If you don't believe in the law of attraction, with the next story we might convince you otherwise! As fate will have it, we got to be guests at a very special ceremony for becoming priests at a monastery near Madrid. Fabian, one of Theresa's cousins, took his vows of chastity and poverty right in the week of our DriveYourLife trip when we happened to be in Madrid! Fabian's parents from Switzerland, his aunt, and even Theresa's parents from the Bay Area came to celebrate this special moment with him. As the ceremony happened on October 12 - Spanish National Day - I took one day off from my work obligations, and we drove to the monastery the evening before.
Fabian and the other co-residents at the monastery were the most thoughtful hosts, as they prepared dinner for us and made us genuinely feel welcomed. After dinner with Theresa's family and some of the other guests, we got invited to join the evening prayers in the chapel. As I'm a protestant myself, I wasn't familiar with most of the rituals of the Catholic church and, to be fair, the Spanish language in general; still, I highly enjoyed the gregorian chorals echoing from the walls and the peaceful atmosphere it created.
The next morning was the day of the big ceremony, which Fabian had prepared for at least one year in advance. To become a Catholic priest, he and his other mates vow to live a life in chastity and poverty. The ceremony we witnessed can be viewed as their wedding to Jesus.
I loved getting to know Fabian during our short stay in the monastery and listening to his journey and motivation for taking this route in his life. His chosen path is truly uncommon and so different from what most people in our generation would strive for. I found it deeply inspiring to meet him and the other people in the monastery who are consciously devoting their lives to helping others without ever asking for anything in return. I met Fabian as a highly reflective and philosophical interested man who decided to become a priest after his time serving in the Swiss Guard; and from talking to him, I can tell you now that whatever path you're choosing for your life, it's going to be the right one! Just stay true to who you are and the values you're holding. Everything else will fall into place ;) #LawOfAttraction