GRACE: Walk your Talk

GRACE: Walk your Talk

According to St Augustine, “everything is grace.” I do believe and accept this as a norm of my life as a seminarian. Without this gift I’m just like a fruit tree bearing no fruits. Grace is very essential gift of God to us, especially for us responsible for transmitting His words to mankind. We must have this grace from God so that we will be invincible in our preaching ministry which is needed to our generation now. No matter who you are, no matter how intelligent you are if you don’t posses this gift your just nothing but a waste.

Honestly speaking one of my favorite teachers is Fr. Manol. I like the way he teaches and delivers his topics. What I like him most is that every time he delivers his discussion I feel “heavy” inside my heart. Not because his discussion is boring but because of the wisdom and the challenges behind it. Sometime I would ask, “kaya ba naku ning tanan na ginahagit sa ako ni Fr. Manol?” However I also get the answer from the class that God reveals gradually like what we observe in nature. Then I’d realize that I can do the challenges of priesthood someday with the guidance of the Lord and with His grace. I must nurture my relationship with God. I am the branch and God is the vine. With this relationship I know I can be a good preacher someday.

Here is one of my experiences about the gift of grace. During my college formation years I reported to a parish. After supper one of the priests in the convent offered a long- neck superior tanduay for us to pass the night. At around 10:30 pm he told me to give homily for tomorrow’s mass. I hesitated to accept it because I was drunk already. But he insisted because he had difficulty in his voice. Due to my obedience to him I accepted the offer. I was uneasy that night thinking what to share. My dizziness was gone because of the pressure given to me. Despite being uneasy and sleepy I prayed for enlightenment and the grace to understand the Sunday gospel. Fortunately around 12:30 am I was able to write what to share at mass the next day. No matter how uneasy you are; no matter how dizzy you are, no matter how sleepy you are if you pray and ask God for grace he will not abandon you. Rather he will bless you and grant your request. After I delivered my sharing in the pulpit the priest congratulated me for a job well done and for a nice and reflective sharing. And I told myself I can’t do that or reflect that way with out the grace from God. That’s why this word is really a big deal for me. Grace matters most in my life. All the success I’d achieve always comes from grace. That’s why I’d choose this theme for my theological reflection because it implies me of who am I. And I am hoping that I am a grace and not a disgrace.

What is the challenge then for me? I know that someday I will be an instrument of God in interpreting, explaining and transmitting the Sacred Scriptures to the faithful. It is my task then that I will explain the scripture vividly. I must not interpret the Sacred Scripture in my own words. Simple to tell that it is easy to make a homily but it’s not. That is why as tatak Viannista seminarian I should know how to interpret, explain and transmit the Sacred Scripture faithfully without addition or subtraction. How to do this: simply by asking the grace of God for enlightenment as you reflect Sacred Scripture to get its wisdom. In order to receive what you are asking for you must know how to listen and accept God’s voice. Openness is needed to oneself in order for him to receive the grace then as he waits for it he must know how to listen God’s voice because by doing this you would be able to transmit appropriately and interpret and explain the Sacred Scripture in a faithful manner.

And the biggest challenge of being a priest is how you apply all the teachings of Christ into your life. Are you just a preacher, talker, speaker and your lifestyle is against what you are preaching about? Many of us are a good speaker yet not in action. Jesus Christ is the model, a man of His words and deeds. That’s why we are encouraged to do the same. There is an old saying that states, “Words can convince but works can convert.” Convincing is essential but we need conversion also. That’s why the challenge then is that these two are inseparable they must go together. Like what our discussions in the previous meetings we’ve talk about words and deed. That words interpret and give meaning to the deeds, while the deeds are the actualization and fulfillment of the words. Both are important then as preacher to be we must posses this character because people today need modeling and modeling should start in the leader so that the members will follow. A future priest someday needs the grace to walk his talk. When will I practice it? KABAG-UHAN NOW NA! BAHALAG GRADUAL LANG! As early as this stage I should practice what I am trying to prove myself in the near future as a priest that walk his talk. Is it impossible? No! There’s nothing impossible with God’s grace. Amen…



DEAR FATHER ALMIGHTY

SOURCE OF ALL THE GRACES I NEED

BLESS ME IN MY DAILY ENDEAVOR

AS I FOLLOW YOU FAITHFULLY

TEACH ME EVERY TIME I REFLECT YOU THROUGH THE BIBLE

ENLIGHTEN MY MIND AND HEART AS I TRY TO KNOW YOU.

