Anthony de Mello quote “Say goodbye to golden yesterdays – or your heart will
never learn to love the present.”
never learn to love the present.”
Vicenza Day events are designed to give men in discernment a taste of what it's like to live in and work with a Jesuit Community,
Metro New York Jesuits Vicenza Service Day
On Saturday, November 9, a group of about 20 men (Metro New York Jesuits and candidates) participated in a Vicenza Service Day organized by the Vocation Office. The day's activities included service work at the Xavier Society for the Blind, lunch, Mass, prayer, reflection and sharing. Vicenza Day events are designed to give men in discernment a taste of what it's like to live in and work with a Jesuit Community, while also fostering relationships between and among these men and Jesuits.
Reflection 1:
Vicenza Day was an energizing experience where I got the chance to hear about the amazing experiences of Jesuits and my fellow candidates as well as help in a small way in the wonderful service being done for the blind. I felt a deep sense of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts throughout the day; in other words, Jesus was with us and among us, joking with us, packing, taping, and taking inventory. He was with the high school cadets who inspired us with their efficiency and willingness to serve. He was also in the confirming feeling I and my fellow candidates felt in pursuing a Jesuit vocation.
For me, the theme of the day was “discernment” which was brought up in our morning prayer together. Discernment is something I know all the candidates think about, but I have also come to find that discernment is something we do all the time, trying to see what Jesus is saying despite (as well as within) the noise and realities of the world. I know that especially for me, I like concrete answers as soon as possible, and that of course is not what discernment is about. Jesus is always with us but it can be difficult to resist the temptation to schedule an exact time, place, and situation to encounter Him.
It was honestly tough to return to work on Monday away from the small community we established on Saturday, but I think like the Jesuits, we all are called to be where Christ needs us and sometimes that takes us away from our friends and family. It reminded me of the Anthony de Mello quote “Say goodbye to golden yesterdays – or your heart will never learn to love the present.” I came to Vicenza Day ready to serve and perhaps learn more about my vocation, but with not many concrete expectations outside of the basic facts. Now I’m again trying to move forward to possible future experiences to experience Jesus and my vocation, not putting Him in a neat corner but ready to see what other great and fulfilling experiences He has for me wherever they may be.
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Reflection 2:
Upon further reflection on the Vicenza model two words come to mind, community and service. Often we encounter these two words in concert with one another. As integral as "Community Service" is, and as much as it has had a profound impact on shaping my spirit and witnessing the power of God, it is not what I would like to talk about right now. Right now, I would like to examine both of these ideas individually.
Firstly, I always feel God's Grace in a very real way when I have the opportunity to join a community of men through the Society of Jesus. However temporary the gathering, God's Grace vividly fills the space we occupy with laughter, friendship, and a common understanding of the ways and importance of Christ's movement in our lives. The Jesuit men that were present provided a frame for Love that the rest of us could encounter, share in, and model in our various communities inside and outside of this experience. Even when I leave events like this one, I always feel inspired to go out and Love in God's Way more fiercely and with more passion because of how I am made better by the Jesuits and candidates that take their time and energy to share in prayer, reflection, the Eucharist and community.
Secondly, the Vicenza Day Experience offered the unique opportunity for us to engage in a service with one another. The Jesuit Jack Campbell wrote, "Lord, you have no hands but our hands to do your work today...You have no help but our help to bring us to your side." In the otherwise mundane act of packing boxes we felt the presence of Christ, because in working together for His people we are brought closer to Him. This is the beautiful grace of doing service in God's name, anything we provide is given back with an overflowing bounty of Love. The serenity, nourishment, and joyfulness I leave with makes me grateful for this process and the community of men with Christ that I get to walk with along the way.
