Iraq: He was in the military, but later he opted to become a "soldier of Christ"

People enrolled in the army are referred to as soldiers. Their role in the first place is to defend their relevant countries in the face of foreign attacks, and to fight enemies or whoever tries to wreck havoc, create instability, and destroy a nation.

 

Almost all countries in the world have armies, as many take pride in their powerful armies, being invincible, while claiming to have acquired the most deadly and destructive weaponry.

 

A bird's eye view of the world affairs with regards to wars and peace indicates that no matter how wars erupt among nations, the ultimate objective is to hammer out deals leading to peace or rather a permanent peace as has been the case in several modern wars. Yet, what about efforts that seek to entrench peace prior to the eruption of conflicts in a preemptive way that ensures permanent peace and stability, and by keeping the horrors of war at bay?

 

It is important in this regard to mention the role played by the Catholic Church, while playing a key role through acumen and perspicacity in helping defuse tensions in modern time wars and conflicts.

 

Soldiers kill in wars, but the soldiers of the Divine Mercy save souls or rather shove them into a sphere of life whereby people are kept safe under the cloak of the Divine Mercy will, at the same time, strive to give hope to others in the name of the divine love.

 

Employees of various Catholic charities, such as Caritas Internationalis and Church in Need among others, brave harsh conditions to save lives, feed people, as well as provide education and health care.

 

Among one the most outstanding events in our modern time is about a soldier who devoted his life to serving his country, Yet, at one moment in time he chose to become a soldier of Lord Jesus Christ while dedicating his life to covey the Holy Bible's message of love  and peace, as well as to protect to the lives of people as well as at the after-life.

 

He is Fr. David Santos who undertook a journey to priesthood through the war zones of Iraq. Currently, he serves Lord Jesus and fights as a pastor in New Jersey, the United States.

 

Army specialist David Santos was on patrol in Iraq in 2005 when a roadside bomb exploded next to his vehicle, killing and wounding countless soldiers.

 

David’s journey to the Church began when he dated a girl who brought him to Mass. He began participating in the parish youth group and met a priest named Fr. Antonio Bico, who had a profound impact on the young man’s life. “Fr. Tony is certainly the one who taught me how to love Jesus, without a doubt,” Fr. David says.

 

While going to confession, the priest asked David what he wanted to do with his life. As Fr. David recalls saying, "I want to be a soldier of Christ." The priest looked at him saying, "That sounds like a priest." He reacted saying, "Father, come on, you know I have a girlfriend. I’m not interested."

 

Fr. David states, “Even when I entered the seminary, I didn’t see it as ‘I’m going to be a priest.’ It was more like, ‘this is a very real possibility that the Lord is asking me to consider,’ so I entered the seminary to discern.”

 

In time, the Santos family came to appreciate David’s decision.

 

Fr. David sums up his own experience quite simply: “I love being a priest!” Twelve years have passed since his ordination to the priesthood. In 2022, he was installed as the pastor of St. James the Apostle Church in Springfield, New Jersey.

 

When Fr. David turned the chalice over to read the inscription, when he looked at it, he almost dropped the chalice in shock. “On the base was written, ‘Soldier of Christ,’” he recalls, still astonished all these years later by “how God can work so creatively, so intimately, and so personally in our lives.”

 

The clergy are worthy respect and appreciation as they are God's men and women on Earth, who remind people that the doors of Kingdom of God are always open for the baptized who follow the will of God in life.

 

Priests are highly venerated in all societies for the divine services they provide to people. We consequently, ask Lord Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, to hear our humble prayers by giving them a deep faith, a bright and firm hope, and a burning love which will ever increase in the course of their priestly life. We implore the Lord to comfort and strengthen them.