Congratulations Father Jim!

On All Saints Day I linked you to a post for, well, All Saints Day, that included a video of Fr. James Martin discussing his first acquaintances with the Saints, and also his excellent book, My Life With the Saints.

Fr. Jim has been a good friend to this blog for a while, even visiting here for a day-long chat, a while back.

So, it’s only fitting that a fellow who is a friend of the Saints would profess his final vows as a Jesuit, on none other than All Saints Day.

Fr. James Martin. S.J. Makes Final Vows
(shamelessly cribbed from the Deac)

Writes Martin of his big day:

Several analogies are helpful, but imperfect. It’s somewhat like making tenure (you’re already a professor but now a “full” one). It’s somewhat like making partner (you’re already a member of a law firm, but now a “full” one). Or, more indelicately, it’s somewhat like becoming a “made man” in the Mafia (cf: “Goodfellas”).

A better way to say it is this: the Society of Jesus is accepting that offer you made all those years ago as a novice. As another Jesuit said, at First Vows, you accept the Society; at Final Vows, the Society accepts you, “for better or worse.”

For me, this means that all those years of discerning and thinking and wondering and talking and and writing and struggling and rejoicing about being a Jesuit have been confirmed. And not just confirmed by my own prayer and experience–but by the Society of Jesus.

Fr. Jim, who has also shown up on Comedy Central, was recently profiled over at NET-TV (Deacon Greg’s establishment) and he shares more on his vocation and final vows in yet another video.

Congratulations, Fr. James! May God bring to perfect completion the beautiful work which He has begun in you!