who I am. And it’s been such a privileged couple of years.”

But it wasn’t always like this. As a young adult in his early twenties, Fr Justin wrestled with the idea of becoming a priest. He says, “The truth is, I never wanted to become a priest. I remember praying to God, ‘God, you might be real, but if you’re real I don’t want to become a priest!” True story,” he says with a smile.

So, what changed?

“I found out that God is real,” Fr Justin says.

It was a pivotal moment in 2013, while serving on the Youth Mission Team during his gap year. We got to go to this Easter event called Light to the Nations. At one of the triduum masses, I was standing at the back of the tent and the priests began to process in, and as they processed in, something inside of me just woke up. 

It was like time slowed down and I felt this desire rise up within me and I remember thinking, ‘I want to join the Army of God.’ And then it died down and I was like, ‘What was that?’ What was that, ‘I want to join the Army of God?!’”

He was shocked to think that God may be calling him to be a priest.

““I realised that it was very possible that God wanted me to - very clearly, very clearly, and miraculously - to become his priest.”

So the year after he took some time and “really discerned it.” He says, “I spoke to some good people and I realised that inside of me, I had this desire to become a Missionary of God’s Love priest .. this great desire to join the Army of God.”

While this was a surprise to Fr Justin, it was no surprise to his family.

“My family have always teased me - they’ve said, ‘You’ve always wanted to be a priest’ because when I was young, and my youngest brother was being baptised, I went up to the baptismal water and I started to wash my hands in it. 

And my family just said after looking back at that recently in the family videos: ‘Look, you just wanted to be the priest even back then - you wanted to baptise him.”

Now, as Fr Justin baptises, prays for and ministers to others, he experiences the fulfilment of a calling that was always part of God’s plan.