‘Jesus is always at work in our lives.’

Jan. 1, 2021

By Father Ryan Kaup, Diocese of Lincoln

Jan. 1, 2021

There is a real possibility that I never would have existed outside the womb. My birth mother had scheduled an abortion, but grace intervened, and she placed me for adoption instead.

When I first felt the call to the priesthood many years later, it seemed to come out of nowhere. Growing up, I thought about being a baseball player, a doctor, a game show host. But a priest? Never.

Now I can see that the Lord was preparing me for this vocation from the very beginning. My parents adopted me and planted the first seeds of faith; the witness of good priests, religious sisters and lay teachers sowed countless more. When I started to pray in a more intimate way as a college student, those seeds sprouted; Jesus drew me into his heart and led me to the seminary.

Seeds can lay dormant and unseen for a long time, yet Jesus is always at work in our lives. I am humbled and grateful that he has chosen to share his priesthood with me.

Father Ryan Kaup
Diocese of Lincoln
Father Joseph Vanderheiden Council 3152
Nebraska City, Neb.

Father Christopher Murphy, Diocese of Providence.

‘Jesus is always at work in our lives.’

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