By Rev. Mr. Nickolas Naticchione
Editor’s Note: Throughout the month of May, the Diocese’s seminarians are reflecting on hope in their daily lives.
In preparing for my ordination to the transitional diaconate this year, I have been drawn to reflect on my journey through seminary as a whole. This journey of discernment and seminary formation is not always easy, and it comes with a unique set of challenges. However, there is a common factor in persevering through these challenges: hope.
As Christians, our earthly life is a life of hope. It is a life of looking forward. While we are certainly called to be fully engaged in our lives here on earth and to live with joy, we are equally and simultaneously called to keep our eyes fixed on the things of heaven. This is the core of any vocation, and certainly has been true in my own life and discernment for the priesthood.
God calls each of us to a unique path that ultimately leads to Him and eternal life with Him. In this reality of being destined for God in heaven, we find our hope. During this great season of Easter, we see the source of our hope in the Resurrection. Jesus has triumphed over sin and death and opened the gates of heaven for us.
In my own life, preparing for ordination to the diaconate has been a huge source of hope – as I am taking a big step toward fulfilling what God has called me to do in being configured to Christ as a priest. These steps renew hope in what truly matters: eternal life with Him. If we hold on to this core hope of our faith, we will be renewed in living our lives as joyful Catholics in service of the Gospel – and inspiring it in those we meet.
Of course, all of this is fueled by our spiritual life, especially as we practice the faith and receive the sacraments. In a particular way, the Eucharist is the true source of our hope, as we partake in a foretaste of that heavenly glory through receiving Jesus in His Resurrection. As we continue our own journeys, we pray for grace so that we might become true pilgrims of hope, joyfully journeying toward our destiny of Heaven.
Deacon Nickolas Naticchione attends Saint Joseph’s Seminary, Yonkers, N.Y.
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