David and I have been friends since the beginning of our senior year of high school and he is practically part of my family. He is the friend who I call at 2 in the morning crying over a fight with my sister, or to tell him a boy kissed me, or just to talk. He is the friend who got me together with my boyfriend my senior year of high school. (He is the friend who dated my best friend in high school!) He and I (along with my sister Emily and friend Jerome) had a carpool senior year that we called JADE - where we would drive home from rehearsal with all our windows rolled down blasting music and singing. It didn't matter how bad rehearsal was or how tired we were, JADE always made things better. We have been there for each other through falling in love and for every heartbreak throughout college. I consider David not only a best friend, but a brother - someone who comes over to my family's house even when I'm not there - someone who I have shared everything with - and someone who knows me better than most friends. Someone who loves me so unconditionally & who I know will always, always be there.
Throughout college, David travelled to El Salvador, the Philippines, & Mexico (among many other countries) to do missionary work. I don't think I could put into words how proud I am for the work he has done and for the lives he has changed.
And he has listened to the calling of God - the specific calling to begin the journey of becoming a priest.
He moved into the Jesuit Novitiate on Sunday, and invited me to come with his family for the welcome day. There was an amazing Mass with the 10 novices and their families and friends. What moved me the most was the song "You Are Mine." The chorus says:
"Do not be afraid, I am with you
I have called you each by name
Come and follow me, I will bring you home
I love you, and you are mine."
I started getting teary-eyed at this point, because I realized that God called my best friend by name. I also realized how incredibly scary it must be for him to leave everything behind and follow that calling - a calling that most people do not understand or respect. To sacrifice everything and leave it all behind to follow Christ is something that I admire so much. It is something I barely understand, which makes me realize how much more work I have to do on my heart and in my relationship with Christ.
I am so inspired by my best friend who is walking fearlessly into an unknown future that God has chosen specifically for him.
I was also inspired by how many young men are joining the Jesuits. I have never seen a man my age wearing a collar, let alone 7. The 7 second-year novices were all in their collars, and there were 10 new novices entering the Jesuits. I just can't imagine following such a difficult calling at my age, right out of college. To see 17 men my age leaving everything behind to follow God was surreal for me, and has given me a hunger and desire to follow God's path fearlessly and with my heart on fire for Him.
So, so proud of my brother. If you can, say a prayer for him while he begins this journey.
