The Fishers of Men Podcast
A Catholic Vocations podcast.
The Fishers of Men Podcast
EP. 9 "Have more frequent encounters with Jesus in the Eucharist." Fr. Mitchell Baer
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Season 3 Episode 9 of the Fishers of Men Podcast "Have more frequent encounters with Jesus in the Eucharist." Fr. Mitchell Baer, Associate Pastor of Immaculate Conception Dardenne Prairie
Welcome back to the Fishers of Men podcast. I'm your host, TJ Messler, and today we're joined with a very special guest, uh Father Mitchell Baer, who is the associate pastor at uh Immaculate Conception and Darden Prairie. Thank you for joining us, Father. Yeah, thanks for having me, TJ. Good to be with you. Uh, do you mind starting us in prayer uh through the intercession of John Viani? Would love to, yeah.
SPEAKER_00In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen. Heavenly Father, send your Holy Spirit to be with us. Bless this conversation, may it stir in our hearts a desire for you and your church. We ask you, through the intercession of St. John Viani, to bless this conversation that it might inspire many holy vocations. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. The Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
SPEAKER_01Thank you, Father.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So tell me a little bit about uh, you know, your vocation story, how you first started hearing the call of God, or what God's voice and bringing you to the seminary, what kind of that was like, and when you finally made the decision and everything there.
SPEAKER_00Sure. Um I grew up in Fenton, so uh St. Paul's Parish was my parish growing up. Uh I'm the youngest of four, and um my uh family was, you know, average Catholic, I'd say, growing up. Um both my parents were cradle Catholics, and um I always kind of like to start the story though that my mom had a bit of a conversion moment when I was in kindergarten first grade. She got invited to a uh a Bible study at a Protestant church, and she later recounted the story to me that she loved it, and she found something there that she never really had at our Catholic church, which was some real community, like a real deep dive into the Bible. And um, and as she recounted this to me later, she said, like, I had the thought of like maybe I should join this church. And then um that she had what I would call a grace that after that thought was um like I need to know what I'm supposed to believe as a Catholic before I go joining another church, and so that set her and my dad, and really my whole family on this kind of journey of discovering what it could mean to be Catholic. And um, so growing up, it was sort of an adventure, like as a family of like the our heritage, our traditions, our teachings, and like what they mean, and not just like the the speculative truth of them, but like how they can transform my life and the way I live. And um, so that was like kindergarten, first grade. I was young enough, I really didn't know much difference, right?
SPEAKER_01You know, exactly, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um, but I always think that's it. I've wondered like why did I I never went through like a rebellion against religion phase like a lot of people do. And I think some of it was just like it was that adventure. It wasn't like something that was um like this intense standard that we were held to. It was like w the the wonder of it as a family. So yeah, it was great. Um and um yeah, my older siblings all went through youth group at with different, you know, levels of involvement, and I always admired that, and so by the time I got to middle school, I was involved in youth group header parish, and um I um let's see, then seventh grade was the first time I know that I thought about it. I think I probably thought about it before priesthood. Yeah. Um, but I it came from kind of a funny reason. It was um like in school we took like a little inventory of what's your gifts, what's your talents, what's your interests, and then it gave you kind of some career possibilities. Yeah. And I um nothing stuck in the results. I don't even remember what they were, but it was like, you're gonna be an artist, you're gonna be an engineer, you're gonna be uh a baker, and it was like none of that interesting at all, yeah. With me. Yeah. And uh but that got me thinking, okay, what are my gifts that God has given me and what might He have me do with them? And one that stuck out was uh I was never really afraid of speaking in public. Uh which I came to realize is kind of a unique thing. It is a very unique thing, yes. Um so then I started like looking around, who speaks in public? And well, priests talk in front of people five times a day. Like um and so I that kind of was what got me thinking about it. Um combined with like a fascination with the priesthood and like the the celibacy piece, and like what's that about? And what would be so worth sacrificing marriage and fatherhood that like would cause someone to choose to do that? And like that kind of drew me in. So then um yeah, I'd say it was on my mind uh at that point, but then I was a wrestler all throughout grade school, middle school, high school. Um, and that's one of those sports that can take up every weekend of your life if you let it. Yes, and it did for me, and so I always wanted to go visit the seminary, but every time there was like an opportunity, I was doing something with wrestling, and um it wasn't till sophomore year of high school that then I um was able to make it on one of those retreats, a come and see retreat at Counterclonin Seminary, yeah. Um, our seminary in St. Louis, which is we're blessed to have. And I the Saturday that I was there, I um was walking the outdoor stations path, which is pretty small. Yeah, but I it was a beautiful day, and the seminary, if you uh any of the people that are listening, if you've never been there, if you get the opportunity to visit, it's amazing. Um, it's like a castle, so as like a sophomore in high school, it's like, wow, this is awfully cool place.
