When I was born, I already had a problem with my eyesight. Little by little, I gradually lost my sight.
The moment finally came.
Maybe a little sooner than I expected. At the age of 7 I lost sight in one of my eyes.
At 16 I lost most of it in the other one.
Although I could see very little, I liked to see daylight. When I traveled I liked to see the landscapes a lot.
I saw the green outlines of the mountains. I saw the contrast with the blue sky.
I could see the blue of the sea. I could still see the sunrise and sunset,
which were very fascinating to me. And to no longer see this completely was discouraging for me.
But soon, with God's grace, with my Faith,
with the Faith that He gave me; and then, with the help of family and friends I overcame it pretty quickly.
I began to reflect on what I would like to do in life.
For me, I realized God might not be asking me to be a family man.
But to be a priest... A priest is also a father.
But I didn't have the courage to enter the seminary.
To leave the life of a teacher... I didn't have the courage to leave
my profession, since I I really liked what I was doing. And I wanted to be sure.
And the more I looked for certainty the more distressed I became, because I couldn't find any certainty.
That's when the spirituality of the Work helped me a lot.
I met the Work through a friend when I was studying at university, who invited me to go to some circles.
I needed some guidance, and as this friend
had invited me, I found assistance
in the Work, with a priest of the Work.
There is something special I find in the Work, in the meditations, in conversation with a priest, which is joy.
This joy of knowing that God is with us even in the midst of difficulties.
The Cross is not the last word. The last word is the Resurrection.
I was looking for certainty and since I couldn't find it I could never make a decision.
And I discovered something more important than certainty: trust.
I began to realize that if God was calling me to the priesthood,
I could trust that He would not deny me His grace.
And eventually I found the courage to make a decision.
I started thinking: why not take a risk? It was a risk, yes it was a risk.
I was leaving my job, I was leaving something that I really liked.
But at the same time I also felt inside a very strong desire
to be a priest, to be able to help people find Christ.
To be free amid the darkness
I help out here in the parish. I celebrate Mass. I'm the chaplain at a nursing home.
I celebrate Mass every day at the nursing home. I provide spiritual assistance in the Christian Formation program for adults.
Also for people with disabilities.
And in the Braga Scouts group.
The Archbishop, when I was ordained, assigned to me the pastoral work of hearing Confessions and welcoming people.
I dedicate a lot of time to Confessions.
Now I realize that I entered the seminary, not because I was sure I was going to be a priest,
but because I had the confidence that God would accompany me and assist me.
Thanks to God, I overcame the difficulties and I will continue to overcome them,
because there will be always challenges and difficulties.
But I know that our Lord continues to be with me, and will continue to be with me.
75 Years of Opus Dei in Portugal
I have here this book, "The Way," already very used. I've used it a lot in prayer.
It really makes me happy to read and reread this first point of "The Way."
"Don't let your life be barren. Be useful.
"Shine forth with the torch of your faith and your love.
"And set aflame all the ways of the earth with the fire of Christ that you bear in your heart."
www.opusdei.pt