True Riches for the Poor

Javier

Javier is beaming. The 22-year-old is filled with a deep, quiet joy, for he has found his path to happiness in his vocation to the priesthood. That he was able to walk this path he owes to God's loving guidance – and to donations. He had no means of his own, for he comes from Chaco, one of the poorest provinces of northern Argentina.

Amid this experienced poverty, even as a child Javier was struck by the particular joy on the faces of religious and priests. It was their smile, in a “serenity, a peace, which they passed on to everyone,” that touched him. He too wanted to find this happiness and set out in search of “God's plan for my happiness.”

Already at the age of 12, he regularly attended youth gatherings with his cousin. There, the aim was “to recognize one's own vocation.”

In diesem geistlichen Zentrum machen sich junge Männer auf die Suche nach ihrer Berufung

In this spiritual center, young men set out in search of their vocation

Four years later, during Adoration, Javier felt “an inner movement” and became convinced: “Jesus in the Sacrament is calling me.” On a Holy Thursday, Javier gave the Lord his yes, but the inner struggle was not yet over. Still, God's voice remained ever stronger than all doubts, His wooing of him more powerful than any human love. It was this voice that, through a priest, finally put the decisive question to Javier: “Why not you?”

At the age of 17, Javier entered the seminary of his home diocese and studied philosophy before he was now able to continue his theological studies at the Pontifical University of Santa Croce in Rome. His yes to God's call was not only the fruit of many conversations with God, but also of his childhood experiences: at home – his father was a missionary, his mother a catechist – an atmosphere of faith and prayer prevailed. “Whenever I wanted to hear a story, they would read to me from the Bible.”

Javier in der Kirche des Internationalen Seminars Sedes Sapientiae

Javier in the church of the International Seminary Sedes Sapientiae

Besides his religious upbringing, the many missions in which Javier took part shaped his heart. Both his father and Father Emanuel had often taken him along on their missionary journeys to the most remote corners of northern Argentina. Here, many indigenous people live in dilapidated huts made of clay and cloth. In their search for spirituality and salvation, they often attach their hearts to nature religions, evangelical groups, or sects. Javier wants to help them too in the future and bring them the hope-filled message of Christ – and Christ himself in the Sacrament.

He wants to bring true riches to these people plagued by hunger and poverty: “Happiness is not money or fame, but it is this deep and lasting joy that only God can give.”

We kindly ask you:

Pater Emanuel (r.) während eines gemeinsamen missionarischen Einsatzes bei den Armen in der Provinz Chaco

Father Emanuel (r.) during a joint missionary outreach among the poor in the province of Chaco

Support aspiring priests like Javier with your prayer and, if possible, also with your generous donation, so that they can carry God's love to people in the poorest corners of the earth and help them discover His plan for their happiness!