We hope y’all are enjoying this series with Fr. Piega! We’ve discussed his discernment to the priesthood here, and his time in Rome here. In this final installment, we’ll be diving into his memorable experiences at Mass, tips for deepening your faith, and finally learning why Legos are the perfect hobby for any Catholic. ☺️
Fr. Piega and his dad showing off their Aggie pride!
Part III: A Father’s Love
Kassie: Let’s talk about your ordination to the priesthood—A lot happened in your life in 2018.
Fr. Piega: Yes. 2018 was such a big year for me. It was the year I got ordained and also when my father Carlos Piega, may he rest in peace, passed away. He passed on February 2nd, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, and I got ordained on June 23rd, 2018.
I want to share this story of beautiful grace with y’all—in seminary formation I was encouraged to ask God a special petition during the Rite or Ordination, specifically at the point when the priest lays prostrate on the ground. Lying prostrate is a gesture in which I'm giving up my whole life for the glory of God and laying down my life in service to God’s people, the Church. It makes sense to ask God in this moment—what good Father would give their son a stone or a snake when he has asked for fish and bread? The litany of the saints is being chanted during that time and it’s a very powerful moment. It makes me emotional to recall—during my ordination, after having recently lost my dad, what I asked in that moment in prayer is that I wanted to know if my dad was okay. Sure enough, I literally hear my dad’s voice in the midst of the chanting and what's awesome is it's a particular call, in my dad’s Filipino accent and calling me Mike, the name only he called me growing up. It was the voice of my father, and he just said, “Mike this is your day. I love you. Thank you. And I’m okay.” Obviously the tears just flooded. I left a puddle on that marble floor and it was just so beautiful and such a particular grace that I received.
After my ordination I returned to Rome to finish my last year and defend my thesis. Since then I’ve been back in Texas and am now the pastor at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Hutto, Texas.
One of Fr. Piega’s hobbies? Catholic Lego displays!
Follow along @fatherpiega on Instagram for more behind the scenes, like this Holy Week Lego display
Kassie: And people often know you as the “Lego priest”—can you explain?
Fr. Piega: It’s fun! I’ll make Catholic Lego displays that are over 20,000 bricks. And it’s not childish, rather it’s childlike. We're called to be childlike, to let ourselves get absorbed every once in a while in an activity that brings us joy in a way that is pure. It’s a de-stressor for me, but also a great joy seeing adults and kids’ faces when they see the nativity scene and their face is just amazed. Adults have even cried—it’s an unexpected form of beauty and can jolt you from routine.
Kassie: Final topic—What one or two tips would you have for someone who is looking to be more intentional about making the Sabbath holy?
Fr. Piega: To read, pray, and to converse with the Lord in Sacred Scripture prior to the Mass is one of my biggest tips. That way you're familiarizing yourself with Jesus' words. Sacred Scripture is a love letter to you, and prayer is a conversation with the Lord. When you come to Mass on that Sunday, you've already been praying, receiving, and conversing with the Lord. Then when you hear it proclaimed at Mass there’s an even deeper reality that the Lord wants to give to us when the Word is proclaimed.
My second tip is to really treat the Sabbath as the Sabbath. I want to challenge and encourage folks to intentionally take time to be with your family and rest on the Sabbath. This can mean you have to get things done on Saturday or during the week. We need to rest and we can only give what we've received. If we cannot even receive our Lord on a day in which He calls us to receive him both in Word and in the Eucharist, as well as time with family and yourself—if we don't have time for even that, then, what are we doing? Sunday is meant to be relational, and we need the time to rest and be recreated.
Sunday is also a great time to be with God’s creation. Creation reminds us that things grow in silence—including us, and incorporating some sacred silence into our lives, whether inside or in creation, is really important. We live in a society that is constantly, constantly bombarded with distractions and noise. If you give sacred silence to God, even for a minute or five minutes every day, your world is going to change.
With prayer, sometimes people ask me “But father, what do I do in that minute? What do I do in those five minutes?,” and I encourage folks to structure that time. Just like in any relationship, there’s giving and receiving, talking and listening. Start by sharing with Jesus what you’re going through—your thoughts, feelings, and desires, and just have that conversation. Jesus, I feel sad. Jesus, I feel happy. Jesus, I’m angry. You can share honest emotions with the Lord. If you’re doing a minute, this is for that first 30 seconds, if you’re doing 5 minutes, it can be for about 2 and a half minutes. After that, devote the second half to silent prayer—and it’s tough. Sometimes we won't hear anything or might be distracted and it's okay. Just persevere. Sometimes there'll be last-second graces—the Lord just says a word or brings up a particular memory, or an increase of faith, hope, and love during that time. I encourage you all to take some time for this sacred silence.
For more prayerful encouragement (and inspiring Lego displays!), you can keep in touch with Fr. Piega on Instagram @fatherpiega.
As we conclude this series, we’d like to offer a big thank you to all priests, especially Fr. Piega and each priest that has written our annual foreword for the ESS Mass journal!
We are so grateful for your example of faith and your “Yes!” to serving the Church.
Save these prayer tips to revisit!
Click the image for a free download of prayer tips for reflection