Interview with Myriam Ballesteros and her son H. Javier Villar, LC

Myriam Ballesteros entered Regnum Christi during this year’s Feast of Christ the King, in Mallorca. Her son Javier has been a Legionary of Christ for eight years, and his current assignment is Everest School Monteclaro, where he accompanies students in their formation in all fields, especially at the spiritual level. Myriam, for her part, also works at a school, in her case diocesan, in Mallorca, where she is a Secondary School teacher and teaches Religion and Business Entrepreneurship. She has been married for 28 years and has two daughters and a son, H. Javier, and she tells us that “what attracted me to Regnum Christi was seeing the coherence of life and the real presence of Christ in so many priests and laypeople who are an example of coherence and testimonies of God’s love in our society.” We have spoken with them and offer you this mother-son interview, a four-handed conversation.

Myriam and H. Javier: a priestly vocation, is it a vocation for the whole family?

[H. Javier Villar, LC] Absolutely, when a vocation enters a home, it is for the whole family. Certainly, it involves a personal response from the one called, but at the same time, the rest of the family supports that “yes.” In our family, that has been the case. It’s true, it hasn’t always been easy, but I have always had my family’s support.

[Myriam Ballesteros] I am convinced of that. I remember when Javi was in the novitiate, we saw and spoke little, it was quite difficult for us to live through that stage, especially for me, and I remember Fr. Enrique Tapia LC telling me that when the Lord calls a young man to the priesthood, He also calls the family, especially the mothers. I have always remembered this phrase, and it has helped me a lot.

And how do you experience it in your family?

[Myriam Ballesteros] We experience Javi’s vocation with the peace that comes from feeling loved by God in a special way when He calls and calls our son and brother to the priesthood, and with great joy for his generosity in dedicating himself to the priesthood and the happiness he transmits to all of us.

We experience Javi’s vocation with the peace that comes from feeling loved by God in that special way

Myriam: Why did you join Regnum Christi now, given that your son has been a Legionary for several years? What has happened since then until today? In what way has it been related to your son being a Legionary?

[Myriam Ballesteros] The truth is that my joining Regnum Christi at this moment surprised quite a few people, as they thought I was already a member, and partly they are right, because I considered myself part of this great family for a long time. It was like a voice crying out, but I hadn’t listened.

The reason I joined recently, specifically on the Feast of Christ the King, is something that has been slowly cooking for many years.

I got to know Regnum Christi at the same time as Javi, through a friend, Mª Fernanda, to whom I am infinitely grateful, who took her children to the Faro Club. Gradually, I started attending retreats, talks, and spiritual direction with Fr. Ignacio González, LC. Later, I met other wonderful Legionary priests, all of them, great people of RC, and my commitment, interest, and participation in Regnum Christi increased more and more. More recently, with the apostolate of the Sacred Heart, I saw clearly that the Lord was calling me to follow Him and to contribute my bit to bring the Kingdom of God closer.

Javier: How have you seen your mother over these years since you entered the Legion of Christ? What do you think has happened for her to now join Regnum Christi as a layperson?

[H. Javier Villar, LC] Since I was a member of the ECYD in Palma, then in Regnum Christi as a layperson, and now as a Legionary, my mother has always been in contact with the movement. However, since I entered the congregation, she has gotten closer to Regnum Christi and has come to know it from within. As she has gradually learned about the movement, she has discovered that God wanted her on this path.

And, how was that ‘I join Regnum Christi’? Did you talk about it mother-son beforehand?

[Myriam Ballesteros] Of course, for me it was essential to talk about it with Javi and to know his opinion. In fact, the first time I seriously considered it was during a retreat course last year, and in the middle of the retreat, I called him. His first reaction was joy, but also surprise, because although he knew about my relationship with RC, I had never told him about my joining. He advised me to think about it, to pray about it, and to talk it over with my husband, and above all, to decide what would give me peace, because the things of God should be lived with peace. And… I did so, and here I am, very happy.

[H. Javier Villar, LC] Indeed, we talked about it. She asked me how I saw it, and obviously, for me, it was always a great joy, but at the same time, I never wanted her to feel pressured by my opinion. I tried to show her everything that the joining could offer her, but also to let her feel very free to choose.

Myriam: What about the Lord attracted you to Regnum Christi? What has Regnum Christi revealed to you about Christ?

[Myriam Ballesteros] My relationship with Jesus Christ has been constant in my life, of course with lights and shadows, highs and lows. He always captivates when you get to know Him. But what attracted me to Regnum Christi was seeing the coherence of life and the real presence of Christ in so many priests and laypeople who are an example of coherence and testimonies of God’s love in our society. Christ lives!

