Each of us has its own destiny. We all have a vocation that waits in our tomorrow. Some of us choose to journey the life of building its own family, while others prefer to travel this world alone and live a single life. In a way or another some chooses to serve the almighty creator. Yes, they chose to travel the road less traveled.
“Many are called, but few are chosen”. This is the most appropriate saying for our priest as what I have observed. You see, many students tried to enter a seminary but only few, can be counted in fingers that really finish it ‘till its end. Few make it to ordination because the demands to them are such that most of them give up.
I remember last year, I have the opportunity to meet some seminarians. They’ve been my classmate in one of my minor subjects. I’ve also had the chance to talk to one of them and he shares to me some of his sentiments. And as what I’ve observed some students only took for granted their being seminarians. (
Sorry for those dedicated ones, I’m referring to those who might get hurt of the truth.) Some of these seminarians had poor English grammar and can’t even answer their test papers correctly. Some can’t resist the test of temptations and were seen dating even inside the library. (
Well, they’re just humans.)
Also some of our priest left the ministry after some years of service. Isn’t it sad to hear? But sometimes instead of finding out the reason why they left, we condemn them. We often judge them and lose our respect with them. Do we consider their feelings? Do we feel a bit of sympathy for them?
The life of being a priest was not that easy, even that of students who are studying or taking the path of priesthood. I know not because I’m a priest but because in this world, life is always with hard things.
They are also humans who share with us the conflicts that this hazy world brings. They commit the same mistakes with us. They are not men of steel or aluminum that can be controlled by remote controls. They were also molded through God’s miracles. And they have a really tough and long training which we never know how. Their journey matters most with great deal of discipline and dedication. A series of cleansing strategy and spiritual torture was given as a test for them. Before they were ordained they have to come into deeper thoughts and full acceptance. Maybe they have questioned themselves not just a hundred times but a thousand times before going it through.
They are deeply sensitive. But because of the society they’re in, they hamper themselves and disguise their feelings pretty well. When they’re hurt or lonely, they keep what they felt only for themselves. Truly they also have some friends, but only few of their problems can they open up to. They seem so distant. We mistakenly perceived them as being strong and not needing any help except for financial matters of the church purpose.
We really truly never care for their feelings because we are expecting too much from them. We go to them for aid and comfort, and they give it to us everyday, week after week, after month, after years, every time we run to them. Do you think our priest can handles all our problems? Yes maybe. But they can be drained also.
Some can set off for decades before reaching the end of the road. We will go on losing more and more of them if we continue to be insensitive of their own needs. They our not indestructible, they have care, emotional and loving needs that must received.
Being a priest or studying for priesthood calls for lifetime heroism. Not all can be heroes until they are emotionally and spiritually engaged. Until we too, provide answers to their needs. They go only when they can no longer hold on the loneliness, fatigue and emotional draining of their inner resources.
So let’s pray for them. Pray for our priests. They are our walls to lean on so as we for them. God bless us all.
