By disposition, I tend to prefer well-thought out, meticulously formulated plans for any new project or endeavor that I seek to undertake. Whether it is a lesson plan for one of my classes, an itinerary for a trip, or a to-do list for a run-of-the-mill workday, I like to envision things all the way through to the finish, even as I am just setting out from the start. Standing at Point A, I like to see all the way to Z. It gives me a sense of confidence, provides a sense of direction, and gives me something of a safeguard against failure. And, while this has often served me well in my engineering and professorial work, I have found a need to relinquish that desire in many other aspects in my life. I found it especially true during my time of initial discernment to Holy Cross, and I continue to find it true in listening for God’s will in my life.
It has been a rare thing indeed, as I have sought to follow where the Lord is calling me, to see all the way from A to Z with any sort of clarity. I have not often, if ever, seen the steps laid out clearly before me all the way to the end. I will admit, this caused no little trepidation for me when I first heard the call to discern the priesthood and religious life. In the face of such a momentous question, I found myself scrambling, trying to trace the lines all the way to the end — trying to read ahead to the last page — but found very quickly that I was unable to do so. Before I had ever set foot in a seminary, I wanted to know whether or not I would be a priest, and how my life would look if I were.
I was grateful, then, for the grace of wise spiritual mentors, friends, and vocations directors who reminded me of the virtue of trust in God’s Providence, of relinquishing the control that would let me have a firm grasp of Z even from A. I was grateful for the grace to be encouraged to focus first simply on getting to Point B. Then, after arriving at Point B, I might be able to begin considering the path forward to Point C. As I moved through my time of discernment, I was reminded, mercifully often, to just consider the next step and to remember that the later ones would be revealed in their own good time. I was reminded that my first task was not to discern the priesthood, but to discern entering postulancy. Then, as a postulant, I was reminded that my task was to discern becoming a novice, and so on and so forth through my eventual vows, and Ordination, and first ministry assignment.
As I moved through my time in formation, step-by-step, I found myself growing closer to the God who rarely revealed A to Z, but always saw me through from A to B, then to C, then to D. I found that, while I couldn’t jump ahead, I was being guided by the God who walks with us step-by-step. And now, as a priest, I continue to walk with the God whose Word acts as a lamp unto our feet; not often to illuminate the whole landscape of our lives, but always to give us enough light for the next step.
By Fr. Tyler Kreipke, C.S.C.
Provided by the Vocations Office, January 28, 2026
