Vocation Story - Josh Waltz '07
	“What do you want?” “To know what will bring me happiness, Lord.” “Come and see!” (Jn 1:38-39). I knew the Lord would show me the happiness I was seeking, but I was afraid of what that happiness entailed. As in all things, He took the initiative.  At the beginning of my senior year of high school, two determined priests were brought on staff to teach religion. I had always dreaded religion class until that year, when these two priests laid the rock foundation of my vocation. They saw something in me that I had never seen, and day after day they would remind me of what they saw. “You decided to join the ranks yet Waltzy?” they would ask. Day after day I would respond, “Yeah, that’s pretty funny, Father!” and would laugh as I walked away. Whether I wanted to admit it or not, a great schism in my heart had begun.  The two priests decided to organize a trip to Rome after our graduation that year. My mother, who has never ceased praying for my vocation to the priesthood, thought this would be a wonderful chance for me to experience the Faith. I decided to go, first because I loved to travel, second because a couple of my friends would be on the trip, and third, because the drinking age in Italy was sixteen! Little did I know what awaited me across the ocean!  As I walked into St. Peter’s Basilica for the first time, I nearly fell over. I had never seen anything so amazing.  Being from small-town North Dakota, where the biggest building we have is the state capitol and art is centered around who can build the biggest life-like model of a cow, this was pretty spectacular. My faith grew exponentially during my nine-day pilgrimage, as we visited the holy sites of the Eternal City. The vision of priesthood did not seem so strange anymore. After supper one night it was announced that two students from our group of 33 would meet the Holy Father the next morning, because our Bishop was in Rome for his ad limina visit. All of our names were placed in a hat, and two were picked. Before the first name came out, I said a little prayer in my heart: “Lord, if You will that I should be a priest, pick my name.” I breathed a sigh of relief as the first name was picked…only to choke on that sigh as my name was drawn next.  Upon returning home I decided that in the little prayer I had uttered that night before meeting the Holy Father, I had never asked “when” I should be a priest, only “if ” I should be a priest. God fortunately does not give up as easily as we do.  My college years slipped away quickly as did my faith.  On summer break of my junior year, I visited my old religion teacher. We talked at length about my life and what was to become of it. His only remark was, “Say three Hail Marys every day and Our Lady will do the rest.”  As I knelt in silence and tears, I heard in my heart, “Do not be afraid...come and see!”  Over the last year of college, I moved into a house with three of my best friends, and started dating a wonderful girl. It seemed as though the three roses I gave to Mary each night were weaving a beautiful crown of the married life, but Our Blessed Lady had something else in mind.  I was ready to graduate, yet I had found no peace in my soul.  With everything going right in my life, why was everything wrong?  All of this unrest finally knocked me off my horse, bringing me to my knees before Our Lord at St. Paul’s Newman Center in Fargo. I realized that I could run no longer from such a wonderful invitation.  As I knelt in silence and tears, I heard in my heart, “Do not be afraid…come and see!”  I thank Jesus as often as I can for such a wonderful calling. Do I miss the days of my past? Sometimes, but Jesus has given me so much more as he promised he would (Lk 18:28-30). I continue to follow our Blessed Mother, for she has gotten me this far, back to the place where it all began…Rome sweet home!!! Joshua Waltz Class of 2007 Diocese of Bismarck