SPEAKER_01So much cooler than my high school, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, exactly, which is like a prison. Um I had never really lived in a beautiful place like that before. And so I was just fascinated by it. And when I was walking that station's path Saturday afternoon of the come and see, I just felt this overwhelming sense of peace that I had never experienced before. And it wasn't this like powerful thing, but it was just a like I don't want to be anywhere else. I don't need anything else, I am where I'm supposed to be. And um and that just lasted for like two hours. I walked this path for two hours and I was content. Like that's amazing. Um and everybody else went bowling, and I stayed back because I was just like, I don't want to, I want to just keep walking.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um so then, okay, um, combine that too with like the fraternity at the seminary and like the guys, they had the seminarians had answers to questions that I was asking that nobody else could answer, and there was um like of a fun, but also a seriousness about them, and I that really drew me in. So my parents picked me up that Sunday, um, and I got in the car, and I distinctly remember turning on to 44 from Lickleed Station, uh, going west back to Fenton, and they were like, How was it? And I was like, This is what I'm gonna do when I grow up. That's awesome. That's so cool. And I'm pretty sure their jaw hit the floor, and they were like, they they talked me down at that point.
SPEAKER_01Like, okay, this is a really fun weekend, let's think more about this, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, which was their job, and I'm glad they did because I was kind of like grasping onto it, you know. Absolutely. And I really needed to learn to hear Jesus call me to this life. And I needed to learn how to pray and to hear his voice, and um, which then kind of started to really grow deeper. Um, I went on a Steubenville retreat that summer, and um there was this offhand comment one of the speakers made at the retreat um about daily mass, which I was public schooled all my life. So I I at the time maybe I did, I don't think I did I don't think I knew that mass happened outside of Sunday. Outside of Sunday, yeah. Like, and I was like, why would anyone do that? Like why would you go? And it was like every morning and it's early, and there's I heard no music. Like, why would someone do that? And for whatever reason, that random kind of offhand comment hit me, and so after Stevenville, I was like, I'm gonna check that out. And um I went to daily mass, and that changed my life. Yeah, like it was those quiet mornings, um, especially like January, February, it's cold, it's dark, it's snowing, it's 6 15 a.m. Yeah, and church was this warm, bright sanctuary, you know, that like and I started serving Mass at 6.15, and um I just fell in love with it, and it changed my day. It changed, and it was those moments just daily receiving Jesus in the Eucharist, um, that he began to really speak to me. Um, and at that mass too, um, at St. Paul's in Fenton, they still do this today. They pray a prayer for vocations at the end of every daily mass. Yeah. And so I'd be there standing right in front of the altar, right behind uh Father, and uh I'd hit all these, all my old people friends, yeah, daily wet mass, no offense anybody. Um that's who goes to daily mass. That's true. And um, I could feel their prayers for me like every day at the end of Mass. Like, here's this young kid going to 6 15 a.m. Mass, like before school in the morning. Of course, we should pray for him to be a priest, and that's that yeah, was huge. I I know that prayer was powerful in in my um my vocation. So I pray that after every mass that I celebrate still. That's awesome. Um and I pray it for our seminarians at ICD. I pray it for the guys I know in seminary, I pray it for the guys that are discerning and and for an increase in vocations to religious life, um, and for the young women that I know that are discerning. Um, so yeah, I can keep going. I feel like I've wandered a lot. Oh, that's great.
