Young Marcus is in love with everything related to life, which is evident in his own evolution, where he went from working as a biologist to entering seminary and to be ordained priest. Living beings, all created by God, continue to fascinate him, but it is now man, God's masterpiece, who is the focus of his attention and whom he now helps to get to know his Creator.
He belongs to the clergy of the Brazilian diocese of Nova Friburgo, in Rio de Janeiro. Marcus currently has a fundamental mission as a formator in the diocesan seminary, specifically in the propaedeutic course, a key stage for young men who are discerning and evaluating their vocation to the priestly life.
In this interview with CARF FoundationThe young priest, ordained in 2021, recalls that he comes from a Catholic family that actively participated in the pastoral activities of his parish. "My parents have been teachers of faith for my brother and me. Already as a child I played at celebrating Mass. I lived with many priests who went to my parents' house, but I never thought of being one of them," he says.
However, everything changed when he had the opportunity to get to know the seminary of his diocese, after the delegates of the vocation ministry visited his parish one day. Marcus admits that this was the first moment when he considered becoming a priest, although there was a big obstacle: "I was already working; I had my job and my financial independence".
"But although I had everything," adds this priest, "none of what I had was enough for me. I was missing something important, something that would make my life meaningful and worth living. The parable of the rich young man challenged me a lot," says Marcus. And so it was that finally in 2014 that inner struggle came to an end and he entered the seminary to begin his formation.
Barely a year later, another moment would come that would mark his life. His bishop sent him to Spain to continue his formation and philosophical and theological studies. About this experience he says that "I will never forget the years of formation and prayer in Pamplona. They were much more than an academic preparation for the exercise of the priestly ministry, it was an experience of the universality of the Church".
He defines this time as some "unforgettable years" marked by his stay at the University of Navarra and the Bidasoa international seminarwhere he had the grace of having "a singular opportunity to obtain an excellent human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral preparation".
If there is one thing that Marcus has taken away from these years, it is that his training in Navarra has been "a good preparation for what God is entrusting to me today".
Marcus is currently a parish administrator and seminary formator. "When I was appointed by the bishop, while I was still a deacon, as formator of the Propaedeutic, the beginning stage in the seminary, all I wanted was to to offer to those who are now preparing for the ministerial priesthood the same as I received in Pamplona," he confesses.
As he tells us, "in Bidasoa we learn that love for God and the Church impels us to give the best of ourselves. Today, between the parish and the seminary, I try to give the best of myself, to spend myself for the souls the Lord entrusts to me.
The world needs priests who give themselves to God in a world that is often hostile to the Christian faith. For this reason, Father Muros is convinced that "the priest needs a soul in love with the Lord and available to faithfully serve all people. These are not easy times, but all the difficulties help us to trust in Christ and in his power. We are in his hands as insufficient instruments, but which the Lord desires for the realization of his work".
But in addition to a soul in love, he considers it indispensable "to have a profound life of prayer. Whoever does not understand that to be a man of God requires a great deal of prayer life is not capable of sacrifice. And it is intimacy with Christ that makes us understand that we are not only celebrants, but also victims who every day offer themselves out of love for the Beloved".
Finally, Marcus would like to extend a special thank you to the benefactors of the CARF Foundation. "I was always struck by their generosity in donating without expecting the benefit to go to their diocese or country, but to the universal Church.
Thank you for providing us with the means to help our dioceses and the Church. Thank you for your open hearts. May the Lord grant you and your families many blessings," he concludes.
