Theodore Devine, 20
Archdiocese of Detroit
Second-Year College
MEET YOUR SEMINARIANS
“Jesus, come get me”
G
od’s grace has always been with me. My
mother passed away when I was very young,
but God was with my family. By the grace of God,
my dad got remarried to a wonderful woman.
My stepmother taught me how to pray the rosary, and Catholic
prayers. The biggest impact was going to daily Mass with her.
Here I learned how to snuff the candles, and through this very
small act of service I began to want to serve God.
In grade school and high school, this desire for priesthood faded
away. I focused on being liked and successful in this world rather
than focusing on my faith life. However, God wasn’t finished with
me yet. A few pivotal moments in high school drew me toward the
Lord again. The first was going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation
where I decided to tell the priest all of my sins. When I finished,
I was shocked to not hear him talk about my sins, but talk about
how and who I was. My sins were really taken away!
Another pivotal moment was working at Camp Sancta Maria
in the summer of my junior year. Toward the end of the summer,
my two friends laid their hands on me and prayed silently for a
few minutes. The room didn’t shake, nor were there visions of
heaven, but through this simple act of prayer, the Lord turned
my life just enough so I began to notice him in my peripheral
vision. Going home, my whole prayer life changed, and I had a
new desire to be a youth group leader.
My life started to shift radically after having a cancer scare.
Thankfully, there was nothing to be worried about, but God used
that period of waiting for me to surrender to him. This surrender
continued after my older brother encountered Jesus in a powerful
way and felt called to become a priest. I led a retreat called Kairos
a few months later and encountered the Holy Spirit while sharing
a testimony concerning my mom’s death and my dad remarrying.
After my high school graduation, I was praying a simple prayer
of “Jesus, come get me” each night, and he did! I was laying in my
bed thinking of my life, with all my joys and sins, when suddenly,
I saw it all flash before my eyes. Everything pointed to a memory
of me holding a foster sister of my friend and then I was hit with a
deep sense of peace. My eyes were closed but it looked like I could
read plainly on my ceiling a phrase saying, “Protect my children.”
After this, I was hooked. I gave up habits and tendencies that
didn’t reflect Christ or lead me to him. At camp I began to see
that my desire for youth ministry was something deeper. I was
drawn towards spiritual fatherhood. I wasn’t exactly open or
willing to be a priest in high school, but I found myself truly
discerning the priesthood that summer. Upon finding the
priesthood was my calling, I became afraid of unworthiness,
but God has continually given me strength. I once asked him
after Mass how I could lift him up (in the Eucharist) with my
sin-stained hands. I believe he gently responded it’s about him
lifting me up with his nail scarred hands.
For all those who are discerning and afraid, let me tell you God
will always be faithful to you. You have nothing of which to be
afraid. If you lose yourself to him, you will truly find w ho you are.
And you are beloved.
shms.edu
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