A GROUP of parishioners, several parish staff members and I were sitting at one table with an intern-seminarian to affirm his gifts and qualities and to recommend to him further areas of growth in his priestly formation.
One of them immediately said, “He has tremendous love for all people. It shows in the way he relates kindly with everyone in the parish.” “He exudes joy in ministry that is grounded in Jesus,” another one said. “He is really committed to his vocation,” he added.
Another one spoke highly of the seminarian’s preaching ability. “His homilies are awesome! He leaves you with something and he addresses all age groups, from children to older people,” he spoke. “He knows how to feed us with the Word of God,” he continued.
“Oh, he has a great sense of humor,” another person said, “and he is well-organized, well-rounded, and personable.” “He has a quiet presence that lets you do your job, a quality that we need in a pastor,” the principal of the school shared. “He just needs to prioritize his works,” she added.
“Oh yeah, he is always ready to help and to jump into something, but he needs to say ‘no’ at times,” remarked another person. “Yes, he is a servant-leader but he should know how to keep balance in his life, not to spread himself too thin,” another one explained.
I felt happy hearing these comments from the members of the intern-seminarian’s advisory board. I felt delighted to learn about the seminarian’s pastoral heart and zeal for ministry. It felt good to know that the seminary formation’s emphasis on good preaching and love for all people are bearing fruits.
On this Fourth Sunday of Easter, we hear the qualities of a good shepherd from the Gospel of John. A good shepherd “lays down his life for the sheep.” He is not just a hired man who works for pay without concern for the sheep. He knows his sheep and his sheep know him. He has great concern for other sheep that do not belong to his fold. His desire is that they also hear his voice so that there will be one flock and one shepherd.
Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd par excellence, the model of all seminarians and priests!
Our goal in seminary formation is precisely to form future priests that have the heart and the qualities of the Good Shepherd. As future priests, we want them to offer their lives completely to God in service to His people, not to see their ministry as a mere job, but a true calling from God. We want them to be compassionate, loving, kind, merciful and open to all people. We want them to reach out to those who still need to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.
And, of course, we want them to be individuals who know how to take care of themselves by managing their time properly and living a well-balanced life that also involves prayer, exercise, leisure, and healthy diet.
Our hope is that their ministry will always be grounded in their love for God. For this was the Good Shepherd’s ultimate desire: to be in union with his Father. Jesus showed this by fulfilling the will of his Father through a life of service to God’s people, prayer, and sacrifice on the cross.
May we have more priests that are committed to serve God and his people! May we see in them the heart of the Good Shepherd! Amen.
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From a Filipino immigrant family, Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas was ordained to the priesthood from St. John’s Seminary in 1991. He served as Associate Pastor at St. Augustine, Culver City (1991-1993); St. Martha, Valinda (1993-1999); and St. Joseph the Worker, Canoga Park (1999-2001). In 2001, he served as Administrator Pro Tem of St. John Neumann in Santa Maria, CA, until his appointment as pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Los Angeles, in 2002, which lasted 12 years. His term as Associate Director of Pastoral Field Education at St. John’s Seminary began in July 2014.
