I feel that one lives in a kind of cloud from which one never descends. It was a dream\u2014the news that Pope John Paul II was going to ordain us priests. A dream that became reality when we all saw each other in St. Peter’s Basilica. It was something extraordinary, even in the history of the Church, because never before has a Pope ordained 60 priests from the same congregation at once.<\/p>\n
Father, was that the beginning or the end of something in your life?<\/strong><\/p>\n It was like climbing to a summit where, when you reach the top, you can see everything you\u2019ve left behind\u2014rivers, landscapes\u2026 but you realize that after this summit, there are more peaks. It is both an end and a beginning. There are other peaks that, now, after 25 years, I realize I had to climb and leave behind.<\/p>\n What moment do you remember as special in your priestly life?<\/strong><\/p>\n I would describe these 25 years of priesthood as full of enthusiasm. An initial enthusiasm, which is easy to live, that has lasted over time, and in which I have experienced moments ranging from the fullness of joy to sadness. And in those moments, there are people, experiences\u2026<\/p>\n I would highlight the places where I have lived my priesthood, from the Guarani jungle to Patagonia, passing through the high Andes, Antarctica, the Castilian land, the Judean deserts\u2026 These are landscapes that encompass experiences and people, such as those living in some remote villages, waiting for the \u2018little priest,\u2019 people of other religions who do not know or despise our faith, indifferent young people in the West, or people waiting with open arms for you to enter their homes. I remember once celebrating Mass for the Guarani Indians. However, none of them could receive communion because they were not baptized\u2026 You wonder: \u201cWhat am I doing celebrating Mass if none can receive\u2026?\u201d. At those moments, apostolic zeal takes over\u2026<\/p>\n There\u2019s another moment that moved me deeply: I had to attend to a young Buddhist with AIDS at the very end of his life. A friend of his asked me to go and attend him, but I couldn\u2019t give him the anointing of the sick because he was not Catholic. So, at that last moment of his life, I asked him: \u201cDo you want to be baptized?\u201d. And he replied yes\u2026 At that moment, I baptized him and gave him the anointing of the sick. The next day, he died. In those moments, you understand that you have brought a soul to God.<\/p>\n Not all Legionary fathers have had the opportunity to work in so many different places as missionaries. Others always live in more urban areas\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n All Legionaries are missionaries, at least in their hearts. But it is indeed a grace from God. I was attracted to the Legion because of the mission it involved, and I come from a missionary family background\u2014whether because of the influence of missionaries passing through our home, or the military spirit of my family\u2026 and yes, I have been assigned to borderlands, trenches, and missions.<\/p>\n![\"adiaz2\"](\"http:\/\/legionariosdecristo.org\/es\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2016\/02\/adiaz2.jpg\")
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