“The Lord uses imperfect vessels” | Fr. Mario Amore

 Fr. Mario Amore was raised Catholic but resisted going to Mass in rather dramatic ways as a child. As he became more involved in the Church over time, he felt his heart shift and began to discern a call to the priesthood. In this episode of I AM HERE, he recounts his winding journey from childhood aversion to Mass to seminary and the priesthood and shares the ways that intentional time in prayer and adoration have become deeply impactful in his work and his personal life. 

(1:16) Fr. Amore discusses his initial hesitance to share his story of how God has worked in his life on the podcast.

(2:53) Fr. Amore shares how his childhood and his family informed his faith and recounts how he resisted going to Mass as a child.

(7:53) He talks about his experience in Catholic school, how he eventually found his place at church in the children’s choir and altar serving, and how he flourished in religion class.

(10:40) Leah asks about how his “heart relationship” with Jesus grew, and he said that he had more head knowledge than encounters with Jesus until he got more deeply involved with church. 

(13:35) He describes his first adoration experience and the peace and serenity he experienced, as well as the youth conferences that deepened his faith. 

(19:12) He shares his original career aspirations and initial desire to work in a lay music ministry capacity. He says that he applied to seminary, was accepted, but got cold feet and backed out before reapplying two years later.

(24:40) He describes the adoration experience at a silent retreat in his third year of seminary that deepened his relationship with Jesus. 

(30:14) He discusses difficulties he experienced in the seminary when fellow seminarians felt the call to other vocations and how that made him consider if priesthood was truly what God wanted for him. 

(32:40) He talks about being mindful of what the Lord is doing through him as an imperfect vessel when he feels moments of doubt. 

(34:00) He says that he has to be mindful of separating his work for the church from how God is working on him. He also describes his time in adoration and says that he avoids distractions and tries to sit, be attentive, and bring whatever needs to come to the Lord on that day.