brothers Brother James Hayes, F.I.C.P. ended his 2012 bicycle trip around France at Saint-Malo on the English Channel.
Why I’m still a brother by Brother James Hayes,
Brother James Hayes, F.I.C.P. joined the Brothers of Christian Instruction (De La Mennais Brothers) in 1990 and is currently head of music and teacher of film studies at St. Mary’s College, Southampton, England. He is also involved in music, youth trips, and vocations work.
F.I.C.P.
Christian vocation of any stripe requires daily renewal and recommitment. Here are reasons one brother chooses to stay where he is.
W
hat made you want to become a brother? . . .” That is a question I have often been asked in one form or another. Depending on the situation, I have offered answers ranging from the enigmatically brief to full-blown dissertations. But another question perhaps should be asked at the same time, one that I need to address regularly: “. . . And why are you still a brother?” A good friend and fellow prayer-group member once said to me, “It’s all right for you religious and priests . . . you’ve done your studies, you’ve taken your vows, you’ve made it. You know what you are meant to do with your lives.” But I told him that such an attitude is very dangerous for religious and priests—in fact for any Christian—to have because it can lead to complacency and the strong possibility that one’s life will end up heading down the wrong path. The vocation of any Christian requires daily commitment, generosity, selflessness, openness, and perseverance.
102 | VISION 2014 | VocationNetwork.org
