SPECIAL EDITION ARTICLE #1 - November 17th, 2022 by Fr. Ben Daghir

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SPECIAL EDITION ARTICLE #1 - November 17th, 2022 by Fr. Ben Daghir

One Thing, Jesus Christ
 

This article is a special edition for "One Thing, Jesus Christ." Fr. Ben Daghir recently attended the Notre Dame vs. Navy football game. He, along with his friends, were very motivated to see the thousands of young people who have dedicated their lives to service and mission in the Navy.
 

ARTICLE:

I recently had the opportunity to attend the Notre Dame vs. Navy football game in Baltimore, Maryland. I went to the game with some friends that I had studied with at St. Mary’s Seminary & University in Baltimore.
 

The experience motivated my group of friends and me (all of us are either priests or are studying to become priests). As a result, I would like to share what exactly motivated us in our priestly vocations.
 

We saw thousands of young individuals dressed in their Navy uniforms. We watched as these Navy service men and women marched into the stadium and out onto the field.
 

We saw young, dedicated and inspired people. The jumbo screen often showed the members of the Navy in the stands laughing and cheering. The jumbo screen also displayed their ages: 18, 19, 20, and 21 years old.
 

These individuals from the Navy have set aside their private plans and have embraced a much greater call in life. They have let go of selfish ambitions to join a far greater mission. They have embraced obedience and service in a very radical way. They have focused on purpose, tradition, sacrifice, and mission. They see themselves in a much larger story than their own narrative.

 

And, based upon their smiles and laughter, their commitment to the demands of the Navy has not limited their freedom but rather unleashed it. In fact, they strike me as very happy people.
 

One of my favorite moments occurred during the second half of the game. We watched as roughly a dozen young individuals took “The Oath of Enlistment” from the United States Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro. These individuals stated, "I, (name), do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."

 

These words reminded me of the promises that I made as a priest to the bishop. I promised to discharge without fail the office of the priesthood. I promised to exercise the ministry of the Word worthily and wisely, preaching the Gospel and teaching the Catholic faith. I promised to celebrate faithfully and reverently, in accord with the Church’s tradition, the mysteries of Christ (especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation). I promised to observe the command to pray for God’s people without ceasing. I promised to be united more closely every day to Christ the High Priest. I also promised respect and obedience to my bishop and his successors.
 

This Notre Dame vs. Navy football game reminded my friends and me of a great verse in the Bible, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17). The Navy men and women had no idea that their witness and commitment were motivating us to be greater seminarians and priests. They had no idea that they were challenging us to return to the core of our vocation as a priest: like the bread which becomes the Body of Christ - to be broken for others, like the wine which becomes the Blood of Christ - to be poured out for others.
 

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Fr. Ben Daghir is a priest for the Diocese of Erie. He is a graduate of Elk County Catholic High School in Saint Marys, Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, and St. Mary's Seminary & University in Baltimore, Maryland. He considers writing one of his favorite hobbies.

 

Picture:

Members of the Navy during the pregame of the Notre Dame vs. Navy football game in Baltimore, Maryland on November 12, 2022.