SPEAKER_01I I don't know. I actually love it a lot, and I've just picking up on a couple of different things that you said that really just stuck out to me as I well, one, my my grandma's parish with St. Paul and Finn's idea. That's that's really cool. Um what's your but I know your grandma? No, she passed like 15 years ago, but um I mean maybe you would. I was missing Randolph. She was very like 97 when she passed. So she went to Daily Mass. She was probably praying for you every week so that you would become a priest. So there you go. That's awesome. Um, one of the things you said that I really think is such a beautiful thing that I really want people to like catch on is you said when you first started thinking about it, you're like, why would someone sacrifice other things for this? Which I think is the question a lot of people miss. Because they think, well, how can we just incorporate those things together? Or but the real question is, yes, this is a sacrifice. And it's really important to be aware of it, that I'm sacrificing one vocation for another vocation, which you do in any of your vocations. But the question is, why is it so important that I should sacrifice these things? I think that's a beautiful question. Um which I just think's great. You know, we think about sometimes we, you know, get confused because we just I mean we just don't think about like what a priest, you know, goes through to become a priest, especially when we're at a parish and we just do a lot of our laity parish life and it just becomes part of it and those things. It's like, but a priest has sacrificed a lot to be in that position. Um it's a beautiful thing, you know. Deacons are servants and priests are sacrificial and they do everything that revolves around the sacrifice of the mass as well. So I think that's so beautiful. And then hearing that, like that was something that you thought of pretty immediately, which is really cool. I think right away, like if you had told me that when you were in seventh grade and I was your teacher, I'd been like, ah, he's gonna be a priest, he'll be fine. Like, if that's the first thing you're thinking, like you're gonna be great. Um, and then finding that sense of peace and letting that sense of peace grow. And I love, I think your parents just did some beautiful work, clearly did some amazing parents. Yes, yes. For for you to come out and be like, this was a high, high moment, this was amazing. I came, I saw, I'm all in. This is great, I felt that sense of peace. But for mom and dad to go, actually, now it's time to build the relationship with the person you're gonna be spending the rest of your life with. Because it's really easy to have a fun moment and a a like a peaceful moment when everything's like you know, the ingredients are right, the environment's right to feel those ways. But then to go, okay, no, then take the next step, and then the next step you took was mass right every day, which is like what a better way to encounter Jesus than at Mass every day where he gives himself fully to you. Right.
SPEAKER_00So I can share another anecdote there. Like part of that process was um my parent like me talking about being a priest was like out of nowhere. Like no one in our family is a priest, no religious, like we don't I don't like it came from the public speaking thing. Yeah, but likely. Um like my parents, like a lot of parents today, like it's a foreign thing, and they reacted like, okay, is this gonna be fulfilling for our son? And my dad recounted to me later, he kind of went through that question of like, is this the way he said it to me was I experienced I have experienced so much love and joy and and um amazing, wonderful things in our my life with your mom and with my kids, and like it was hard for me to imagine someone being fulfilled without that. And so he said later, he was like, I'm I uh he needed to explore and understand, and so he said he would do the thing that was like closest to what he could do as a a lay person to being a priest, so he signed up to become an extraordinary minister and give out communion. I love it, and so he tells the story of like the first time he gave out communion, he's going through body of Christ, body of Christ, body of Christ, and after like a few people came forward, he said he was just overwhelmed with emotion, recognizing the role that the priest gets to fill of like feeding each family, each person being invited into all the different stories that are present in a parish family, and and to be that spiritual father, and like he said from that moment, it was like, yeah, this would be incredibly fulfilling. And so cool. I think again, my I have amazing parents, like, but that story, hopefully, um like if there's any parents out there listening who are have a child that's thinking about this, like, and you're worried is it gonna be fulfilling? Like, that's that's part of um yeah, just uh a tidbit that could help um navigate some of those concerns. Like it's an amazing life, and yeah, there's sacrifices, but there's sacrifices in every vocation. And like vocation, yeah. And it's it's the question is, is it Jesus's will for me, for this person? Like, that's what makes it worth it, that's what makes it a vocation worth living for each of us.
