From my son's principal, Fr. Willie García-Tuñón, SJ (edits and emphases mine)
AMDG,
-J.
On Friday, March 25th the Church celebrated the Feast of the Annunciaton. That beautiful day, when the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and announced that she was called to be the Mother of God. That beautiful day when Mary said "yes" and became the Mother of Mankind. Not only does that day hold special significance for me as a Catholic but, as a Jesuit, it marks the day in 2006 I pronounced my final vows in the Society of Jesus. In a crowded gym here at Belen, I professed vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and a fourth vow unique to Jesuits, special obedience to the Pope pertaining to missions.
On the anniversary of that beautiful day I include below the homily I preached:
This past week, as I and we have been preparing for this day of final vows, I have been stopped on numerous occasions by several students who have kindly congratulated me for my special day:
- Congratulations Father on your ordination… to which I responded: thank you, although that happened six years ago.
- Congratulations Father on finally becoming a Jesuit… to which I responded: thank you, but that happened 15 years ago.
- And my personal favorite, congratulations Father on your last rites… to which I did not respond.
St. Ignatius of Loyola experienced and gave name to a spiritual concept called “consolation without prior cause,” it means that every once in a while, God will bless His children with grace and consolation without the individual having asked for it. When I pray to God for strength or courage or patience and I receive it, that is consolation with a cause: I asked for it. But every once in a while, without having asked for it, God in His infinite generosity will bestow on you a shot of grace and consolation without you having asked for it.
I experienced this last week when I was walking up the stairs in our house to go to my room after dinner and had to stop and thank God for the peace and happiness I was experiencing. I then asked myself if there was a particular reason why I was feeling such consolation, such happiness and a strong sense of fulfillment. As I stood there, Fr. Sardiña walked by and asked, "¿Te estás preparando para los votos?" (Are you getting ready for your vows?) And then it hit me, the Lord wanted me to accept and profess my vows in the midst of undeniable consolation so that there would be no doubt as to how right this is.
What has taken place today is a demonstration of how important it is for me and for all of us to commit ourselves to Christ. I profess my final vows for life and thus commit myself forever to Jesus.
I have realized that there are three main reasons why I do this and they are all intimately tied together:
Reason #1: is because I love the Church. I love her teachings, her doctrine, her dogmas. I love her history and tradition; I love her saints and the Blessed Mother. I love the Pope, the hierarchy, the priests and nuns and deacons. I love the Society of Jesus. And I especially love you, her children.
Reason #2: is because I love Jesus. I love what He said and what He did. I love what He stood for and what He stands for. I love Jesus and I love serving Jesus.
And reason #3: is because I want you to love Him too.
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