Deacon Christopher Gray

Intermountain Catholic

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God has called me to a life of service for his people, and on Oct. 4 last year the Church confirmed that vocation in my ordination to the diaconate.

I look forward to my priestly ordination June 29, a decisive moment in the path that has brought me closer to the vocation God has given me, closer to being the man I am supposed to be, and most particularly closer to Jesus Christ, whose priest I will become.

The priest, who is minister of the Word, of the sacraments, and an instrument of true communion, should always be turned toward the adoration of the divine and so convey that orientation to all.

On the cusp of beginning to share in this particular vocation, I see that this can only be carried out through a deliberate and constant living-out of the vocation, being a full-time bearer of the presence of Christ through ordinary actions and everyday tasks.

Looking forward to my priesthood, I am driven by one fundamental desire: that all people may love Christ.

This is not a forced or ideological mindset; rather a natural, unifying motion within the Church set in motion by the Holy Spirit. My years of preparation for the priesthood have been grounded in learning to follow the promptings of the Spirit, a work which is essential to following the action of the Spirit in the future.

I pray constantly to be more humble, to be more loving, to be more obedient because I want to be a better disciple of the Lord. I want to be a priest that is for others and with others; for this I have already promised obedience, chastity, and prayer, hallmarks of the priestly life I will soon share with priests of the Diocese of Salt Lake City.

The Rev. Mr. Christopher P. Gray is studying at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome for a degree in Christology.