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The Dominican Brother: 2 Brother Paul Byrd

The Dominican Brother: 2 Brother Paul Byrd

Just yesterday I was sitting at a table in the gathering space of the Newman Center of the University of New Mexico talking to a young graduate student seriously discerning a vocation to Dominican priesthood. Sometimes, walking with someone in his vocation discernment can be a heavy task; but at other times, things lighten up, and you get to hear a guy day dream about what it will be like to be a priest. My young friend was thinking of the weddings and baptisms that he would be asked to do, and the joy on his face made me smile.

Unlike my friend, I never had those kinds of day dreams when I was discerning my vocation to the Dominican Order. Like all Dominican friars, I had a desire to preach, that’s true, but at the heart of my vocation was an even greater desire — the desire to give my life completely to God. For me, giving one’s life to God is what professing vows as a religious is all about. The giving of self to God is caused by an intense love for him. This love is so strong that not to become a religious would be like a man not marrying the woman he’s madly in love with which doesn’t make any sense.

This approach to explaining religious brotherhood may come as a surprise to many who think that having a vocation is primarily about function, that is, what one does. I reject this idea, and say that religious life is first and foremost a way of life designed to help a person shed all obstacles to his proper relationship to God and neighbor. This is how I understand the text that played such an important part in my discernment: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell everything you have, give to the poor … and then follow me” (Matthew 19:21). The vows allow a person to let go of particular things so that he may freely give himself to others, and freely receive others in return.

Br Paul Byrd is a Cooperator Brother of the Dominican Central Province of the United States and is currently residing in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Daniel Mary Jeffries OP

Comments (1)

  • A Website Visitor

    I am not sure if this is the Father Paul Byrd who used to work at the Kenton county public library Cov. Ky. if it is you you called me fanny after your sister, If this is you Please contact me on my Facebook Page it is important. Thank you for your time and God Bless you.

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