Good Friday 1985. Unable to bear the taunts of a few cousins, I cried to Mommy Rosie and told her that I will no longer join in the Pabasa during Holy Week. "Bakit ka titigil eh bokasyon mo yun?" ("Why would you stop when that is your vocation?") Upon hearing those words, I stopped crying and continued my Lenten devotion until I moved to the UK. (Unfortunately, there are no Pabasa here, although some of us Pinoys have been toying this idea...)
Bokasyon. Vocation. Profession. However we name it, all of us have responded to its calling. Some of us have felt the calling to become priests, doctors, teachers, etc. Apart from one's job, some of us have also felt the calling to marriage or single blessedness. And still, some have also been called to be of service to the Church such as altar servers, lay ministers, choir members, catechists, etc.
Living one's vocation has its peaks and troughs. At times, we are full of life and enthusiasm and people are cheering for us. But there have also been moments when our efforts seem fruitless or others denigrate us. And we want to bail out.
Bakit ka titigil eh bokasyon mo yun?
There are also moments when vocation is eclipsed by personal ambition. Take for example our politicians whose calling is to serve the people, but have enriched themselves at the expense of the public. Or the clergy whose vocation is to tend the flock, but have sexually abused children who look up to them as their spiritual fathers. In our own lives, we may have experienced being torn between our calling and our own agenda. And we want to bury our heads in the sand.
Bakit ka titigil eh bokasyon mo yun?
A story goes that when the Christians in Rome were being harshly persecuted, St Peter tried to flee. Along the way, he met Christ and he asked the Lord "Quo vadis, Domine?" (Where are you going, Lord?) To which, Jesus replied " "Romam eo iterum crucifigi ("I am going to Rome to be crucified again"). Upon hearing the Lord's response, St Peter came to his senses and went back to Rome where he met his end. He could have ignored the Lord, he could have ditched his mission and go back to become a fisherman, but he didn't. Why? Because Jesus called him to be a fisher of people!
As we celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29, let us draw inspiration from these two big brothers of the Church who never stopped in listening to their calling "in spite of dungeon, fire, and sword".
As most of you may already know, this great feast coincides with my beloved aunt's death anniversary. Mommy Rosie, I couldn't thank you enough for posing to me that question. Whenever I feel down, that question motivates me to soldier on. May God, who called you to be a loving mom to us all, call you now to enjoy His grace and peace in heaven. We love you!
