by Fr. Jack Bentz, SJ

For those on mission with Christ, there are no leftovers, no extra parts, everything is used, everything finds a place. This is very good news for anyone entering the Jesuits. We do not have to leave parts of ourselves at the door, worrying that this experience, or that talent just won’t do in religious life. We soon find out that God calls us, all parts of us, not just the parts we think are suitable for religious life.

Before I entered the Jesuits I had been an actor. Trained as an actor, worked as an actor and came near to starving as an actor. I had also worked for years on a cattle ranch, sold jewelry at Tiffany’s in New York, tried to sell funeral plots over the phone, and designed gardens for a living. I worked in restaurants, retail and construction. Now what was I going to do with all of this as I came through the door of the novitiate? Just how was that going to work?

As I was applying to the Society I thought, “What have I been doing with my life? Who was making all these stupid decisions?” I should have gotten a theology degree before entering, or spent my summers serving the poor in Haiti. Or doing just about anything other than odd jobs, acting in plays and hanging out with my friends.

You can see where this is headed. Yes, I was wrong. Since entering the Society, God has used all of my experiences and all of my talents. I actually think it is easier for me to be a Jesuit because I did work on a ranch and so am used to figuring new things out all of the time. I feel blessed to have been an actor every time I am presiding or preaching. I am even glad to have spent years hanging out of friends whenever I am able to choose hanging out with people rather than getting more work done.

All of this is fine and makes me look good, talented, and perceptive. But as I mentioned earlier—God uses everything. This means not just our strengths and talents but all of our weaknesses and faults as well. God uses my moodiness, selfishness, vanity, anger and the whole dark and depressing list of imperfections that keep me in need of Christ’s saving touch in my life. Finally, what I came to realize and then almost immediately forgot was- God is my Creator and so creates me with the talents, personality, obstacles that make me who I am. If God wanted someone else, someone perfect, then He was free to create that person. But He wanted me the way I am and then called me into the Jesuits.

And so how about you? Do you think there is no way for God to use what and who you are? The Society of Jesus has plenty of room for men with crazy talents, past lives, obstacles and imperfections. In fact, these are the only kind of men created by God for work in our world.