How My Experiences Encouraged Me to Apply for POD

When I was 13 years old, my family took a trip to California to visit some family friends

that had recently moved there. We visited the Hollywood Walk of Fame and took a tour

of Paramount Studios. The tour guide impressed upon us what a unique experience it

was to be standing in the very place that Hollywood stars had stood, celebrities like Tom

Hanks and John Travolta. When the guide turned his back, I asked my parents what

made those men so special, having not seen their films at such a young age. My

parents replied that they were just like anyone else, and to be careful not to revere them

based on their profession.

6 years later, I was visiting Greece when I stood on the spot where Saint Paul had

preached to the Hellenic people almost 2,000 years ago. 4 years after that, I was

walking through Jerusalem on a pilgrimage to the Holy Lands, trying to absorb the fact

that my feet were in the very place that Jesus Christ Himself had stood. To this day, the

experience remains surreal. Christ gave us the Ultimate Example of love in His time on

Earth, and Saint Paul provided for us a model of spreading His message that we should

all work to emulate. Although it is a daily struggle for all Christians to live out our faith, I

am encouraged by the examples of those that came before me, the saints that served

our Lord so well – saints that deserve to be revered for their dedication to Him. Having

had the immense privilege of these encounters only deepened my desire to continue to

visit and experience the places that have had formative roles in the creation, foundation,

and expansion of our faith, of which Constantinople is the perfect example.

On May 21 st when I celebrate my name day, I am reminded of the contributions to our

faith of Saints Constantine and Helen. Our faith is what it is today because of God's

work through them, the city of Constantinople at the center of it all. What a blessing it is

to be able to visit and learn more about the place that became the cornerstone for our

church through the Pilgrimage of Discovery. I am humbled and honored to have been

selected for this journey, and I cannot wait for the experience of a lifetime.

Recent Posts