"In my adolescence and early youth, many people invited me to participate in a youth or worship group, and my answer was always the same: thank you very much, but no. At that time in my life, I did not see all the good that God offered me. At that time in my life I didn't see all the good that God was offering me".
Now 33 years old, he is a seminarian in the diocese of Tabasco (Mexico), studying at the University of Navarra and residing and training in the Bidasoa International Seminar (Pamplona). He is aware that a good formation is necessary to be able to evangelize in a post-modern society of the 21st century, especially in Mexico, a country with strong Catholic roots where Protestantism is also gaining ground.
"One of the main evangelization needs, not only in my diocese but in the whole country, is how to evangelize in the face of the multiple Protestant groups that are growing."
According to his experience, it is necessary to begin with the families, catechizing and making known the beauty of the Word of God. "To achieve this, parishes must foster more of a missionary spirit in their own communities (which is something that is done) but it must be promoted much more, and thus, together with the participation of the whole community, bring God closer to those who do not yet know him or who have even moved away."
Faced with the proliferation of Protestant or anti-clerical groups, this seminarian is convinced of the power of every Catholic being a witness to the Catholic faith, and as he suggests, starting with families.
"Families are the domestic churches where the cultivation of faith begins, as well as those values, virtues, teachings and customs that will gradually mold the character and personality of each of its members."
Jesus is convinced that if the Catholic faith is lived in every family, its witness will give an answer to those anti-clerical groups that seek to attack the Church. "This is not a war between the Catholic faith and Protestant sects, but as Catholics we have a great responsibility, and illuminated by the light of faith, we must acquire the best preparation to face the new challenges of this era."
This seminarian, who wants to become a priest, transmits his own experience of what he learned in his family. He is the youngest of three brothers and has grown up with the support of his family, a fundamental factor in becoming the person he is today, always hand in hand with God in every project of his life.
"The good moments of my childhood are full of the union between brothers, playing, having fun, protecting each other. Something good about my childhood is that since I was little I have been a constant person in my studies, which my parents always instilled in me, something that has characterized me all my life."
He also recalls that adolescence was one of the best stages of his life because he began to grow and mature in his personality. "The good thing about my adolescence is that I was defining my way of being, I knew how to distinguish good from bad and above all the confidence that my parents had in me and my siblings. I thank my parents who always gave me an education based on values, creating in my brothers and me, the sense of responsibility, dedication and effort in all our activities," says this seminarian.
His parents supported him in the most important moment of his life: entering the seminary at the age of thirty, after a professional career and a stable job, always trusting in God's will, "calling me to go beyond my abilities to give back to God, in a generous way, all that He had given me throughout my life".
The dream of this seminarian is to evangelize the youth of Mexico. "There is something that calls my attention and that is that the youth in Mexico, despite the changes that have occurred in recent years, is a youth that has a voice and makes itself heard, it is a youth where it is clearly seen that when there is union and all connect towards the same interest they achieve the goals they set, it is a youth where there is much hope especially in these times of modernity".
In his opinion, what is needed to bring young people closer to the Catholic faith is to give them and allow them to participate more in parishesIt is of great importance to make them feel part of the church, integrating them in the activities to generate in them attitudes of love and responsibility not only to the service they are rendering, but also to God.
"However, families are fundamental to achieve this, since it is there that love for God is fostered, as well as love for the Church," Jesus insists.
What must the seminarian and priest of the 21st century be like for Jesús Eduardo? "In my opinion he must have a great love and dedication to what God has called him to; have a sense of commitment and responsibility wherever he is; have a solidity in all his areas of formation, which will allow him to face the challenges that our Church has and will have in the future."
In addition, he considers it necessary that the current seminarians and priests maintain a constant ongoing formation in order to be able to respond to the needs and concerns of the people of God, since we are facing future generations that are preparing themselves very well.
"A seminarian in the 21st century must not extinguish the flame of his vocation in the face of what the world has to offer, which could divert him from what he was called to do. He must always keep in mind the reason why he decided to follow God and not to be afraid of the tribulations they may experience".
Jesús Eduardo Flores concludes: "answering God's call is and will be one of the most enriching experiences that will mark the life of a seminarian, who will never forget all his efforts throughout his formation and will be reflected in his service to the Church and to all God's people as a priest".
In closing, Jesus is very grateful to all the benefactors of the CARF Foundation who make his studies in Pamplona possible. "Thank you to the benefactors for their generosity and for their prayers, because by helping seminarians like me, they help many Christian communities around the world. I keep you in my prayers.
Marta Santín, journalist specializing in religion.