Javier: Where do you find affinity between the charism of Regnum Christi and your mother?

[H. Javier Villar, LC] I believe my mother is someone who can’t stay still. She always looks for opportunities to offer words of encouragement, gestures of affection, and to give to others. That attitude is very much ours because it reflects someone who has known God’s love and can’t just stand by with that experience. What she seeks is to extend the Kingdom of love, so that more people know and love Him.

Javier: Does your mother’s entry into Regnum Christi contribute or mean something in your vocational discernment as a Legionary priest?

[H. Javier Villar, LC] Since the certainty of a calling to the priesthood is not a mathematical certainty but rather an inner certainty, God continues to confirm me in different situations that this is the path He has prepared for me from the beginning, and my mother’s joining is one of those situations. It means sharing with my mother, besides everything we already share, a specific spirituality, a very special path to heaven, and a way of doing apostolate.

Myriam: What does your son’s vocational discernment path contribute to your married vocation?

[Myriam Ballesteros] It’s a sign that the Lord has a mission for each of us, calling us in a unique way to serve Him. As spouses, we live Javi’s call with great joy, feeling very blessed and united in prayer, giving thanks to God.

As spouses, we live Javi’s call with great joy, feeling very blessed and united in prayer, giving thanks to God

What is the Legion of Christ for you?

[H. Javier Villar, LC] It is the priestly and religious branch of Regnum Christi, the place where God wants His priest to be for the good of the Church.

[Myriam Ballesteros] I would say it is a congregation blessed by God and the Church, made up of very good priests, joyful, doctrinally well-formed, who dedicate themselves every day to giving glory to God, making the Kingdom of God and Christ’s love present in our society.

Myriam: Does sharing the spirituality of Regnum Christi strengthen your mother-son relationship?

[Myriam Ballesteros] Our mother-son relationship has always been very close; we love each other very much, understand each other very well, and are quite alike; perhaps now that we share the same spirituality, we have something more in common.

Javier: What do you remember about the religious formation you received as a child at home?

[H. Javier Villar, LC] I remember catechesis at the parish, where both my father and mother were catechists. I also remember with great affection the rosaries in the car when we went on trips.

And you, Myriam, what are you learning spiritually now from your son?

[Myriam Ballesteros] Javi, as a child and young man, was very restless, it was hard for him to sit still, he always organized things, signed up for different activities, changing from football, tennis, surfing, music… it seemed he hadn’t found what filled him. Since he entered the seminary, he found the peace he was looking for, the serenity that only God gives, and that was a great lesson I have also been able to experience.

Javier, since entering the seminary, found the peace he was seeking

What do you tell your son about the mission God places on his path?

[Myriam Ballesteros] That he always accept God’s will and that the great love God has put in his heart be at the service of all people and circumstances he has to face.

And what do you ask of God for your son?

[Myriam Ballesteros] That he be a holy priest.

And you, H. Javier, what do you ask of God for your mother?

[H. Javier Villar, LC] I ask God to always sustain her with all the love in His Heart, so that her whole life continues to have a pillar in His Heart.

I ask God that he be a holy priest

Do you pray together? What is your prayer like?

[H. Javier Villar, LC] We pray together when I go to Palma. I enjoy accompanying my parents during their adoration shifts before the Blessed Sacrament in the perpetual adoration chapel. It’s a silent prayer, being together before the Lord, thanking and offering ourselves for whatever He wants.

[Myriam Ballesteros] I pray every day for his vocation, and not only for his, but also for other young people who have responded generously to God’s call, and for the Lord to awaken new vocations. Together, we can rarely pray, but we unite spiritually in prayer, because I know Javi also prays for us, and that shows. Anyway, when the children were at home, and even now during long car trips, we usually pray the rosary as a family.

I pray every day for his priestly vocation, and not only his, but also for other young people who have responded generously to God’s call

Myriam, as the mother of a Legionary of Christ, could you share a few words, a piece of advice to the Legionaries of Christ in their relationship with their mothers?

[Myriam Ballesteros] I don’t consider myself capable of giving any advice, honestly, but I like to think that the love Legionaries feel for their mothers is like the love Jesus had for His Most Holy Mother.

Javier, as a young Legionary of Christ on the path to priesthood, would you have some words, advice, or recommendation for the mothers of Legionaries of Christ?

[H. Javier Villar, LC] First of all, thank you for welcoming your children’s vocation as well. We always pray for vocations to the priesthood, but what mother, when she prays, believes that her son will be the one God chooses? You may be more or less open to receiving this gift, but when it comes, it always demands great generosity. Thank you very much!

Source: RegnumChristi.Es