NO MATTER how good our intentions are in helping others, we will often find ourselves misunderstood, mistreated or misjudged by some people. I have found this true in my twenty years of ministry as priest and as someone who has been involved in works of charity. For example, some people would throw hurtful and harmful comments on a project that has not even finished yet or on a ministry which they don’t have a complete knowledge of. Others wouldn’t even show appreciation to one’s contribution to the success of a project. But we cannot allow ourselves to be discouraged by the negative attitudes of some people. We cannot let them to weaken our sole purpose to help. We cannot let them destroy our pure intentions.
A few months ago during a meeting, a woman shared with me these words: No good deeds go unpunished. This is often true. Hence, we must be tough to handle discouragement and be courageous to face criticisms. We must be determined to follow our convictions and beliefs.
Indeed, ministry or service to others is self-fulfilling and rewarding, but it is filled with obstacles and challenges. A lot of these come from inter-personal relationships and lack of support from other people.
John the Baptist was a person who was determined to fulfill his mission to prepare the way of the Lord by bringing repentance to people’s lives. He was the lone voice crying out in the desert to lead people to the true Light. Despite some Jews’ continuing interrogation about his mission and despite other people’s rejections and criticisms, he kept on fulfilling his role and believing in his mission.
Absolutely, it is important to have clarity of purpose as we lead our lives. It is also important to have “fire” within us as we achieve this purpose. John the Baptist had both of these qualities. Without these qualities we will never persevere in our calling and overcome many obstacles.
Being a person of prayer is also an important quality in fulfilling one’s mission in life. In prayer we draw strength, wisdom, and peace from God. In prayer we express our poverty before Him and trust that He would fill us with hope. In prayer we let go of our fears and anxieties. As Paul writes in his Letter to the Thessalonians, 5-16-24, we must “pray without ceasing”.
Always keeping in mind the needs of others before our own is always the sure path towards the attainment of peace in one’s vocation or profession. This is the quality that should never leave our hearts. Having a compassionate heart and a genuine concern for the poor, the brokenhearted, the lonely and the lost will always bring clarity and peace to one’s vocation.
Advent is not only that time to rejoice but to think about the quality of our lives. It should be a reflective period for all us. The liturgies should lead us to inspiring moments of prayer when we can find clarity of purpose, peace, and contentment in one’s vocation.
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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].
