|
|  | |
| Fr. Luis Alfonso Avilés Pérez , LC | |
 |
Telling a vocation story is not easy and it
has something quite mysterious to it; because, in essence it
is an encounter between God and a man. It is
about how he has been revealing himself little by little
to a soul. God usually doesn’t yell, but he usually
shows us marvelous signs to invite us to follow Him.
He likes simplicity; he likes whispering in our ear and
letting us be free…
Just as it happened with the disciples
of John the Baptist, who first followed Christ more out
curiosity than any other reason, it also happened to me
in my life: I began to be love the things
of God. At home there was always an atmosphere of
faith and love for God. I often remember my mom
and dad pray at the beginning and at the end
of the day; I remember my grandmother telling us stories
of the Cristero War of the 1920s and 30s, and
also praying the rosary in the afternoon. All of that
was preparing the way for God to plant a seed
of my vocation.
The family
I remember when I was five or
six years old, the things of God started to attract
me. On one occasion I even got the impulse of
praying Rosaries at night. I don’t know what type of
Rosaries I prayed at that age: but I certainly knew
that my grandmother was the one who most valued it,
because my brothers thought that it was nothing but girlishness;
but for God it was something very important. From praying
the Rosary I began to take interest in being a
moderate altar server; because I thought it was enough for
me to help on Sunday and a few times a
week. I was interested in taking catechism classes and soon
enough I also wanted to teach them.
Together with these
interests I also had some less spiritual ones: the world
of horsebackriding captivated me and I spent many hours seated
on a chair jumping obstacles and running with my horse
in my mind; I also had many more dreams. Little
by little, though, things foreign to the spiritual life were
starting to interest me: parties, weekends, etc.
It was in
this atmosphere that God called me more clearly; I had
not considered the possibility of being a priest until the
day when a priest from the Legionaries of Christ visited
my high school. I remember that his formal distinction, his
joy, and his respect for each one of us impressed
me a lot. He seemed to me like a person
from whom I could learn a lot, so I accepted
his invitation to visit the apostolic school. That weekend was
amazing. I had the opportunity to live with the youth
of my age who had an ideal, who reflected it,
and not only that but also made it contagious.
I want
to be like them
With this desire in my heart and
with this decision I returned home: “I want to be
like them.” The time passed and I still had this
desire. I able to receive permission from my parents, who
knew I was in good hands, and who were convinced
that I would come home in one week.
Those few
days that my parents thought I would spend away from
home got longer and longer so that more than seventeen
years passed by. In fact, exactly 6744 days passed by
until I was ordained a priest. Certainly I did not
deserve to have such a long preparation for my priesthood,
except for the grace of God. Little by little, he
gave me the help I needed to be faithful. I
am also very thankful for the unconditional and close help
of my parents who encouraged me to keep on going
in all moments. I do not regret giving God these
years. If I could be eleven years old again, I
would give them again. I believe that I have lost
nothing and I have gained a lot. I have gained
friendship with God from an early age; I have gained
friends and brothers who fight for the same ideal, looking
to imbue the love of God in each heart and
soul we find.
What things will you see?
Many are the surprises
which a newly ordained priest has before him; but, he
also has many beautiful experiences that will fill him with
satisfaction. All of these years I have been able to
work with a lot of young people between twelve and
eight years of age. As I have done, they also
have asked the same question: “Master, where do you live?”
They have also heard the Master’s reply: “Come and see.”
This is a great satisfaction I have able to have,
helping out with the vocational centers of the Legion: to
see that with each year there are young people throughout
the whole world who renounce many opportunities of success and
glory out of love for God, and are conscious that
it is here where they will find their temporal and
eternal happiness.
I can’t finish these words without mentioning that in
my life I have always experienced the closeness of the
Blessed Virgin. She has guided me by the hand through
these years. I also direct my most sincere thankfulness toward
all of those who helped me and accompanied me along
the time of my preparation for the priesthood.
Father Luis Alfonso
Avilés was born in Zacapu, Michoacán (Mexico) 21st of August,
1978. He went to grade school at the School of
Joan of Arc. On the 4th of July, 1990 he
joined the vocational center in the Legion of Christ, in
Ajusco (Mexico). He completed his novitiate and study of humanities
in Salamanca (Spain). He got a license in philosophy and
bachelors in theology at the Pontifical Regina Apostolorum College. He
helped with the formation in the vocational center in Guadalajara
(Mexico). Right now he is helping out with the formation
of the vocational center in La Joya (Mexico City).
Do you wish to addCome and See to your favorites?