Man for Others

Fr James Mary, from Nigeria: "I have discovered that my priesthood has been influenced by Our Lady. I have a particular devotion to her and any time I’m in a problem, I run to the Blessed Virgin Mary. And I also believe so much in divine providence. Believing in divine providence means that when things are hard, when there are no resources or talents around, God will always provide. .. What makes the priest is spirituality and conformity with the grace of God and the divine will. The priestly life is not a life of what makes our pleasure or riches, it is a life of following Christ, in accordance with Philippians ch 2 v 5-11: ‘Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not consider himself equal to God. He stripped himself of all human dignity and became obedient unto death. For this reason God has exulted him and at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow.’ So no matter whatever problems that come before us in the priestly life, we must revert back and move closer to Jesus on our knees, through intercession. Then we will be able to realise our priestly goal: it is a call to service." Music by Mike Mangione. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is inspired by Blessed John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was JPII's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus2us.

Andrew, a seminarian from the United States: "So God had put Father Nick in my life a year earlier so that when He called my to priesthood I’d be able to respond and feel open to talking to this priest about my vocation." Music by Mike Mangione. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is inspired by Blessed John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was JPII's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus2us.

Fr Andrew, Catholic chaplain at St Andrew's University in Scotland: "I remember Pope John Paul II’s visit to Great Britain in 1982 and in the preparation for that visit in the parish (I was only 14 at the time), the great slogan was ‘Saying Yes to God.’ But my experience with my calling and my vocation was not so much saying yes to God but giving in to God, 'Ok God, I'll do this.' God had been calling me for a long, long time, and He just needed to have me in that right place, in that right time, where I would have enough courage and enough trust in Him to say 'Ok God.' So I would say that saying yes to God is one thing, but there's also that giving in to God, handing everything over to God, and once you hand that over to Him, He takes control and He leads you." Music by Mike Mangione. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is inspired by Blessed John Paul II and Papa Benedict XVI. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was JPII's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus2us.

Fr Ephrem, originally from Eritrea, brought up in Ethiopia and now chaplain to the Eritrean Catholic Gheez-Rite community in London: "I’m really happy that the Lord has called me. The greatest gift for every priest, I think, is his calling. You are no better than anyone else but the Lord calls you, you follow Him and that gives you joy beyond explanation really." Music by Mike Mangione. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is inspired by Blessed John Paul II and Papa Benedict XVI. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was JPII's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus2us.

Padre José Manuel, sacerdote de las Siervas de Jesús, de México. En español. Music by Mike Mangione. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is inspired by Blessed John Paul II and Papa Benedict XVI. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was JPII's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus2us.

Padre José Manuel, sacerdote dei Servi di Gesù, dal Messico. In italiano. Music by Mike Mangione. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is inspired by Blessed John Paul II and Papa Benedict XVI. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was JPII's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus2us.

Ojciec Piotr, ksiądz ze Zgromadzenia św Michała Archanioła, z Polski, w języku polskim. Music by Mike Mangione. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is inspired by Blessed John Paul II and Papa Benedict XVI. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was JPII's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus2us.

Fr Peter, a priest of the Congregation of St Michael the Archangel, from Poland: "At the beginning I didn't know too much about St Michael but because of my vocation to the congregation, the angels became very close to me and I got to know a lot about the angels, especially about St Michael the Archangel. And I didn't know too much about vows, of chastity, poverty and obedience, I just wanted to become a priest, to answer to the call of Jesus, to serve other people, but when I was in my novitiate it came to me that I must take my vows. But I understood how great is this grace: to have Jesus as a part of you, as your second part. So I discovered what it means practically to have the vocation to religious life and every day I thank Jesus for it and I ask Him that I may be faithful till the end of my life. Because there are 2 things: to be called by Jesus, to have a vocation, and then to be faithful to the end of your vocation. So I ask for prayer because St Faustina said that the devil attacks the priests twice as much because he hates the priest because he gives Jesus to the world. That's why I need a lot of prayer and, on behalf of all priests, I say 'we need a lot of prayer'. So please pray for us." Music by Mike Mangione. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is inspired by Blessed John Paul II and Papa Benedict XVI. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was JPII's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus2us.

Fr Edmund, from Ghana: "I've never regretted one day or one moment in my life of being a priest. I've always enjoyed my priesthood and I know that I will always enjoy it because I live it one day at a time: "Every day, God, you give me another day. Do you still trust in me? I don't trust in myself but I know that you know what you have the day for. Never permit me to separate myself from you. Grant that I will love you always and then do with me what you want.' That has been my daily prayer, and one of the things that I tell myself always is that I did not create myself, the priesthood is a gift not for me but for the Church, and not because I did anything to earn it, but it's God that gave it to the Church and I am just his instrument, so I live one day at a time. So that's my story. To God be the glory for the great things He has done. I pray that every day I will do his will and may his will be accomplished in my life. Amen." Music by Mike Mangione. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is inspired by Blessed John Paul II and Papa Benedict XVI. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was JPII's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus2us.

Fr Phillip, a diocesan priest from England, describes how God led him by small steps along his road to the priesthood: "God works with all our unworthiness and through his wonderful grace can actually work and bring new life into the world, new hope into the world. So I thank God every day for the journey he's taken me through, the journey that I'm still on and which He's leading me on. I pray for all you who might listen to this podcast that you will have the trust in the Lord that He will guide your little steps towards Hiw own purpose, His own will in your life and His will for the life of the world too." Music by Mike Mangione. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is inspired by Blessed John Paul II and Papa Benedict XVI. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was JPII's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus2us.