And here are the words with which I welcomed them to Saint John's Seminary:
Well, look at you! You made it! You fit all that stuff in your room and now here you are in the heart of this holy house. Where each day we will pray, morning noon and night, only that God might make us holy and we might know his will.
So…. Relax! Be not afraid! Be at peace! You’re home! It’a going to be great fun!
For what could be better than falling daily more in love with Christ and his Church?
What could be better than letting go of everything but that which lasts forever?
What could be better than seeking after perfect joy and eternal happiness?
What could be better than seeking only to grow to full manhood in Christ?
What could be better? Nothing. Not all the glitzy, shiny little baubles the world offers. Not all the wiles and pomps and pleasures held out by the powers of darkness. Not all that tempts and seduces.
None of it is better than loving the Lord Jesus and serving his Church and growing in him.
Oh, it won’t always be easy. There will be hard days, with very hard work. There will be crosses, and some of them quite heavy. But he will always be there with his sufficient grace. And we’ll be here too. We who’ve spent our lives trying to do what you’ve now begun. And we will pray for you, lead you and share with you the ways that we have learned to follow the Lord and serve his Church and love his poor as his unworthy disciples.
So… Be at peace! Be not afraid! Relax! You’re home! And there’s no place better to be.
