I used to be a professional classical ballet dancer. I started dancing when I was 8 years old, and it soon became a dream, to jump as high as a Nureyev or a Nijinsky. I went to the Royal Ballet School in London, for my training and then to Uruguay.
This was my ‘vocation’ I thought.
I danced in Uruguay professionally for as little as 6 months before an early retirement at the age of 20.
During my late teens, I had come to know the love of God for me through an encounter with Jesus, truly alive and present in the Blessed Sacrament. I also encountered Him in confession, which brought me back into a life of union with God and to prayer.
Then I began to think about my vocation.
This was made possible through the intercession and encouraging presence of Mary, the mother of Jesus and my Mother, particularly through her holy rosary. This repetitive and yet profound prayer enabled me to overcome my fears and allowed me to respond to my calling with the courage with which Mary gave her own great ‘yes’ to God.
She slowly but surely helped me to hear and to accept the call from Christ to follow Him into the sacred priesthood. This call has never left me and grew through a daily encounter with Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, both in daily prayer and at Holy Mass.
Seminary does present challenges, as well as many great graces; namely, the life of prayer and fraternity, a unique opportunity to become a disciple, to follow Jesus who is meek, humble of heart and full of love. We are called to love one another and overcome ourselves. This is a big work; challenges should be expected.
We must not lose the sense of Christ’s concrete and personal call to us, that He wants us, has chosen us and also sustains us through life’s challenges. If this is lost, then some may find seminary very difficult, because it will cease to make any sense. But for anyone who has the confidence that God loves him, wants him and is calling him, seminary will provide a very good place for him to accept this call. Here, he can allow it to grow and mature in community, until he is equipped and ready for every good work in a life of future ministry.
It is important to remember that Christ is the one forming us in seminary, through others. Christ is the only teacher, all others only point to Him and share His truth. Christ is the only Priest, all others represent Him and teach His mystery.
If we are open to the formation which Christ will give us, then this will entail all of ourselves, not only philosophy and theology in study, but every aspect of who I am, human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral.
Allowing this formation to shape our whole being leads us not only to the reception of the Sacrament of Holy Orders after six years but also to us becoming the saints that God wishes us to be. This is ultimately God’s will for us.
This is only possible with the help of Mary the Mother of Jesus, for whom everything was possible. May she guide and protect each man who is called, give him the courage to say ‘yes’ and the perseverance which is required to become a faithful image of her Son.