May 3

Date: May 3, 2020 (Easter)

My Journey to Priesthood to Becoming a Good Shepherd

“Your gifts and passions will help you determine which vocation you can serve The Lord best…”

In my early months here in the parish, I was privileged enough to share my vocation story to a group of young people with their parents. One of the questions I was asked was: When was the time I felt I was called to consider priesthood? That was a pretty personal question, I could hardly answer in one line or two.

There was no particular time, I guess…it’s rather a series of events that eventually led me to that grace-filled day of my ordination. If I may point out one by one; first, I just heard encouragement(s). My grandma, who was so fond of me, always took me to church and pointing to the priest told me: “Someday you will be like him.” I liked my grandma to say it to me because I could see her excitement. And I told myself, “I love my grandma, and I could not afford to make her feel sad. I’m gonna be a priest someday.” Meanwhile, my father strongly recommended it to me too. It felt weird because the more my father recommended it to me, the more I started to feel I didn’t like it. My mother just supported my father, and I hated it. They were the two people who actually made me always ask myself whether becoming a priest was my choice or rather their choice for me.

In the classroom from elementary until high school, they started calling me “Faths” short for Father, because early on, our teachers would encourage us to also tell our ambition in life whenever we introduce our name on the first day of school. It’s cool because as early as high school I already enjoyed the high esteem and respect of my classmates and friends - I didn’t get bullied; though it limited my desires to express myself - like my classmates would say, you are not allowed to have a girlfriend because you wanna be a priest, right?

I was well guarded by my classmates and I couldn’t just be messing around because they already had high expectations of me. It was kind of helpful; though I carried the obligation to behave well in and out. And the biggest thing was when our parish priest, announced in the public so that it became known to the whole town that I was going to study in the seminary. And for the first time, I said to myself: “O boy this is going to be serious now. This is no joke anymore. It’s not a “cool-cool thing” anymore. It is for real.”

To make the story short: the grandma’s encouragement, my parents’ strong recommendation, the name-calling, and the priest’s public announcements were the concrete voices that gave me a hint: I should consider thinking of becoming a priest. They were the initial voices that led me to the seminary. Now that’s the first way.

The other way by which I heard the call was by paying attention to my desire. I did not “passionately” desire to be a priest when I was your age. I just desired to be a “big-time” someday like many of you (young people), full of fancy dreams. Yes, I said, in high school, priesthood was my ambition, but there was nothing serious about it then. I would rather imagine myself become big-time as a soldier, as a lawyer, or somebody in ranks and fine uniform - something very secular; therefore, not as a priest.

Obviously, those I thought “big-time desires” did not literally happen. But I knew, I always tried to follow them; though in a different way now. I always wanted something “bigger” than myself. And there it went when I entered the seminary. Beyond my expectation, the seminary was just so big to me. I was challenged, I felt pounded, I was stretched to the limit, but I loved it because the whole thing in the seminary fed my desire. I love Philosophy, I love literature, and above all, I was fascinated by the beauty of studying Theology. This is where I also discovered my gifts, my passion, and my sense of purpose.

I remember part of our seminary formation was to undergo a regency - a kind of break from the seminary life. This was when we would be going out of the seminary structures, totally away from the seminary routine for one whole year. I did not follow the seminary program, I went out of the seminary for two years and I was teaching in a catholic school. My two years in teaching regency helped me a lot and if there was one big thing I could recall on those years: it helped me a lot to realize that my gift is meant for priesthood - like I could be very much me if I would be a priest.

One of the highlights of my formation years was when I was assigned as the executive secretary of the Bishop. He was then elected as the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines - (here in America you have USCCB.) I served as his ghostwriter during his tenure as chairman of the CBCP and I could not believe some of my writings were on the national newspapers.

Having accomplished things like matters with bigger and national significance, it made me recall some of my humbling experiences in the past, particularly when I was in 5th grade. I was so scared to speak in front of many people. I remember one occasion, I could not finish my speech because I was already petrified in front of hundreds of people. I was laughed at, but the good thing now, I have already overcome the trauma. I remembered in high school I could not advance to the higher level in a writing competition because I thought I wrote so bad, but here comes the time when I had to do some writings for the bishop, and I knew some of them will be on national publications. And the good thing was: My bishop just kept motivating me to make use of my gift. But apart from this, I still have many other gifts, like, I pray with devotion, I enjoy basketball, volleyball and musical instruments. It’s not hard for me to find friends. I can communicate my heart out. Most importantly, I am still obedient to my bishop. As a young priest, I am able to see opportunities to learn and grow - every day for me is God’s work to mold me into the image of the Good Shepherd.

To summarize: there were two ways through which I heard the call, one from the outside; the other, from the inside. How did I become a priest? God calls us according to the purpose he has set already for us from the moment we were formed in our mother’s womb. And the purpose to which we are destined most often goes with the gift. Follow your inner desire, just so you will come to terms with your gifts and passions. Then, your gifts and passions will help you determine which vocation you can serve the Lord best. This time, I think there’s no doubt, God wants me to be a priest. Did I become big time? Who cares? But I know deep in my heart, I serve the Lord “big time” through the gift of priesthood.

Thank you, Lord, for your blessings and guidance in my 9 years of priestly ministry.

Shout out to Father John who is celebrating his 33 grace-filled years of Priesthood. Happy Anniversary Father John! Thank you for leading us to the green pasture; for being a good shepherd to all of us. May the Lord keep you always in His care and strengthen you with His unfailing grace.

Note: Sunday, May 3 is Fr. Roniel’s 9 year anniversary to the priesthood!