SPEAKER_01And I love that your father, like your dad was like, uh it's so important to you that it's it needs to be something I experience too, so that I can just fully love what you're gonna do for you, because he just loved you like a father, like Jesus, like the father loves Jesus. It's like a Saint Joseph moment too. Like, I have fear, I have anxiety, the spirit came and your dad let the spirit come, which is really cool. I think a lot of people, and I would encourage a lot of the laity when you're when communion's happening at mass, like open your eyes and experience what's happening in front of you, because it's one of the most moving parts of the liturgy. Um outside of just the most moving part of our faith in general, you know, the Eucharist being given to us full body and blood of the soul and divinity of Jesus. It's seeing every different person come forward and just knowing that no matter where their life is at at that moment, that Jesus loves them fully and is giving himself fully to that individual person. And each individual person in each of the families, and tall, young, old, doesn't matter the color, the age, anything going on, and it's it's it moves me every time I was kind of moved almost to tears when you said that because I was like, I totally get that. I feel that personally, like even when my little daughter walks in front of me, she's four, and she always like, Dad, I need to know, do I do this or do I do that? I'm like, put your right hand over, it's fine, like the priest will know what to do. And she only wants to go to the priest, like she doesn't go to anyone else, so she'll go straight there and skip lines if she needs to, but uh and that just moves me every time because I mean, if it's that important to her, which is just great, it's every person. So I love that. So tell me a little bit about like how did your parents' relationship with uh the priesthood and your relationship with the priesthood change as you were going through the seminary?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Seminary is a journey for the whole family. I don't care what family it is, like it it's beautiful to watch all the different guys that go through the way that it impacts their family. So, like, um, yeah, those initial, I don't even call them hesitations, but questions that my parents had were answered pretty quickly, and they were all in, like, um, and they they supported me really well. And what I mean by that is there was no expectation, like there was no you're gonna be the priest in the family, and we're all excited. Like people do weird things whenever they find out there's a priest or a seminarian in the family.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely, I can definitely see that being something that a lot of parents like uh especially super Catholic parents, they get excited and probably make poor decisions based on their excitement, which we've all been there, you know.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, people would come up to my parents and be like, You must just be so amazed, and and he's just amazing. And it's like, no, he's Mitchell, and yeah, we're proud of him, and we're proud of all of our kids and the lifestyle.
SPEAKER_01It's like, no, we yelled at him in the car a minute ago. Yeah, exactly. Or whatever. So it's like, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Right. And they they knew there's freedom in the seminary, and it was a place of discernment, and they were like, is he gonna be a priest? Great, we'll love that, we'll support that. If he leaves, we'll love that, we'll support that. And so I felt very free through seminary from them and my siblings, and um, yeah, but it was also fun to see how what I was learning and receiving at the seminary, like we were able to share as a family, and like that adventure that started in yeah, kindergarten, first grade, like continued to unfold, and like there have been yeah, my my whole family has received from the journey that was there. Um, and yeah, I'm blessed with adult siblings who all are deeply devoted in their Catholic faith, and like each in their own way, each like you know, contributes something different, but it's it's a huge blessing. Um and a lot of that kind of developed through the journey of seminary.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And I think that's that's awesome to say too, because I was like, I was thinking about how you said, you know, it's been an adventure ever since your mom had that experience when you were five years old, and then ever since then it's just been learning and learning and learning. It's like, well, now you're going to a part that no one really knew much about, and so the adventure continues, and yeah, I'm sure they were just so overjoyed and excited every time. Um how do you feel your vocation has changed, whether in a good way or a reaffirmation, since becoming a priest and being in parish life?
SPEAKER_00How do I feel my vocation has changed? Like, what do you think?
SPEAKER_01Like, has it been reaffirmed? Have you had moments of doubt? Have you been more in love than you ever had with the priesthood? Like, what does that look like?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, I would say priesthood has been harder than I ever expected. It's also been way more amazing than I ever expected it could be. Like, and again, the adventure piece of just like the you like I heard about you know the the way that okay, a priest can go from a funeral to a wedding to an anointing, and like the whiplash of that, and like it's real, you know, and that's an experience that if I live that on my own in isolation from Jesus, I'm left empty at the end of the day because I'm trying to give myself and not Jesus. And like, but if I'm in union with him and if I'm praying through all of that, like there is so much joy, like it's it's the peace that surpasses all understanding that I get to discern the presence of Jesus in this moment with all these different families and situations. And and if I'm trusting and I'm in union, like there's nothing better. Like it's it's I'm so glad you said that.
