It was a new and uncomfortable experience when my family dropped me off at Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary. Seeing them drive away and knowing that I wouldn’t see them for a semester was a surreal feeling. I had been away from home before, but never for more than a week. Being separated from my friends and family was a small insight into the life of sacrifice ahead of me if, God willing, I am to become a priest.

I did not have long to dwell on this feeling because I was thrown into orientation activities. As we learned about the expectations of seminary living, I began to realize how much this first year would push me beyond my comfort zone. I’ve never really liked change. Unfortunately, it appeared that the adjustment to life at the seminary would be a complete turnaround from the way I had been living. I went from living at home, working construction full time and spending time with my friends and family, to living in a community, studying as a full-time student and being surrounded by new faces.

The transition was a stressful experience to me. Adding to the stress was the element of discernment. After days where the change felt unbearable, I had to deal with the question, “am I even called to be here?” I could feel the weight of what it means to be a seminarian.

However, it was during these trials that I was able to gain a deeper understanding of how to trust in the Holy Spirit. Every day, I prayed to God in the Our Father, “Thy will be done.” Yet would I seldom think about what this meant. Often when I would pray to know God’s will, I was really just praying for God to change His will to match mine. This realization helped my prayer life. In prayer, I could bring to God the sacrifices of having to let go of my old life. During my first year at seminary, I learned how to trust God during the tumultuousness of change. I wonder what changes God will have in store for me when I return to Bruté in the fall for my sophomore year?