An unexpected highlight of the Fall ’23 semester came in the month of November as I was invited by a theology professor from Boston College to visit her undergraduate class and speak about my vocation as a Jesuit.
Setting foot back into an undergraduate classroom for the first time since my own days studying History at King’s College London was a powerful experience. First of all I spotted young men who reminded me of my 18-year-old-self – sitting in their athletic tracksuits at the back of class, balancing their studies with their sporting and social commitments. I tried to make the talks relevant and engaging to all in the class, whether they were of Catholic faith, no faith or other traditions.
The class I was invited to speak to was entitled Engaging Catholicism, whose aim is to introduce undergraduate students to the riches and depth of Catholic thought, faith and tradition. The students had recently received classes on the Examen prayer, as well as a presentation on the vocation to marriage. I was to speak about the vocation to religious life and why, in our contemporary context, I felt attracted to live a vowed life of poverty, chastity and obedience in the Society of Jesus. This was a beautiful challenge and to respond to it I focussed mainly on my life as a teenager and university student, so as to resonate with the experiences of those I was presenting to. Perhaps the richest moments came in the Q&A sessions after my talks, in which students spoke honestly and listened carefully to the questions that really mattered to them – questions about relationships, about life-long commitments and about the search for true happiness and meaning in life.
Far from being the expert in all of these areas, I merely attempted to share precious insights I have gathered over the past eight years of formation and beyond, drawing on meaningful stories and powerful experiences. This seemed to touch the hearts of those listening and the feeling was mutual – I felt honored to be offered the opportunity to speak to people at a defining moment of their life, as they embark on adulthood and towards the people they dream of becoming. The gift I received was their attentive and receptive responses, reassuring me along my own long path of formation that I have something to offer young people thanks to the studies and the witness of life I have embarked on over the past years. Rather than a distraction amidst a busy semester, this experience was ‘fuel for the journey,’ gifting me with motivation to keep committing to the path I have myself committed to.
InFormation 