SPEAKER_01I it's actually something I've never heard before. But like I've heard the whiplash back and forth. I mean, we all have, and especially in a parish that I'm in now where we have you know one main priest and then a priest in uh residence, it's a very different environment. Admire Father Schneier a lot. Yes, the way he's doing very difficult. And we know, you know, I'm in the parish office every day with him, and I get to see what that looks like for him and uh and in communion with him, but getting to hear like doing it in union with Jesus is such a cool thing to hear, and such a reassuring thing. Uh, you know, that's what you're really called to do, and to be that vessel. And uh I just love hearing that. I I never really considered that. Um I think that's a cool thing for the laity to just.
SPEAKER_00Oh yeah, there's a way to live this life that's on your own, and it's you can get by, but it's exhausting, you know. Oh my gosh, I can only imagine. The opposite is is the easy yoke, the light burden, you know.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Oh my gosh, yeah. And I heard uh, you know, uh the person that I share my office with always says that, you know, the yoke that we talked about has spaces for two has a space for two oxen to carry it. And that's when Jesus says, like, I I'm here to do it with you. I'm here to carry the yoke with you and to make the burden easy and and uh those things light. And so it's just so good. Um so tell me a little bit about what you would say to someone who might be discerning the priesthood or might be discerning kind of any religious life.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Go to daily mass. I mean, that's it's those encounters with Jesus in the Eucharist, any vocation, even I'll include marriage. Like, if you're discerning, is this the person I'm supposed to marry? Even like having those more frequent encounters with Jesus in the Eucharist, regular confession, like that's it's the simple ordinary way to holiness, but it's it's a sure route, you know. And like, yeah, learning that closeness to him in the Eucharist. So, I mean, that's a practical kind of straightforward thing. Um, I'd also say just go and experience it. You know, it was that seminary visit that was huge for me. And after that, I started spending time with the seminarians. I would hang out at the seminary after school, they'd have to kick me out because I wanted to hang out too long, and like um, and that would became a real community for me in high school. Um, so yeah, if if you're a guy, go visit the seminary, go visit religious orders. If you're a girl, go find a community, uh, go learn about the charisms of the different communities and um spend time with them. There's we're blessed with a lot of communities here in St. Louis. Yeah. Plug the Carmelite Sisters, the Divine Heart of Jesus. Yes. Uh, and the Poor Claire's and the Franciscan. I mean, there's yeah, so many, yeah. Go spend time with those sisters. They're amazing. And yeah, they're um that's it's experiencing the life firsthand that you can use that for your concrete matter of prayer, like seeing it first hand. Bring that into your prayer then.
SPEAKER_01That's so beautiful. Go to daily mass. But make sure the congregation is praying the vocation prayer over you.
SPEAKER_00I am that's gonna be a drum that I'm beating my whole priesthood. I I think that would be awesome if four parishes did that.
SPEAKER_01I just love the image of that too. Yeah, like you're standing up there with the priest, and I'm sure maybe you're both facing the altar and the people behind you just praying that prayer over you. It's it's beautiful. I like kind of love that. So do you mind? Well, first off, thank you so much for joining. Yeah. I was I I want to bring you back on because I want to ask a million more questions. This was great. I learned so much and it was great. But do you mind ending us in prayer? Uh especially again through the intercession of John Viani.
SPEAKER_00Can I pray my vocations prayer that I pray?
SPEAKER_01Yes, please. Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_00This is the prayer, it's the collect or the opening prayer for the mass for vocations in the mass prayers. So, um, yeah, let's pray. And we'll especially consider the intercession of St. John Vianni. In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen. Father, in your plan for our salvation, you provide shepherds for your people, fill your church with the spirit of courage and love, raise up worthy ministers for your altars and ardent yet gentle servants of the gospel. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen. Saint John Viani, pray for us. In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
SPEAKER_01Thank you so much, Father. Very welcome. Thanks for having me.