How did you know that you were being called? That was the question that remained in my mind before I decided to enter the seminary. I remembered telling a friend that I was going to follow this vocation, and he asked me, “How do you know that it’s really God calling you? Maybe it’s just your imagination — just your guniguni?” After all the questions, I didn’t have a big explanation. I just said, "I don’t know. But right now, this is where my heart is telling me to go."
And when someone asked again, "Why did you enter?"
I simply answered, "Why not?"
It wasn’t fear. It wasn’t confusion. It was an honest response. People say every question should have an answer. But for me, I’ve learned to trust God, especially with the things I don’t fully understand.
My dear friends, how tough are you in trusting God’s plan in your life? This 19th Sunday of ordinary time, we are reminded by our first reading of the beautiful story of the Israelites celebrating their Exodus from the slavery of Egypt. The Israelites didn’t know how they flee from Egypt and escape from the Pharaoh. Yet, they travelled with Moses, trusting the future that was not yet visible.
In the second reading, it talks about Faith as the greatest companion of Abraham. St. Augustine of Hippo defined faith as believing on what we do not see, and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe. Because of faith, Abraham went out without knowing where he was to go and received the power to generate even though he was past the normal age. As a Second-Year philosophy student in the seminary, I still don’t know where this path will lead me. But just like Abraham, I’m learning that faith isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about saying Yes to God every day, trusting that He’s leading me where I’m meant to be.
In our Gospel taken from the book of Luke, it gives a consoling words as I keep on giving my everyday yes to Him. He knows my fear, and He answered me not to be afraid. He keeps on inviting me to go to my courage zone, store treasure in heaven, and to keep my lamp of faith burning, even though I don’t fully understand the plan. Once I read a quote saying, “If God asks you to wait, do what waiters do, Serve!” This is what seminary teaches me, to wait with readiness and to serve even in uncertainty.
In life’s blurry moments, how tough are you in trusting God? Are you like Moses and Abraham who keeps on giving their Yes? Or just being hopeless? My dear friends, this Sunday’s gospel is not only about the seminarian holding on to God who called, this is for all of us. It invites us to be steadfast in our faith and keep on hoping as we are in a pilgrimage called life. We may not know the outcome of the effort that we are exerting, but let us always remind ourselves that sometimes all we need is to have faith and trust to the one who is maneuvering our pilgrimage, God.
