“Yesterday brought the beginning, tomorrow brings the end, and somewhere in the middle we became the best of friends.”

-Unknown Author

August 7, 2008 was my first day at St. John Vianney College Seminary. As I drove down in the car with my mother next to me, I was extremely nervous about leaving home for the first time and being away from my family and my friends. I was stepping into an unknown environment; an environment where it would be rather difficult the first few days to find anyone to talk to about how I was feeling or what I was experiencing. But, that all changed when I got to my room the first night and I got a chance to talk with my New Student Experience (NSE) roommate.

My first roommate was a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Miami who had just arrived in the states from Colombia. The first night of NSE we found ourselves talking about each other and our lives before entering St. John. In the midst of that talk, we shared the same concerns about leaving family and friends. I realized that I had made my first friend at the seminary; a friendship that I know will last forever.

As the year has progressed, the seminarians I have shared my thoughts and feelings with have all become more than just friends – we are more like brothers. As Eustache Deschamps puts it, “friends are relatives you make for yourself.” The brotherhood that develops in the seminary is something that is truly remarkable. We walk with each other down the path to ordination experiencing great struggles and challenges along the way. Sometimes, it is the brothers that actually prompt these challenges. But, these challenges are good for all of us because in the midst of the struggle there is tremendous growth.

The friendships that form in the seminary would not be possible without the presence of the Lord because without Him there would be no substance to them. They would simply be fleeting moments of chit-chat. We would not be able, or willing, to share any of the things that reside in the deepest recesses of our hearts.

In modern society, people are broken! Rather than developing friendships where emotions and feelings can be freely expressed, people look for “stuff” and “things” to make them happy. This increasingly materialistic society is something the church must address. The future is uncertain, especially now with this economic crisis. My hope and my prayer is that people will begin to realize that there is more to life than “stuff.”

In the words of our Rector/President, Msgr. Michael Carruthers, the conversation needs to deepen. We should not be afraid to put our hearts out there. Trust that the Lord will be present and that He will guide the conversation, sparking an incredible feeling of love and support.