Daniel Callejo: “To follow one's vocation means to throw oneself into the unknown”.”

Daniel Callejo is from Pamplona. He grew up in a family of 12 siblings and trained as an engineer in Barcelona. After working and making his way in the professional world, he left everything to follow God's call. He is now pursuing a doctorate in Philosophy at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome.

Daniel assures that faith has always been present in his life, first at home and then at school. “My older siblings have always been a reference point for me as I watched them live such simple things as going to Mass together or entering a church during a trip to greet Jesus in the tabernacle. In that way, I naturally understood what it meant to live the faith.”.

From engineer to priest

One of his older brothers has also been a priest for eight years, a close example that influenced his own vocational path. “At home they have lived it with great joy and support, both in prayer and in affection. They have accompanied us with sincerity and enthusiasm. It has been a shared joy.”.

Even before entering the seminary, he was a numerary member of Opus Dei. “What attracted me most to the Work was finding God in everyday things and the idea of sanctifying work. Then, little by little, I discovered through prayer and the example of others that perhaps God was asking me to put aside this professional development and serve as a priest, above all through the sacraments.”. Daniel emphasizes that it was a progressive process in which God gradually showed him His will.

A faith without ruptures

Daniel says that, thanks to God, he has always lived in faith, with varying degrees of intensity, but always keeping him in mind: “since I was a child I knew that God is Father and that He is with me.”. It also recognizes the importance of training at school: “The atmosphere of trust, the friends, the teachers..., everything helped. In addition, religion classes, talks by priests and being able to go to Mass or confession completed what I was already experiencing in my family.”.

“In my experience, faith was not an imposition. Adolescence is a time when one seeks independence and one has to accompany without forcing. The important thing is that the doors are open so that, if someone moves away, they know they can come back and be welcomed.”.

In Rome, in addition to his priestly formation, he is completing a doctorate in philosophy: “Studying is an exercise that, although arduous and time-consuming, is very valuable. In a fast-paced world, it is good to stop and think and ask oneself about the underlying reasons for things. Moreover, it encourages dialogue: by looking for those underlying reasons in oneself, one can also help others to discover the deeper motivations behind their lives, their actions and what happens to them.”.

A confident yes

When speaking of the fear that many feel before God's call and the renunciations that it entails, Daniel has a clear answer. For him, the essential thing is to go to the heart of the Christian message: God is our Father and no one loves us more than He does. That certainty underpins everything.

“It is true that God may ask for things that seem very demanding or uncertain, but he always does it with love. And he gives us, step by step, the motivations, the feelings and the strength to carry it out. In my case, I also experience uncertainty about the future: I don't know what will come or if I will be up to it. But at the same time I have the certainty that giving my life to God is the firmest and truest thing to do.”.

Looking back, Daniel sees that God has always been with him, in difficulties and in moments of light. “Of course, following a vocation involves throwing oneself into the unknown, just as in married life: no one can know in advance whether he or she will be strong enough or overcome all the obstacles.”. For him, the important thing is love, and the decision to renew it every day.

“If we think of Peter, when he was fishing, what would he have felt if he had been told everything he would experience later? Surely he would have felt incapable, as would the other apostles. But what was clear to them was that Jesus, looking at them with infinite love, was calling them to follow him. And the only possible answer was: ‘yes, I want to go with you,’ even if they did not know what the future would be like.”.