If you’ve never been to an ordination liturgy, please go!  It is one of the Church’s most beautiful celebrations, to be sure.  But even more importantly, God’s people should participate in an ordination because, to put it simply, God’s people have a say in who their priests are!  
 
After his Regency, a Jesuit preparing for the priesthood goes back to school once again, for three years of intensive theological studies.  This stage of formation, simply known as “Theology,” is the final step for a Jesuit on the path to priestly ordination.  While most of Jesuit formation is geared primarily toward helping a man become a good Jesuit, that focus narrows considerably during Theology.  During these three years of school, the discernment is not so much about being a Jesuit, but more specifically, about being a Jesuit priest.  
 
My theology studies took me to Boston College, where I studied with all sorts of folks from all over the world: Jesuits, lay women and men, members of other Religious Orders, from every continent of the globe.  We studied scripture, moral theology, sacraments, the history of Christianity, theology of culture, pastoral theology, and we took courses on how to say Mass, hear confessions, and preach. I enjoyed this round of studies much more than philosophy!
 
Of the many great theological truths I studied in Boston, one of the most meaningful to me is this: to discern the will of God, it is often most helpful to listen to the voice of his holy people, for God speaks through them. 
 
During those three years of focused discernment on the priesthood, one question stayed in my heart perhaps more than any other: Do God’s people want me to be their priest?  I first heard this question from my spiritual director when I was just a candidate for the Jesuits, and if you ever find yourself at an ordination liturgy, you will see it in action.  Just before a bishop ordains men as priests, he calls the candidates forward to stand before the congregation.  After hearing from the men’s religious superior that they are ready and worthy to be ordained, the bishop turns to the people and asks for their assent to this ordination.  The people respond with great applause, signaling, “Yes, we choose these men as our priests!”
 
I am profoundly grateful to so many people throughout my life, including here now in Raleigh, who, whether they realize it or not, continue to speak God’s Word to me and encourage me to keep trusting this great process of discernment, affirming my vocation as their Jesuit priest.