Discovering priesthood in the EDSA Shrine
By Sem. Bong Bayaras

(On commemoration of the 21 st anniversary of the 1 st EDSA People Power Revolution, here   is a Vocation Story as shared  by Seminarian Bong Bayaras, 3rd year Philosophy, San Carlos Seminary. He was an Altar Server at the EDSA Shrine.)

When I first entered this(Edsa) shrine, and it was around 14 years ago, I first heard a priest deliver his homly from behind this lectern.   It was a concise yet moving homil. I was very young then to understand what he was trying to say in his homily neither did I understand then the life of a priest.   I thought that the only duties of priests were to celebrate the Mass and deliver good homilies.

As I started growing in age, in mind and in the faith, I have come to realize that the life of a priest is more than just delivering good homilies; that it is a life of total service. It is not enough that they preach from this pulpit, they must also be persons of action.

Today, 14 years later, I stand behind the same lectern where that priest delivered his homily.   Although I may not be delivering a homily but only a sharing, I now understand the agony of standing behind this lectern.  Because to stand behind this lectern, one must be a person of integrity.   One cannot practice what he preaches if he is a person without integrity because people are not contented with just words coming from the pulpit.

Days before I entered the seminary, a priest-friend told me: "papasok ka ng seminaryo hindi para maging pari, kundi tingnan kung puede ka maging pari."   Indeed, most people think that when one enters the seminary, one leaves the seminary already a priest.  And if one gets out of the seminary in the middle of formation, people start to speculate.   But in reality, the seminary, besides being a house of formation, it is also a place of discernment.  Everyday is a day of discernment for us seminarians.   And it only ends on the day of ordination.  Each day is also a challenge for us to be open to the promptings of the Spirit.   As a bishop once said to us seminarians:  "the father of a holy priest is a holy seminarian."  In other words, whatever we are today in the seminary, will manifest in our future ministry.  

Let me end my sharing with this simple favor, please pray for us.   Pray for us seminarians and also for all the priests that we may always be people of integrity and always live according to our own true calling.