“I think vocations really come from the Holy Eucharist.” Join Fr. Jeff Day as he shares his vocation story on this episode of Men of the Hearts. Influences on Fr. Jeff’s journey to the priesthood included the faith of his family, the sacrament of Confession, and the Holy Eucharist.
(0:02): Fr. Craig welcomes listeners and introduces this episode’s guest, Fr. Jeff Day. The priests catch up: Fr. Jeff talks about the Divine Mercy devotion, Fr. Drew relates small mishaps from the Easter Vigil, and Fr. Craig shares the blessing of seeing a seminarian ordained to the transitional diaconate.
(7:06): Fr. Jeff shares his vocation story, which started with his reception of First Communion in second grade and his desire to become a priest in eighth grade. While attending the University of Michigan, he “rediscovered” his Catholic faith. During his senior year, “I really started to pray about what I was supposed to do, like what was God asking me to do?” Although Fr. Jeff initially felt unworthy, he started to discern a priestly vocation after going to Confession for the first time in years. Fr. Jeff discusses the impact that his family’s practice of the faith had on his vocation.
(21:26): Fr. Drew and Fr. Craig highlight the impact of Confession, God’s mercy, and college life on vocations. Fr. Jeff talks about his experience as a seminarian: “There really was a lot of joy…we had a lot of fun together.” He shares that a challenge he faced prior to entering seminary was a fear of preaching. He told God, “You're going to have to take care of this somehow,” and his trust was rewarded.
(34:39): Fr. Drew asks Fr. Day about the impact of the Eucharist on his vocation. Fr. Day says, “That has always been part of my identity as a Catholic.” He shares that praying in front of the Eucharist as a priest “is what sustains me in my own daily prayer life” and that “over the years in my own celebration of the Eucharist, I've been drawn to bring a lot more reverence and attentiveness to what I'm doing.” He affirms, “I think vocations really come from the Holy Eucharist.” Fr. Day discusses the experiences of becoming a pastor and participating in a priestly fraternity.
(48:32): Advice to a discerning man: Fr. Jeff encourages monthly confession, frequent Mass attendance, and consistent prayer. He also advises involving the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph in discernment: Our Lady “teaches us how to say ‘yes,’” and St. Joseph “wants to help men today be men.” Fr. Jeff concludes the episode with a prayer.