Luis H. Agudelo
From: Columbia, South America
Year: First Year of Pre-Theology
Seminary: Holy Apostles Seminary, Cromwell, CT
My name is Luis H. Agudelo, I am 44 years old, from Colombia, South America. I have many characteristics that make up my personality. Friendly, enthusiastic and helpful are my top 3 qualities. I am a responsible and studious individual who makes an excellent effort and takes all opportunities to adapt to the American culture.
My family is a large one. My mother is the head of the household. I grew up with my brothers and sisters. I was the sixth child born, we are eight in total. My mother worked very hard to care for us and ensure we all did well.
My relationship with my mother has been one of great respect and mutual understanding. In addition to that, my mother has been an impressive mother by instilling values, morals, a community spirit and religious beliefs. Our relationship in the family has been maturing over the years. We have had a lot of feelings of belonging and of respect for each other.
God and the Church have given me the chance to have the experience in the faith and to have four godchildren. (Two through baptism and two through confirmation)
My most special gift in my life is my vocation, because I experience in my calling the holiness of Jesus Christ who fills my smallness and weakness with his power. I have the security that Jesus who calls me will be always with me and will give me the energy to be faithful to his service. With this it is possible to say "yes" to God and live my vocation. I have also been able to display great perseverance while awaiting my opportunity to serve God. Through this perseverance, I am capable of carrying out the important duty of service to others.
My relationship with God has been very personal, recognizing in the priest the presence of Christ in the world and in my life. Obviously, my mother has a lot to do with my relationship with God, she is the one that set the example for me as a child and conveyed the love and fear of God. It is an encounter that has allowed me to accept and love my brothers and sisters with all their differences.
In my personal prayer I try to do it deep in my heart, placing God at the center of my life, utilizing the Gospel as the foundation of all personal decisions. I see my life together in prayer, because without it life would be hopeless and uncertain.
Prayer is the most important part of everything and enables me to find the answer at all times. Prayer allows me to have an intimate spiritual encounter with God. The essence of being spiritual is to pray, meditate and to show it through your deeds and frequent visits to adoration, praying the rosary, attending daily Mass, and visiting the Blessed Sacrament. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a very warm and intimate dialogue with God that requires silence. Silence is a fundamental part of the dialogue with God.
Regarding my vocation, education is very important but I cannot forget that my spiritual life is more important by reflecting what is inside of me. This reflection is then shared with others.
Christ always must be in a priest's heart. It is Christ that I should preach wherever I go. I feel invited by Christ to be part of his priesthood, and with my affirmative answer I want a complete, full dedication to show to many people what they have not seen.
When I was a boy, my neighborhood priest walked through the streets offering Holy Communion to the sick. When he rang the bell, my mother told us that we must always kneel because Jesus Christ was passing.
I want to be able to serve all people in my role as a priest. This is what is of most importance to me. I feel very deeply in my soul, in my heart that I was intended to be here by God to continue to carry out his good deeds and duties. In my life I know how important it is to have an open ear just to listen to me and offer help and advice. I will have an open ear, welcome anyone who is in need and serve to the best of my ability.
The kind of priest I would like to be is a priest who is able to show people their needs, and show them that Jesus is living in their heart, that the only hope is Christ. I want to be a priest who is willing to help and listen.
I am writing of the experiences I have had in the Church in my life. I am a person concerned about social issues, as well as religious practices. During my life I have been confronted with a deep impressive reality. "God is the great unknown in the lives of many people" "they have not received the gift of faith". While I am talking with them, I discover that the seed of the faith is inside of them. I recognize the opportunity to show them God's love through my witness and testimony.
Our society is a contaminated one which has lost its values and morals. I want people to think about these problems and have them realize within themselves why they follow Jesus.
Our society has begun to think about religion and the morally correct "thing" to do, but they do not fully understand who Christ is or why he is here in our lives. I would like to ask "Where is love?" John says in 15:10 "If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love." In this verse, I want to point out that the truth is in love, and love should overflow into service. With the grace of God, I hope to answer positively with my service to the community.
My experience in the community has been a big help for my vocation. First, it has invited me to have greater communication with God, so that people may see God speak through me. Secondly, to see many people with more needs, inspires me to see that God loves me a great deal and I have to continue the work in which he has put in my heart. Third, I see in our society people, the young and the old, being abused morally and corporally. Their rights especially concern me.
The concern that attracts me the most is the necessity to help others. One's spiritual and corporal sickness exists and, there are few people who announce that Christ is the Savior, in a society very secularized because there are many people who do not want to have God as the foundation of all truth.
My response to the call to seminary studies I believe shows that I am fully capable of carrying out the duties and service of others. My service reflects the gratitude that I have with God and the best way is to tell him I want to continue with his mission. The way I am going to say yes to this is by following the example of his disciples. I would like to make this point according to the gospel of Matthew 28, 18-20: "Then Jesus approached and said to them, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."
Jesus comes to me and invites me to share and multiply my talents and help to discover in each other the immense love that we have. In a rather secular and indifferent society Jesus calls us without exception in different ways.
When I dedicate my life to God, I let Jesus carry my life. That dedication renounces everything that the world offers me and it humbles me. It says to Jesus that I do not want to continue without him, and in one sentence, "I belong to Christ and will always be with him."
I see myself growing and preparing for the priesthood when I accept all my limitation and I understand that everyone has limitations too. I believe that the seminary is the place where all men have a close encounter with Jesus.
One will find many different people with temperaments, whims, shortcomings, etc. and this helps me to prove that I have difficulties too. Even with these faults I need to respect and serve those whom I am called to serve.
I see myself contributing to the community through service to the people. They make it possible for me to grow every moment. Sharing my talents and making Jesus visible to others is an important role I want to play in my service to God.