To the Band of Brothers: March 12, 2021

Fr. Willie ‘87
Good morning,

One of the benefits of being a priest is that people very generously invite you to dinner. I figure they want to do something nice for you and since you take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and don’t take a vow of hunger, offering you a meal is a good idea. They are absolutely right. 

I’ve never known a good Jesuit turn down a free meal. While we see it as an opportunity to share some quality time with people, we also see it as an opportunity to eat. Even Jesus had some of his greatest moments around the dinner table.

I always have to prepare myself for the typical question asked when they pick me up at the Jesuit Hilton: Where do you want to go eat? Here my father trained me well. I know to bow to their suggestion and tell them that I am very happy to go wherever they choose. I never look a gift horse in the mouth, especially when the gift is going in my mouth. 

There’s always a follow-up question: What do you like to eat? This one is also easy. I like everything (except liver). When you’re raised in a house with five siblings, you better eat whatever they put in front of you. If you don’t, you’re not eating.

Growing up we never dared utter words at the dinner table like: “I don’t like that,” or “can I have something else,” or “arroz con picadillo again.” If you did you would endure that famous paternal speech about the number of children around the world who go hungry every night and would kill to have food like you eat. The speech always came with a series of numerical statistics about poverty levels around the world always highlighting a particular country depending on the decade the speech was given. In the 70s it was Ethiopia, in the 80s it was Somalia, in the 90s it was Haiti. Now, I really can’t tell you what the country of choice is because I haven’t lived with my parents this century. By the way, don’t dare say the sarcastic line: “Well, they can have my serving,” because, if you do, you will be eating your arroz con picadillo through a straw.

If I really had my choice about what to eat, I would choose a cheeseburger. I know, I know, it’s not fancy, but it’s my favorite food. Steak and seafood are great. I love eating them, but cheeseburgers are my absolute favorite. Like Wimpy from the Popeye cartoons, I too would gladly pay you Tuesday for a cheeseburger today. If the Hamburglar ever came to me for confession, I would assure him that in my opinion his actions were justified.

As the weekend approaches, know there is a great possibility that at one point either on Saturday or Sunday, Fr. Willie may be slipping a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese down his gullet. It may not look pretty or be very fancy, but man does it taste good. Enjoy the day off and have a great weekend!

Auspice Maria
Back
BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba by Queen Isabel II of Spain.  The task of educating students was assigned to the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), whose teaching tradition is synonymous with academic excellence and spiritual discipline.  In 1961, the new political regime of Cuba confiscated the School property and expelled the Jesuit faculty.  The School was re-established in Miami the same year, and over the next decade, continued to grow.  Today, Belen Jesuit sits on a 30-acre site in western Dade County, only minutes away from downtown Miami.