Pedro Santiago Méndez Cruz, a student of the University of Navarra and of the Bidasoa International SeminarIn this book, he finds in faith in God the strength to overcome adversity and to reaffirm his vocation as a priest. From his childhood marked by the love of his grandparents, to his decisive spiritual experience in a retreat, Pedro invites us to reflect on the importance of Christian formation and the virtues that a priest of the 21st century must cultivate.
"Between 73 % and 78 % of the population in Mexico is Catholic, but I feel that the secularism that is permeating my country is due to a lack of Christian formation. Young people need to know our faith, which is wonderful," says Pedro.
For him, without formation, without knowing the Catholic faith in depth, young people allow themselves to be trapped by the fads that are lavished on the social networks to which so many are hooked without control. "Sometimes we get carried away by others and begin to lose our roots, Christian values and beliefs, and this is happening among young Mexicans. They are Catholics in words, but they do not practice their faith."
Pedro is a young man from the Diocese of Tabasco who never knew his biological father. His mother became pregnant at the age of 18 and had to work to raise her son. "So I stayed with my maternal grandparents, a situation that happens to many children in Mexico. I owe them everything: they gave me their love and their faith in God. I call them both mom and dad.
"Even though my family is not perfect, and I don't know my biological father, I thank the Lord for everything he has given me. He gave me an adoptive father who is my grandfather-dad," she says with emotion and serenity.
Her mother later had another daughter, who is now 16. "She was one of the most beautiful gifts the Lord has given me, a sister."
It was his grandparents who taught him his first prayers and took him to the parish catechesis at the age of six, when he also joined the group of altar boys. In this way, he matured his faith in three main areas: home, school and parish.
Like many teenagers, during high school he experienced a rebellious period in his life. He was 13 or 14 years old when he faced several difficulties at school and experienced some problems in his family.
"One day I spoke to my parish priest. I will never forget his words. He told me that we don't notice when we have God in our lives, that we don't perceive that He always takes us discreetly by the hand. But when we move away from Him, we do notice His absence and life becomes different.
If Jesus is not in our life, our life is nothing. If Jesus is in my life, my life is worth a lot. Then I began to think about what Jesus wanted from my life. I recognized my mistake, my distance from the Lord, and I returned to Him," says Pedro.
When he finished high school, during his first year of Bachillerato, he realized that the Lord was asking something of him, although he was not sure if his vocation was to be a priest.
"My pastor then encouraged me to attend a spiritual retreat, and I went. At that retreat, at a certain moment, I had an indescribable experience: I felt that I was alone before the Lord in the Eucharist, face to face with Him, just Him and me. And He said to me: "Take up your cross and follow me". It was there that I cleared up all my doubts," he recounts.
He entered the minor seminary of his diocese at the age of 16. His grandparents were overjoyed.
For him, in addition to receiving an integral formation, a priest of the 21st century needs to be a priest of prayer, who does not neglect those moments of intimacy with God.
"That is the most important thing, but also to be close to the faithful, to the people of God. It is important to be empathetic with people, listen to them, understand them and learn from them. This is what I am discovering now in the pastoral work I have done during the summer," says this young seminarian.
There is one virtue that he considers essential in the life of a priest: "Sincerity is vital. If a priest is not sincere, he will not be a good priest. We live in a world in which it is difficult for us to let ourselves be accompanied. We priests also need others to guide us and help us".
Therefore, for Peter, prayer, empathy, learning from others and allowing himself to be instructed by those who know are the essential qualities that a priest of the 21st century should acquire.
Living the formation experience at the Bidasoa Seminary is something he could never have imagined. "It makes me very excited to share the faith and the wonderful experiences I am living in Spain, with my brother seminarians and with the formators. Sharing the faith and knowing that I am called by God fills me with joy. It is an unparalleled experience of formation and life," says Pedro.
However, there is also something that scares him, and that is priestly loneliness. "If the priest is not firm in his vocation and is not convinced of what he is, the routine can cloud the true meaning of his mission. Priests must not be left alone".
For Peter, therefore, it is necessary to pause, to set aside moments of rest and prayer to cultivate our relationship with God. With these words he concludes this meeting of small confidences, giving thanks to all the benefactors of the CARF Foundation who have helped him in his studies and training.
Marta SantínJournalist specializing in religious information.
