My Vocation Story Part 1
“Father, bakit ka nagpari?” “Nagkagirlfriend ka rin ba?” “Masaya ka ba sa buhay mo?” Quite intriguing questions ha? hehehe… I will satisfy your curiosity by narrating to you my vocation story. Medyo mahaba kaya Part 1 pa lang ito. Well in general vocation story is a matter of “finding where your heart is”… kung saan ka masaya! I’m 8 years in my priesthood and 18 years as a Salesian Religious… at naisip ko minsan kung bakit ba ito ang buhay na pinili ko? I could have already my own family with a gorgeous wife and cute kidz! hehehe… and not to mention ang pangarap ko dati is to be an architect at may sideline pa as an artist (hindi artista ha? Pero puwede rin… hehe) But now in reality sometimes I find myself alone… and sometimes these thoughts keep bugging my mind. And you know what I realized? I never regreted that memorable moment of April 1, 1987 (when I made my 1st profession) where I said “Yes!” to the call of God to be a Salesian. Hindi ko rin pinanghihinayangan ng mag perpetual profession ako nung March 24, 1995 and of corz… my ordination, Dec. 7, 1996 where I’m consectrated as God’s priest. These are “leaps of faith” that I conciously and willingly took and I asked myself why now I thought of taking back my promises. Hindi naman siguro nagkamali si Lord when he planted in me this seed of vocation though I always feel that unworthiness. I realized that if ever that happens i have nothing to blame but myself… kasalanan ko kasi hindi ko inalagaan. I did not nurture this seed of vocation that God planted in me. Bakit ba ako nagpari? I searched my heart for a convincing answer and I realized that it is not because of my love for the mission. Hindi ako nagpari dahil sa mga tao.. sa magulang ko, sa mga kaibigan ko, kahit na sa mga kabataang pinaglilingkuran ko… I am a priest only because of HIM…. without God, I’m a nobody! And If in my priesthood now I do things without this conviction then all that I’m doing is useless… Siya lang ang dahilan kung bakit ako nagpari… Haaayy medyo mabigat na. Just wait for the part 2… mas historical yon. I will recount how it all started… Basta masasabi ko lang MASAYA AKO sa buhay ko. Dapat ikaw masaya rin! Ok ba?
