MY best Christmas gift this year was not another gadget or a nice polo shirt or a sweater. It was not a gift card or a ticket to a concert. It was something different. It was a surprise visit from someone I knew a long time ago, when I was a young associate pastor. The visit was from Jonathan, now Stanislaus (he changed his name).
Jonathan was in grade school when I served his parish. He and his sister were active members of the Church: Jonathan, an altar server; and Joanna Belle, a member of the youth group. His parents were also involved in a prayer group.
I used to joke with Jonathan when he would serve at Mass. I would say to him, “Jonathan, you’ll make a good priest.” He would respond with a smile and say, “Hmm, you think so Father? I’ll think about it.”
When I left the parish, I knew Jonathan went to a local Catholic school and continued to be involved in church activities. I also heard that he took my advice seriously; he entered the seminary. Life went by: I got transferred to different parishes, took further studies, and got involved in many things. From time to time, I would think about Jonathan, wondering if he ever continued on with his seminary studies.
A few days before Christmas, I got a Facebook message from her sister. Jonathan was going to be in town. He was ordained a priest just a few days ago, last December 14th. Jonathan wanted to see me. I sent a message to her sister and her parents. “I’d love to stand next to Jonathan, now Fr. Stanislaus, while he’s celebrating a Mass,” I wrote back.
Last Friday, the early Christmas gift came. Jonathan went to see me with his parents in his priestly garb. I could not believe with my eyes—the young Jonathan, now a priest at the age of 29!
I took Jonathan to the rectory to have private moments with him. I watched him with wonder. I could not resist my tears. I embraced him with love, touched his face so tenderly, kissed his newly anointed hands. “Jonathan, you’re now a priest!” I whispered to him. I was amazed. I was speechless.
During the Mass with him, Jonathan shared in his homily how I inspired him to become a priest, how it all started with me; and how grateful he is to me. What a double Christmas gift to hear these words.
God has a way of surprising us! More than a week ago, I could not resist shedding tears before the 8th Grade class when I told them the sad news that their classmate, Klein Lapitan, had lost his battle with leukemia. They were tears of pain, of seeing one of my school children die. A few days later, the tears I shed were tears of joy on seeing my former student, now a holy priest of God.
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone.” Isaiah’s prophecy is repeated not just in great moments of history, but in our everyday experiences. For me it was that surprised visit, for others it might be another experience. However great or small, extraordinary or simple the experience could be, what is important is that it becomes a kerygma, a Good News to one’s self and to others; and it becomes kairos, a profound and defining moment of grace.
May God surprise us this New Year, not just with prosperity of material things, but with profound and abundant experiences of grace, often obtained through ordinary human experiences! That is, if we see with eyes of faith and if we live with hearts of love for God and others! Happy New Year!
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Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas attended St. John Seminary in Camarillo, California and earned his Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri. For twenty years, he has been in the parish ministry of large multi-cultural communities. Since 2002, he has been the pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Los Angeles. Please email Fr. Rodel at [email protected].
