I often say that formation transforms us little by little and that it develops through the acquisition of new knowledge, the experience of community life, the life of prayer and knowing how to open oneself up to share joys and challenges with brothers.
In Guaraciaba do Norte (Ceará, Brazil), my hometown, I had my first experience of community living during my aspirancy. This experience grew in commitment and motivation in the following steps, such as the study of Philosophy in Franca (São Paulo), already in the postulancy and pre-novitiate.
There were many challenges I had to face; studying philosophy was a big change for me and it wasn’t easy to understand some concepts and methods. Thank God, with dedication and great effort, I not only overcame it, but what I acquired has truly proven important for my personal and spiritual growth.
The next step was the novitiate. It was truly beautiful, plus the added experience of getting to know another culture, another world. Shortly before, I took a short trip to Mexico to learn Spanish and to learn a little about the communities and ministries in that country.
The novitiate was truly rewarding, both for what it meant for my vocation and for what I learned in the training itself. And I am very grateful to have been able to grow and develop outside of my original culture; it is a great asset.
One of the key aspects of the novitiate was to introduce myself to the history of the Recollection, and also in a house of such importance for the Augustinian-Recollect Family as Monteagudo, a convent that signified the historical safeguarding of the Order and is today an eminent center of spirituality.
I was very impressed by the devotion of the elderly friars who, after having dedicated their whole lives to others, are now in a, let’s say, quieter stage. Her testimony encouraged me to continue with my own process and commitment.
El siguiente paso, ya como religioso profeso, fue la Casa de Formación San Agustín de Las Rozas (Madrid, España). Here I was able to deepen my understanding of our faith and learn how to face pastoral work in the future. I don’t want to ignore the conflicts that, in general, have also influenced my growth. No existen las comunidades perfectas, ni las personas perfectas: hay dificultades y tristezas junto con alegrías y triunfos.
The next step is where I am now, the year of community and pastoral integration. I am carrying it out at the Lábrea Mission, in the Brazilian Amazon, in the community of Tapauá. It is another transformative experience. The intellectual mindset of the studies faces a harsh and socially and culturally different reality. Despite being Brazilian, in the Amazon I have discovered another Brazil, beautiful and transformative, demanding and which puts many questions in your head.
In the spiritual, community and pastoral spheres I feel very active in Tapauá. My brothers give me the opportunity to work and get involved, and this encourages me a lot. It is a world to discover, which I enjoy very much, especially life in the rural area, serving the riverside villages that live with such devotion and dedication, something that moves me. I like to highlight the faith of those people, their hope.
Upon completing the special preparation course for solemn profession that I carried out in Colombia along with several of my fellow novices and two other religious men whom I did not know previously because they were Filipinos, I have focused a lot on the main theme: “Returning to my first love”.
Often, the hustle and bustle of daily life and ministerial duties cause us to put aside that first love, that first commitment with which it all began. Another topic discussed has been reflecting on my desire to be religious and how I have grown and shaped this aspiration and desire since I entered the aspirancy.
The encounters and reunions with these brothers and friends who share the same path ask me to be a better person, more joyful, better willing to follow Christ in this Augustinian-Recollect Family, with one soul and one heart directed towards God.
