AS a group of scholars in theology and veterans in seminary formation were preparing for a new school year, a discussion at a breakout session came about between two professors. “There are some seminarians that we do need to advise to leave if they don’t have the proper skills and the good attitudes to be good priests,” the first one said. “I disagree with you,” the second one responded. “I think we should allow a room for God’s grace. They may not have all the skills and the attitudes to fulfill priestly ministry, but God, in his wisdom and grace, has called them to be priests,” he explained. The discussion brought about further opinions among other members of group.
This incident reminded me of the reading that we have this Sunday from the Letter of Paul to the Romans: “How deep are the riches and wisdom and the knowledge of God! How inscrutable his judgments, how unsearchable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has given him anything so as to deserve return?”
Indeed, there are times that we cannot fathom God’s wisdom, such as why he has called men to be priests despite their limitations. Like one of the professors said, we should allow a room for God’s grace. Of course, there are some behaviors that are absolutely unsuitable to the priesthood, but the truth is that there are no perfect candidates to the priesthood nor there are perfect priests.
We find this true when we look at the disciples of Jesus. Not all of them possessed the right intelligence or attitudes to be disciples, but Jesus called them to follow him because he saw the works of God in their lives. One of the leading examples was Peter, a fisherman by profession. When Jesus asked his disciples who people say the Son of Man is, it was Peter who gave the right answer, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God!” Then Jesus said, “Blest are you, Simon son of John! No man has revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.”
I’m approaching my new ministry as a faculty member of St. John’s Seminary with this knowledge that God does not call men to be priests with perfect qualities. I’m also beginning it with the right sense that God chose me to journey with them and to see the works of God in their lives. Their vocations stories will reveal to me the deep wisdom, the inscrutable judgments, and the unsearchable ways of God in their lives.
I think that parents and teachers too wonder at the works of God in their children. Not all of their children are bright, not all of them posses the same qualities, but, somehow, something beautiful is in each them, something that God has made. Like me, God called them to journey with their children to discover their strengths and weaknesses, talents and skills, and all their marvelous attributes. God called them to have keen eyes for grace, present in the life of each of their children.
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Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas attended St. Johns Seminary in Camarillo, Calif. and earned his Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri. For 20 years, he has been in the parish ministry of large multi-cultural communities. From 2002 to 2014, he has been the pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Los Angeles. He will begin teaching at St. John’s Seminary this July. Please email Fr. Rodel at [email protected].
