AS the second semester ends this school year, I can’t help but thank God for the the privilege and the blessing of teaching seminarians at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, California. I never thought that I would be coming to this institution to teach after twenty-two years of parish ministry. Although this was a temporary assignment, it gave me the opportunity “to give back” to my alma mater and to be part of the formation of second and third year seminarians in theology as they prepare for their parish internship next school year.
I must admit that it has been an eye-opening experience to see the beauty and the nobility of each seminarian’s calling to be a priest, especially when I had a chance to talk to them individually. In each of these personal encounters, I trembled at seeing God’s hand that has touched the heart of each seminarian to respond to his call to be his disciple. When some people seem to have resigned to the hard reality of shortage of priests and to have doubted if more would ever respond to this great call, I have experienced and have witnessed otherwise.
Hence, I am a strong believer in the mysterious ways of God to prod people’s hearts to serve him as priests, religious, pastors or ministers. No science can ever explain why men and women would give their lives fully and authentically to God to serve his Church. This is all about faith and God’s works in the world. And so, I believe that God will never stop inviting people to serve him and his people.
To help in the formation of future priests is an awe-inspiring and profound experience. Imagine being an instrument of God of teaching someone to become a good priest and preacher! Imagine indirectly helping thousands of people that this person will serve if he ever finishes his studies and becomes an ordained priest?
However, I don’t deny the difficult challenges and responsibilities of this task of forming future priests. Part of this task is understanding the complexity of the human person. Seminarians are human beings like anyone else with family backgrounds, personal issues, insecurities, and frailties. They come to the seminary after being tested of their genuine calling and motives and of their spiritual, intellectual and emotional stability. Yet, they continue to submit themselves to proper training, coaching, and evaluation.
As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of Christ this Sunday, let us dwell on this mysterious design of God in calling men and women to serve him as priests, missionaries, religious, pastors, and ministers. Although Christ ascended to heaven, his Spirit continues to work in the Church, touching hearts and opening eyes to see the beauty and the nobility of following his footsteps of proclaiming the Good News and serving God’s people, especially the young, the weak, the poor, and the least of all!
To all mothers on this Mother’s Day weekend, may you encourage your children to take this less traveled road of giving one’s life fully to serve him in the Church, especially as priest, sister, or missionary! May you teach your children the most fulfilling ways to live, to work, to form a family, and most of all to serve our God. Happy Mother’s Day!
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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].
