PRAY: NOVENA FOR PRIESTLY ORDINANDS DAY #8 | DEACON CHRISTIAN SALATA: Today we pray for our seventh priestly ordinand, Deacon Christian Salata, who is due to be ordained to the sacred priesthood for the Diocese of Lansing this Saturday by Bishop Earl Boyea at Saint Thomas Aquinas parish in East Lansing.
Deacon Christian Salata hails from the parish of Christ the King in Ann Arbor. Upon ordination to the priesthood, he is due to serve as Parochial Vicar of Saint Robert, Flushing, and Good Shepherd, Montrose. So how does he feel ahead of the big day on Saturday? He says:
“I look forward to walking with people on their faith journey toward God. In seminary, we spend a lot of time praying, studying, reading, and learning about God, and right now I am eager to share with others the love that I have experienced from God.To someone who is discerning: Do not wait for a crystal clear response from our Lord about what you are called to do with your life. God speaks to us in our thoughts, feelings, and desires. If someone is feeling or has a desire to try out religious life, they should move in that direction. Do not let fear prohibit you from moving towards your desires of giving your life to God.What I have learned from the seminary: God is able to work with my own weaknesses. I do not have to be perfect to proclaim God’s message of love. This may seem basic, but there is a difference between understanding this message intellectually and experiencing it personally. My time as a traditional deacon has prepared me for this, when writing homilies and offering words of advice to people I have encountered. God can do such marvelous things with those who respond with a yes to His invitation.” Let us pray:
Day 8: Let us pray for the gift of religious sisters and brothers to serve the Church.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be…
Let us pray: Hear us, we beseech you, Lord, our God, and pour out on these your servants the blessing of the Holy Spirit, that these men, who are to be consecrated to your service, may be surrounded by your rich and unfailing grace.Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
