Today, 1 July 2022, I woke up to a new beginning. I am now officially on a leave of absence from the Diocese of Grand Rapids to pursue military chaplaincy in the United States Air Force. What will the new life bring?

For now, the new life is bringing a fair amount of study and paperwork. I have several online modules I need to complete before the start of Officer Training School (OTS). There is also other paperwork that needs to be completed over the next couple weeks in order to prepare for OTS. There is some shopping I need to do. Let’s not forget continuing the fitness regimen to make sure I am up to snuff for the military. Last, but certainly not least, I am still a priest. I have committed my life to prayer and the celebration of the Sacraments for the people of God.

As I ponder my current situation, I am grateful to the Lord for calling me. I am grateful to the bishop for blessing me. I am grateful to the people of my former parishes for supporting me. I am grateful to my family and friends. There is a lot I see that I will miss, but there is so much that I am looking forward to. Isn’t this always the way?

When I was in college seminary, the house went on an annual retreat over Spring Break. I do not remember the priest’s name who gave the talk, but the one point that has stuck with me all these years was the need to mourn the loss of options. He gave this advice in the context of celibacy: choosing celibacy closes the door on all other options, and that is a real sacrifice that needs to be faced squarely. When there are competing goods, choosing for one necessarily means choosing against another. This is a real sacrifice.

I am grateful for this wisdom because in choosing military chaplaincy I am also choosing against other things. I will not be as involved in the lives of family and friends. In fact, there are likely some people I will never see again in this life. I will miss out on some great events: the celebration of sacraments, promotions and other life achievements. It is important that I face these sacrifices squarely so that I can give due honor to the people involved, and so I am not blindsided in the future when the emotions come into play.

This is just a reality of life. New beginnings always mean the end of something else, including the end of something good. The hope is there is something better that awaits us around the next corner.