ENCOURAGE ME TO PURSUE SEEKING YOU

AND BY SEEKING AND FOLLOWING YOU MANY PEOPLE

WILL REALIZE HOW MUCH YOU LOVE THEM SO.

USE MY MIND AS I STUDY YOU

USE MY LIPS AS I TALK ABOUT YOU

USE MY HANDS AND FEET TO ACT WHAT I PREACH.

WITHOUT YOU THERE’S NOTHING I CAN DO.



I ASK THIS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST YOUR SON OUR LORD

WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU

AND THE HOLY SPIRIT

ONE GOD FOREVER AND EVER

AMEN

MY REFLECTION COLLECTIONS

Rooted and Centered in Christ

There is no other reason behind why I am here in the seminary. I was called by God and I responded to His call. From this sense, I believe that this calling is really rooted in Christ. But the question: “Am I Christ- centered in living the seminary formation?” I was shocked by my own question. It took several minutes before I realized and remembered my life during my college years. While I was a pre-collegian as far as I remember I was really sure that those days were most glorifying, something to be proud of to God because I was Christ- centered then. Moreover there is other side in every story. This reality is already part of my history. Yes it is a shameful truth. When I was in College especially my first year and second year in formation, I forgot to bring Christ in the center of life. And it was worsened when I was sent out in the formation. The more I ran away from God or Jesus. Days and months passed by, there is no God anymore in my life. I settle my own life believing that I can do everything without Him. But I realized later that I am nothing with out Him. Thanks be to God. God loves me so much despite all the things I’ve done to Him. There were instances when God was calling me again to be back in the seminary formation. But God received lot of rejection from me. I was like a ship without a rudder, a waif. My life had no direction. It seemed life was meaningless. Fortunately God never stopped calling me. He courted me like a lover. This time I hastily said yes to Him. That’s why I am here in St. John Vianney Theological Seminary. In connection with all this experience of mine I would conclude with conviction that this calling is not rooted in worldly desire. Rather it is rooted in Christ. When it is rooted in Christ it entails then that it is Christ- centered. And if I am going to rate myself I will give myself 7 out of 10. Because I am not a perfect person. I know I have a long road to be perfect. The seminary formation is a tool for me to achieve the perfect score. I am aiming for it. How to achieve that? By the help of Jesus Christ, my personal devotion and commitment to this vocation, by the help of our formators outside the seminary, people who are very supportive in my disposition. On the other hand as I make this very long journey I know that there will be hindrances. I know what are my weakest point and my worst enemy. That’s why I am now trying to tame myself because I am the greatest enemy of myself. The greatest battle is not outside of myself but here in myself. Who can defeat this? It is only myself. However why worry if there is God loving me so much despite who you are. God is so in loved with me without reservation. I’m so in loved with Him, even though sometimes it is conditional. But the important is I love Him. If I am in love I don’t even care about the hindrances and obstacles I encountered in the road. Love overcomes them all. Love conquers everything. Love will lead me into my vocation. If Ninoy Aquino said Filipinos are worth dying for, I would say JESUS is the most worthy to die for. This person is the best source to the ideals of Diocesan Priestly Vocation. If I am really rooted and Christ centered, only through Him, in Him you can achieved a perfect servant hood someday. And that is what I am doing and practicing right now so that by practicing as early as this stage of my life I can perfect the rating scale not for my own good but for the greater Glory of our God and His people. Thank you!