Saturday Vows, Round Three

No pictures of my own this time... I left that to the professionals in order to be more focused on the company of my fellow Jesuits and the friends and family of three men who pronounced first vows last Saturday. [A brief article, with an image and a short video, may be found here.]

I'd been looking forward to this event for many weeks, anticipating a celebration that would mark an important step in the formation of these three men, bring together Jesuits from throughout New England and the Mid-Atlantic, and be a clear transition from the departing summer season to the arriving academic year. As vows are celebrated in Syracuse, where novices from these regions are based for two years of prayer, instruction, and service that introduce them to Jesuit life and provide a rich context for further discernment of their vocations, my attendance for each of the past seven years (including my own vows in August 2006) is an annual homecoming of sorts, returning to the place where my journey in the Society of Jesus formally began. I experienced many moving moments during the course of the weekend, of which I wish to highlight three in particular.

• The homily offered by at the Vow Mass by a Jesuit whose wisdom, experience, and sense of humor I have come to deeply appreciate over the past eight years. His eloquent articulation of the concept of a promise– understood in terms from the simplest to the most solemn– invited me to a stronger identification with, and acceptance of, the divine love that calls me to this particular path in life, and animates my desire and effort to respond faithfully to my vocation. What I promised at my first vows six years ago ought to remain as true and powerful today as it felt to me then, and ought not to be diminished or forgotten amidst the vicissitudes of more mundane daily affairs.
• A pair of visits to families from the local parish where I worshipped during my two years in Syracuse. The parish continues to be a welcoming community that strives to practice the Gospel faithfully, though perhaps rather radically from some viewpoints. Over the years since I moved on from the novitiate, I've managed to maintain contact with two particular families who were very supportive of me and my community during my time in Syracuse. Although I now only see them during my annual visit for vows, I always find an open door at their homes, and encounter a delight in sharing conversations that renew our acquaintance. Having known them for eight years, I have seen their children grow, their relationships deepen, and their family lives mature without losing vitality. I feel quite humbled and awed by the welcome that they continue to extend to me, whether or not I've arranged the visit ahead of time.
• Jesuit friendships. Simply put, I shared some wonderful, memorable, nourishing conversations with some fine men (young and older alike) whom I increasingly consider to be more than just brothers in the religious community which we've all chosen to join. In seeking their advice on some matters, or offering the same, I perceived a subtly palpable bond of friendship that I hadn't really noticed (or acknowledged) as readily in the past. It's a clear growth edge for me as I consider and discern what I desire to pursue this year in my ongoing formation as a Jesuit, as well as a gift that I've already received yet am appreciating in a striking and delightful new way.

The last Saturday in August will bring the Class of 2016 and their parents to Holy Cross for the annual ritual of moving in and saying farewell. I've been looking forward to this for a few weeks as well, and tomorrow morning will find me joining students and residence life personnel at 7:30am in front of one of the first-year residence halls, enthusiastic welcomes at the ready. I promised I'd be there, and in doing so, I'll be reminded of the most important promises that I've made and kept, the families to whom I belong and with whom I've become associated, and the friendships that support me in ways that I can't live without.