Gray Robes

Gray Robes Magazine

I sat the brothers down for our weekly meeting in early March. We reached
the point in the year when they regularly think I will reveal their summer
assignments to them at any moment! So, each Friday discussion carried
with it a little more excitement.

I told them that on Monday of Spring Break we would go to Harsens
Island, a small island town along the St. Claire River, to stay at a rectory for
a few days. Br. Cole, the youngest and most recently professed brother,
could not contain his excitement. His eyes lit up like a child’s and a massive,
quiet, innocent smile immediately overtook his face: “Really, Father?!”

This past winter was long and cold. We longed for temps above 12 °F
to sneak out for runs; days without snow on the ground and ice on the road
were difficult to come by.

In the early days of Lent leading up to our Spring Break, the routine
of prayer, studies, apostolic work, early mornings, and community had
kicked into high gear. During the Lenten time of purification, the routine can
become a little weighty.

However, a little bit of light—even just sunlight—and reflection offer a
fuller perspective. In the routine of daily life in the house, the face of Christ
finds expression in the distinct personalities of the brothers, in the trials
and in the joys. But, above all, as a formator for men discerning a call to
priesthood and religious life, to closely witness their conversion and growth
is a privilege. St. John Paul II defines conversion: “the most concrete
expression of the working of love and of the presence of mercy in the
human world” (Dives in Misericordia, 6). To have this close up encounter
with Christ-centered living enriches my priesthood.

The Church asks formators like myself to accompany the men from
(1) self-knowledge to (2) self-possession to (3) self-gift. At times there are
struggles that come with our humanity, but to walk along them as they
mature, makes the routine of studies, prayer, and work a real joy. They truly
grow up before your very eyes as they learn to give their lives away like
Christ.

The youngest brother expresses childlike joy at the thought of a simple
Spring Break getaway. Just a couple of days later, the most senior brother
in promises, Br. Greg, receives my blessing before I put him on a plane
for his retreat, a retreat to prepare him for his diaconate ordination in April.

In my short time (less than two years!) as the Juniorate Servant, the
Holy Spirit and the brothers teach me about the joy of gradual growth in
discipleship and the richness of our vocations. Thank you for all that you do
for us. Without your prayers and financial help, this Holy Spirit inspired daily
living, this rich daily routine would not be possible.