Before he became a priest, Father Patrick Costello entered the U.S. Naval Academy preparing for military service. But through daily Mass, the Rosary, and the example of faithful priests, he began hearing another call: the priesthood.

That call became clearer after graduation when he was stationed in Japan. Father Costello frequently traveled to Nagasaki, where St. Paul Miki and his companions were martyred. Standing where Catholics had given their lives for Christ made a lasting impression.

“Something in me really stirred,” Father Costello told Mark on The Mark Swartzberg Show. “I really had a desire for giving my life to Christ in some way.”

Now a Navy chaplain serving at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, Father Costello encourages Catholics to discover that same spirit of self-giving by contemplating Jesus on the Cross.

He suggested simply looking at a crucifix and recognizing Christ’s sacrifice as a personal act of love. The Mass offers an especially powerful opportunity to respond. As the priest elevates the Host, Father Costello recommends making an interior offering: “Lord, I give you my life. I lay my life down for you this day.”

Then, when receiving Holy Communion, we can remember that Christ gives Himself completely to us, and offer ourselves back to Him.

The Stations of the Cross, the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, and meditation on the Passion can also deepen this union with Christ Crucified.

Father Costello’s journey from Annapolis to Japan and eventually the priesthood shows what can happen when we make room for God each day. Prayer gradually teaches us not merely to admire Christ’s sacrifice, but to offer our own lives in return.

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