The Current From busboy to priest, life-lessons with Fr. James Martin
Apr 3, 2026
Father James Martin, a Jesuit priest and author of Work in Progress, reflects on a life shaped by many jobs and deepening faith. He talks about finding God in unexpected places. He recalls humility from youthful mistakes, lessons learned as a busboy, and how listening and kindness bridge divides. He reflects on vocation, inclusion, and hope without offering direct advice.
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Friend's Death That Prompted A Spiritual Turn
- The death of his friend Brad in a car crash pushed Martin into anger and unbelief, but a friend's practice of thanking God for Brad's life changed him.
- That conversation opened him to a relationship with God amid tragedy rather than abandonment.
A TV Documentary That Changed A Career Path
- A late-night documentary about Thomas Merton and reading The Seven-Storey Mountain pulled Martin out of an unsatisfying GE job toward religious life.
- He describes a push from corporate unhappiness and a pull toward monastic purpose that led him to the Jesuits.
Why Jesuit Spirituality Retains Members
- Martin entered the Jesuits partly for their ministries but stayed for their spirituality of finding God in all things and how they relate to the world.
- The society's flexibility (astronomer, soup kitchen worker, professor) showed vocation variety matters as much as the work.
