Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.
"Why the priesthood?" Each candidate to the priesthood is asked this question before his acceptance to the seminary. Each candidate, as he nears the ordination, asks the same question to himself.
I asked myself this question some three years ago before I decided to apply back for the seminary formation. At that time, I was receiving a monthly salary enough for me to have my breakfast at Midtown Hotel, Mid-day snacks at the nearest Pizza house, and sip a cup of Venti from Starbucks on a daily routine. I paid annual tax equivalent to that of my sisters' annual salary. It was just great life!
But why the priesthood?
One hot sunny afternoon, I was on my way home from Sto. Rosario Church after I attended the 4:15PM mass when I felt such deep loneliness in the deepest part of my soul. I could not explain what the feeling was all about. I could not say that I was bored because I had been spending my weekends either on an Island-hopping spree or under the waters for Scuba Diving. There were also weekends spent at home with my family. But on that day, and the months following that day, I had that great loneliness.
One day, while I spent an hour praying inside the Church, I asked God what that feeling was all about. I was looking intently at Him then slowly, peace came back to me. I was gazing at the Cross and I had such peace and contentment and told myself I want to spend my life gazing at the Cross. I want to spend the rest of my life in prayer and in adoration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
It was difficult decision to make. I mean, I was on top of my career when decided to start once again my journey to the priesthood but it was all worth it.
Every priest has his own story of how God called him to become his minister. Every priest has had that great encounter with the Lord. A day when he said before God, "I want to spend the rest of my life loving and serving you."
But years in the ministry, with all its fuss and buzz, tires the weary heart of the priest. The human needs, wants, and desires are sometimes so powerful that temptations to live a life a bit far from the loving gaze of the Lord weakens the priest. Priests are living reminder of the unwavering presence of God and His eternal love for humanity. Priests do a lot of noble things in the parish. But they are still humans. They are as weak as we are. They are as fragile as we are.
Today, in the celebration of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, our Church invites the faithful to spend this day in adoration and in prayer specifically intended as an offering to her priests. We pray that today, priests will renew their commitment before God and before His people, that above all and before anythings, his life is dedicated for God. His life is solely for God and the fruits of this loving relationship are the ministries he is working on for the people of God.
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