Deacon Robain Lamba shares some of his thoughts as he prepares for Ordination on Monday, September 7, at 9:00 am. Please keep him and the two other men to be ordained in your prayers and watch Ordination Mass live on our Facebook page.

Q. How does it feel, after years of study at the seminary, to be ordained to the priesthood?

I am thankful to God for the gift of my vocation and for His grace that has been abundant in my life. I am also grateful to my family and the many men and women who have supported me in this journey.

Q. What did you do before you became a priest?

Prior to entering the seminary, I worked as an IT professional for about four years.

Q. Who influenced you to consider the vocation to the priesthood?

I had never seriously thought about the priesthood until a few years ago. People would come to me and ask me to consider the vocation to the priesthood. However, I was not just going to enter the seminary just because people were telling me to do so. I became aware for the first time that God was calling me to the priesthood during a Mass in 2013. It was almost like an intellectual vision, an invitation, a calling to follow after the Lord in a very specific way.

Q. What does it mean to become a priest during the COVID pandemic?

It means finding new ways to bring Christ to His people. It also means being a beacon of light in the midst of darkness, a beacon of hope in the midst of despair, a beacon of truth in the midst of confusion, a beacon of love in the midst of hatred, rejection, and alienation.

Q: What are you looking most forward to in your ministry as a priest?

I look forward to administering the Sacraments and to helping people have an encounter with the Risen Lord.

Q. What advice would you give to a man who is contemplating a vocation to the priesthood?

Have faith and pray for the light of the Holy Spirit; take concrete steps in your discernment; trust that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose (Rm 8:28); and surrender to the Lord.