Four years after joining I completed a pastoral year at Oblate parishes overseas. The first four years were a time of intense growth and struggle to develop a deeper understanding of my vocation, who I am and what I think God wants me to do. Living in community with a variety of nationalities and ages has certainly caused some changes in my life—for the better, I think! In many ways I think married couples probably go through the same journey of learning to give, more than take, to think of the whole community rather than individual schedules.
The pastoral year was an important time for me to reflect on my initial calling and match the theory with the real world. The first 6 months was in the Philippines (Manila) and the second 6 months was in London. Both experiences were fantastic, although London took the longest to feel at home in, and I didn’t want to return to the seminary!
As a younger man I was worried about my providing for my future security, but came to the realization that “it is not really important to know what the future holds for us, but rather who holds our future: GOD,” and that we should not count how much we can give up… but how much God gives. People need help to rediscover their dignity as individuals in, and members of, one common family.
White Collar Heroes 