Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Jerome,
Pax Christi semper vobiscum!
You heard that I made a trip to Rome in June to make my profession of a private vow to pray for Holy Vocations to the Priesthood and the Religious Life. I joined the Congregation of the Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus as an associate and made a private vow of the Rogate as a response to Jesus’ command to pray for Holy Workers in God’s vineyard as emphasized in the Gospel of Saint Matthew 9:35-39. I have been familiar with the charism of the Rogationists, since I spent some time with them during my seminary formation in Manila. The private vow of the Rogate in the context of the diocesan priesthood is my personal devotion to live the Rogationist spirituality that was given by God to Saint Hannibal Mary Di Francia, founder of the Rogationists, during his priestly ministry. I am convinced that the priestly and the religious life are the vocations that bring our consciousness the holiness of God. The Sacraments, given through the ordained priesthood, are God’s way of bestowing grace into our hearts and of bringing us closer to His Heart. Our communal prayer for Holy Vocations and God’s response to our prayers assures us of His constant care and presence.
On the other hand, this charism of praying for Holy Vocations is not limited to religious orders or only to the ordained ministers. In fact, the Rogate is given by God to the Church so that His grace will continue to flow through the Sacraments that emanate from the office of the ordained priestly ministry. Jesus Christ, who is the Ultimate High Priest, presents our prayers and supplications to the throne of the Father. The prayer of the Church to obtain Good and Holy Workers is also the prayer of Jesus Christ. God responds to our prayers through His Son Jesus as He calls men and women who are willing to offer their lives for the service of the Gospel. The prayer, “Send, O Lord, Holy Apostles into Your Church,” is an actual invitation for us to discern our personal call to proclaim the Gospel as we are sent to live out our baptismal promises. We ought to be witnesses of God’s forgiveness of sins and call to personal holiness.
I made my profession during the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus; it was a Friday. I prolonged my stay in Rome for another five days, as I had an opportunity to meet the Holy Father. God granted my wishes. I was able to attend the general audience on Wednesday morning and met the Holy Father after the Wednesday catechesis. I talked to him about our parish and told him about the gift of diversity we have at Saint Jerome. I asked him to bless all of you as he blessed me, and Rosie and Sacramento Herrera who were with me during the visit. His final word was, “Thank you for coming; extend my best wishes to your parishioners.”
This weekend, our Gospel reading narrates how Jesus entrusted His mission to the first disciples. We are the modern-day disciples. The continuation of Christ’s mission is entrusted to us. Jesus believes that we can make the accomplishment to bring His message to the world, founded on His call and His gift of grace. What really matters is our conviction that Jesus’ mission is anchored to the promises that we made at Baptism. We were baptized and consecrated in the Name of God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—because He consecrated us first and anointed us with the oil of salvation so that our encounter with each other would be filled with His presence and lead us through life to heaven. Our consciousness as followers of Jesus Christ should bring us the confidence that He trusts us. He wants us to be His collaborators. He calls us and wants us to use our gifts and talents to magnify His presence in the world.
When I pray for Holy Vocations, I do not simply ask the Lord to send the young people to be single hearted in their response. Praying for Holy Vocations means being open also to the call of Jesus to be sent like the first disciples as proclaimers of God’s Kingdom. In other words, we need to be introspective in our approach to prayer so that we don’t miss God’s intimate and personal call. Perhaps He already answered our prayers for our own vocational discernment, yet we simply did not pay attention that we are the ones who are being sent.
Continue to enjoy the summer. Kermes is around the corner. Please plan on supporting this major fund-raising event of our parish.
Sincerely in Christ and Mary,
