"Basted"

this is not totally my work but i wish to share it to you for every bit of it really speak of what i want to say.

When people I meet find out I’m on a journey to the priesthood, these questions would usually follow.

Question no.1: “Gaano pa katagal bago ka maging pari?” In my case, it would take about three years more, if I pass all the subjects and am admitted without delay into the higher stages of formation.

Question no. 2: “Nagdadasal ba kayo palagi sa loob ng seminaryo?” Well, in the seminary where I am, we pray, of course, but not all the time. The community has prayers at fixed times in the morning and evening.

And then there’s the greatest of them all, question no.3: “Bakit ka nag-pari? Basted ka ba?” Hmmm…do I look like I was “basted”? Fortunately, I haven’t been into courting long enough to experience that. At any rate, the seminary is definitely not an asylum for the heartbroken, you know.

I’ve been there since I was seventeen, and looking back at the years I spent there, I’d say they were happy years of teenage adventures too. Together with my classmates, I had my own shares of the joys and pains of growing up. I never dreamt of becoming a priest when I was much younger. I wanted to be either an architect, physical therapist . Maybe even a dentist. Bakit nga ba ako nag-pari?

To this day, I must admit that’s something I cannot fully understand. The best reason I can give, and maybe the only valid reason at that, is that I think, I felt God invited me. Why me? I don’t know. I can’t be absolutely certain about what qualifications God looks for in those He calls. In my first year in the major seminary, we were a rowdy group of 24. At present, only two of us are still around. The MVP’s and the geniuses in our batch have gone. The “siga” and the “gwapings” have gone. Even the more saintly ones have gone. So if you think God chooses only the conduct-awardees, the super talented, or the valedictorians, think again. Basing on my experience, I find it hard to agree with that. But to be fair with my companions, I won’t say He picks junk either.

Now for those who have the hunch that God might be inviting them to follow him too, the best thing to do is to give it a chance. God calls in varied and mysterious ways. If deep inside, you feel some kind of interest in being a priest, let a priest know. He’ll help you listen to God’s voice better.

And when people ask why you want to give the priesthood a try, be prepared to explain that you’re not “basted.”