‘Jesus Christ alone can satisfy’

by Br. Brandt Haglund

The countless gravestones at Normandy American Cemetery in France stirred my heart. These brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives challenged me: Would I be willing to lay down my life, as these men did, for the Lord and his people?

Long before this pivotal moment, the seeds of my vocation had been planted by family role mod- els. My grandfather served his family and parish sacrificially for many years after his WWII duty. Likewise, my father coached me in self-discipline, and my dear mother raised me to serve others.

It was at college that the Lord Jesus truly captured my heart. After graduation, I served as a missionary and met the Brotherhood of Hope. I admired the brothers and their work evangelizing students at secular universities, but I resisted the idea of celibacy and did not have the courage to explore a vocation with them until after my experi- ence at Normandy Beach.

My years with the Brothers of Hope have strengthened my conviction that Jesus Christ alone can satisfy our deepest desires. It is a profound honor to love and serve him.

See original publication in the May 2022 edition of Columbia Magazine