Describe your current role — what do you do each day?
I am currently in the last stage of formation in the Jesuit order before I receive final vows. The period is called tertianship and it is an eight-month program in Portland, Oregon. It has been a time to reflect how the Lord has worked throughout my 15 years of formation, whether through my ministries, events or the people I have encountered. We study our Constitutions, have workshops in our spirituality, do the 30-day Spiritual Exercises and have an experience with the poor for three months. I have the privilege of ministering at the Kino Border Initiative from January to March of 2016.
Why did you feel called to serve as a Jesuit brother?
I was very much inspired by the religious brothers and sisters that worked at my home parish. One particular Franciscan sister influenced me by her strong witness of living the Gospel value as a religious. I had entered the Jesuits with a weak desire to be a priest. After much discussion with other Jesuit brothers, I was able to discern that my deepest desires were living the vowed life as a brother. The decision has been confirmed many times through my Jesuit life.
What do you love most about being a Jesuit brother?
Once I felt that the Lord was inviting me to live as a Jesuit brother, I found myself in much consolation and freedom. The vocation has also allowed me to find my passion as a math teacher and a spiritual director. In addition, it gives me the opportunity to have the Lord use me as a witness that the vowed life is still a viable option in this world.
