From Holding the Key to Holding the Chalice

Back then, he held the key to a church. Today, he stands at the altar and holds the Chalice. “I did not know then that the Lord would call me to the priesthood. Yet even at the doors of that church, I already felt a love for the Church, for prayer, and for service. Looking back today, I can see how God was quietly and gently shaping me along this path, even when I did not yet understand His plan. Step by step, He prepared my heart for a vocation that would eventually become the purpose and joy of my life.”

Nearly forty years have passed since those days. The boy who once held the key has long since become a priest and now stands on the other side of the altar, far from his native village, serving in the United States. At Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, more than twenty altar servers now assist at the Lord’s altar. “Speaking from my own experience, serving in the sanctuary played a very important role in my life and in the discernment of my vocation. As an altar server, I was always deeply moved by the moment at the beginning of the Divine Liturgy when the priest, after a brief prayer, would approach the altar with reverence and kiss it. Later, the priest gathered all of us altar boys together and explained that the altar represents Christ Himself, and that kissing the altar is a sign of love and profound reverence for the Lord. From that moment on, every time I watched the priest kiss the altar, I sensed his closeness to God, and I dreamed that one day I might do the same—that I too might kiss the altar as a sign of my love and reverence for Christ. Serving as an altar boy helped me discover God’s love, experience His closeness, hear His voice, and understand that He was calling me to the priesthood.”

Today, when Rev. Ivan looks at the boys serving beside him, he sees a reflection of his own story. “Serving at the altar is especially important in today’s world because it helps young boys and men grow in faith, responsibility, and love for the Church. Altar servers are much more than assistants carrying candles or preparing the censer. They are living witnesses and active participants in the liturgy, where God quietly speaks to their hearts and says, ‘Follow Me.’”

Stories like this remind us that God's plans often begin quietly, in ways we scarcely notice. They may begin with a boy holding a key to an old village church. They may begin with a young altar server attentively watching the Divine Liturgy. And sometimes, they begin with a simple desire to serve God.

By Halyna Vasylytsia