LOOKING WITHIN…MOVING BEYOND

ST. JOSEPH SEMINARY COLLEGE FIESTA-GRADUATION RITE

MARCH 19, 2007

Rev. Monsignori and Fathers, the St. Joseph Seminary College Administration headed by Fr. Glenn Corsiga as Rector, Religious, members of the Seminary Board, Faculty and Staff, Parents, devotees and pilgrims, guests, seminarians, and guests.

            When the apostle Peter walked on the Sea of Galilee, he walked with faith and trust that Jesus would always be there to hold his hand. He grew this unprecedented courage to leave the boat behind him and journey towards the direction of the Lord. Yet, as he walked along, he was not spared from the angry storm and the terrifying turbulence caused by surging waves that it brought. He started to sink and Jesus pulled him up to help him begin again.

A SHORT RESPITE IS MEAN TO RENEW ONESELF

            The experience of the seven fourth year seminarians who call themselves LOS VIAJEDORES is not far from this plight of Peter. They left home and family to start the challenging trek of seminary formation. Then, they met challenging tests that, at times, pushed them down the drain. They took a rest and began again.  Myong, Lendie, Baldo, Iking, Kevs, Archie, and Doming after a short journey, you now face a short respite to refuel, to renew, and to re-energize in order to start another walk. The Three Wise Men journeyed together but also made some short stopovers in order to re-energize themselves. That is the meaning of this Graduation in your life as seminarians. That is what you are plunging into right now.

            This short rest is also meant for you to discern more. Thus, I ask you LOOK WITHIN. In your prayer, allow God to touch you and teach you where to go…what destiny you really wish to follow. Carry as your weapon the Philosophical gamut what Socrates, Aristotle, Sartre, Kierkegaard, Kant, Dewey, Bergson, and many others taught you. Bring down from the skies their finite discoveries into the world of reality where being, nothingness, ens bonum, actus et potentia come face to face with talents and looks as you have said. In other words, put into your life the values you learned in the Seminary. Why? Because my advise to you is that it is better to be a good layman than to be a bad Priest. Remember that always as you move ahead.

KEEPING THE VOCATION FROM HARM

            When St. Joseph received the mission God asked him to do, he did it as instructed. From Nazareth, he journeyed towards the little town of Bethlehem, and when the baby was born, he kept him from harm, from the claws of Herod, and from those who had bad intentions for his life. The journey seemed to have no end for him that for this reason…he became the GUARDIAN OF THE MYSTERY OF GOD. Joseph kept this as the bottom line and meaning of his vocation. Up until today, he remains faithful to it.

            For you, LOS VIAJEDORES, I ask you to keep your vocation from harm. Do not ever dare to make anything that will destroy the call God entrusts to you. You came here out of your own free will…no one forced you.  It was from out of your free choice to respond to the call of God that you submitted to seminary formation. Reaching this far in your formation means you have kept your desire alive and you have moved closer to the plan of God. Formation is no meant to destroy…it is meant to make the best out of your persons. That is why, along the way, you took away useless baggages so that the journey would be easy. And that is what you are today.

            There is a legend about how birds learn to fly. The story tells that birds were originally created without wings. And then, God made wings and set then down before the wingless birds saying: Come take up these wings and bear with them. The birds were no happy hopping around the extra weight like heave burdens. But soon they learned to use them and were lifted by them into the air. And from their burdens, came wings that carried them to the skies…to higher horizons where dreams become real in their eyes.

            That is how formation works. At first, it appears like a burden. Sometimes, you complain why you have to wake up very early in the morning, why you have to kneel down and pray always, why you have to study so hard, why you have to do house works, fieldworks, to sing well, or to be disciplined. But if you persevere in allowing yourself to be formed, sooner you will begin to see yourself changing for the better.  That is God’s plan for you.

MOVING BEYOND

            The Philosopher William James said: the greatest discovery on earth is that we can change the world by changing ourselves. In the seminary, you can do that by giving yourself in to formation…through your cooperation…positive outlook…and prayer. That should be how you must LOOK WITHIN and MOVE BEYOND. Socrates taught you what the beginning of each journey requires: KNOW THYSELF. To look within is to know and explore our inner life. Unless you look within you will have a hard time to move beyond. 

            With this Graduation, you end up one chapter in formation. But you open another journey that makes you move forward. As you make the plunge, do not forget to thank the people who have assisted you reach this far: your parents who have given you the emotional support in good times and in bad…your benefactors who believe in you and in your capacity…your formators who accompanied you in your journey…and all of those who helped you in following the path of your vocation. In making your response, you make yourself accountable to them. May you no put their sacrifices into waste. I also ask you to pray for the repose of the soul of your classmate Peter. 

            Congratulations LOS VIAJEDORES…as you end this chapter in your formation, I tell you: LOOK WITHIN and MOVE BEYOND. May God bless your journey now and for always. AMEN.