Ministry of the Word

The votes are in! I'll post my essays one or two at a time. These were kinda hard for me cause I hate spotlighting myself. Please feel free to comment. First, Ministry of the Word:

Ministry of the Word.
The primary role of the priest in the Church is as an evangelizer, a teacher, and preacher. What gifts, interest in, and readiness for this aspect of the priest’s ministry do you feel you possess?

I have had a sustained passion for learning and defending the faith ever since my senior year in college when I began to grow in my faith. I enjoy Catholic research and apologetics as a hobby and have gotten much fulfillment from participating in various activities that have given me the opportunity to share the faith. These include several young adult ministries like the popular Theology on Tap program, Catholic student programs, young adult scripture studies and parish-based young adult groups. I have enjoyed working to do my part in the “new evangelization” called for by our late Holy Father to spread an ancient but relevant faith to a contemporary culture by contemporary means. By writing a young adult column for the Archdiocesan newspaper The Record, participating in Catholic apologetics message boards, and developing online calendars and email lists I feel blessed to have been able to use both old and new media to reach out to my peers and to the Archdiocese at large. All of these have helped me see that I’ve been gifted by God to be able to communicate and articulate the faith in many different ways whereas some may feel comfortable only in writing, others only in speaking. Regardless of the medium, I am comfortable sharing the truths of the Church with others. I also see that I am able to retain what I research and then share it with charity and love. Different aspects of Christian theology just come to mind whenever I need them. These gifts have born in me a longing to formally preach to the Church and to the world. I want to follow in the deep tradition in the Church of preachers who have cut through the ignorance and confusion of their time with the Truth and Love that makes man free. I am thankful that the Holy Spirit has used me as an instrument to share the faith. I’m thankful that He has given me such interests and I wish to glorify Him by further pursuing and developing them.