Mumbai:

During his college days, Thomas Joseph, who grew up in Mumbai, India, had to deal with questions that bother most teenagers. Although he had faith in God and was blessed with loving and prayerful parents, Thomas struggled to find meaning and purpose in his life. His temperament issues that distressed his family members heaped guilt on his already anxious heart. This, coupled with his existential crisis, adversely affected his engineering studies. As a result, he failed to receive any job offers while his friends were recruited by top companies.

However, Thomas had received the grace to pray and knew God had an answer to all his disturbing questions. While in the 7th Semester at college, Thomas was inspired to attend a retreat at the famous Divine Retreat Center in Kerala, South India. He had a profound inner-healing experience at the retreat. He was deeply assured of God’s unfailing love for him and went back home as a new person.

When Thomas graduated, the global recession was at its peak, and he took up a low-paying job at a startup company. He worked hard and by God’s grace, started to grow in his career steadily and rapidly. After just two years, to the amazement of everyone, Thomas received an unbelievable offer from Citibank to work as a Data Analyst. The 7-digit salary blew his mind and he wondered, “Why are these things happening to me? I am not worthy of this blessing.” God’s voice resounded in his heart: “You will know in time.”

While commuting from work one day, Thomas googled, “What is the purpose of life?” The first search result that turned up was a Jesuit website where he came across the words from the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “He calls man, to seek him, to know him, to love him.” Reading these words instantly filled him with inexplicable joy, and he was convinced that God was calling him to the priesthood.

In a turn of events, his mother was diagnosed with cancer in 2012. He was able to support his family with time and money, because of the well-paying job God had blessed him with. With his mother’s cancer in remission, Thomas shared with her that he was seriously considering the idea of embracing the vocation to the priesthood. Though she was disturbed by the thought of her son in embracing this vocation would require beginning all over again, she gave her blessing.

The family’s happiness was short-lived when the cancer recurred, and the doctor suggested palliative care as the last resort. Despite her condition, Thomas’ mother encouraged him to go on a vacation sponsored by his company. However, on February 14, 2014, she was called to her heavenly home.

Following his mother’s death, Thomas was troubled with the idea of leaving his dad alone to join the seminary. He wondered whether it was the right thing to do. That is when God worked a big miracle in his life.  Thomas met with a horrific accident when his bike collided head-on with a car. Instantly he knew he would not survive, and said in his mind, “Lord, take me!” He was unconscious when taken to the hospital. The tests and scans showed there was not even a single scratch on his body! This was such an incredible miracle that Thomas asked God, “Why did you save me?” and he could clearly hear the answer: “Come to Me, I need you.”

A month later, when it was time for the vacation, contrary to his expectations, his dad asked him not to miss the opportunity. During this vacation, Thomas shared his decision to join the Jesuits with his brother and his friends.

However, upon his return, the next morning he woke up to the voice, “The Jesuits don’t need you. Join the Redemptorists.” Thomas first thought that his mind was playing tricks on him but got in touch with the vocation promoter of the Redemptorists. God later confirmed this choice through undeniable signs. In August 2014, he joined the Redemptorists and was ordained to the priesthood on April 29, 2023.

Recounting his vocation discernment, Fr Thomas told SW News: “I am just an ordinary Christian. This is nothing but God’s mercy and calling. He called me and I responded.” He added, “Every person has a vocation—to become a saint. God speaks to us in ordinary ways, through day-to-day circumstances and we can recognize His voice if we listen.”