Most Rev. Gerardo A. Alminaza, D.D
Bishop of San Carlos and Chair of the CBCP’s Commission on Seminaries
September 5, 2015
“I will give you shepherds after my own heart.” (Jeremiah 3:15)
Today, with and through these 6 young men, this promise is being fulfilled! Our loving God is assuring us: “I’m not leaving you orphans… I continue to care for you!” Jesus is fulfilling his promise too: “I’m with you till the end of time!”
Anthony (Sri Lanka), Ernest (Indonesia), Kim (South Korea), Rohit (Bangladesh), Peter (Vietnam) & Patrick (Philippines): You are the fulfillment of a promise: “I will give you shepherds after my own heart.” (Jeremiah 3:15)
In the words of our 1st reading today (Numbers 3:9) you “have been set aside from among the (60% of the world’s current population residing in Asia) as dedicated to (God).” Of the total of 51 countries in Asia, and from among the population of Asia estimated in 2013 at 4.299 billion, you have been called and chosen; you heard the call and responded! Thank you for your brave and trusting “Yes!”
You are about to be ordained to the order of deacons this First Saturday of the first “ber” months- 3 days before our Mother’s birthday, in the Year of Consecrated Life, the Year of the Poor… 3 months before the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy! God is providing 6 new deacons from 6 Asian countries of Bangladesh, Indonesia, Korea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam – true to His promise: “I will give you shepherds after my own heart.” (Jeremiah 3:15).
In the words of our patron saint, St. John Marie Vianney, “You are the love of the heart of Jesus!” Not just of any other heart, but of the heart of Jesus! Although the Asian Catholic population increased by 115 percent between 1980 and 2012, we Asian Catholics are still only about 3.2 percent of the Asian population. The number of new priests (1,156 in 2012) continues to outnumber the number of deaths (301) and defections (91). (Reference: Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese is a senior analyst for NCR and author of Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church.)
Of the 86% Catholic among our Philippine population, only 10-20% are actively participating and are involved. As you start your ministry, do not forget the 80% out there – in the margins and peripheries of Church life, of our Christian life! “I will give you shepherds after my own heart.” (Jeremiah 3:15) In our Opening prayer, as well as in our gospel we heard the Lord inspiring us “to desire not to be served but to serve (our) brothers and sisters” and we prayed for 1) being effective in your action / skill in your work, 2) gentleness in your ministry, and 3) constancy in prayer.
From our 2nd reading (Acts of the Apostles 6): we are being reminded that the ministry of deacons developed in response to complaints of widows being neglected and to ensure that the apostles do not neglect the preaching of the Word: “seven men acknowledged to be deeply spiritual and prudent” were chosen and appointed “to this task (of waiting at the tables). This will permit (the apostles) to concentrate on prayer and the ministry of the word.” Lesson: Be sensitive always to the neglected… excluded… left-out! (Same message of Pope Francis to 40 Jesuits he met here). “Bring the Church’s mission for the poor to the ‘peripheries’ of the country.”
Finally from our gospel: “It cannot be like that with you. Anyone among you who aspires to greatness must serve the rest, and whoever wants to rank first among you must serve the needs of all. Such is the case with the Son of Man who has come, not to be served by others but to serve, to give his own life as a ransom for the many.” Look at how the leaders both of our church, of our society, of communities and organizations around us are behaving: “It cannot be like that with you!”
Always examine how you can be any different from them… Magis of St Ignatius of Loyola. Aspire always for that which would give greater glory to God! In the context of Asia and even of the whole world: the challenge of new evangelization. St Pope John Paul II and reiterated by Pope Benedict XVI gave us the challenge to be authentic and credible witnesses of Jesus the Lord and Savior […] If we exist for mission, we need to have a passion for mission […] “A fire can only be lit by something that is itself on fire… (we) have to be on fire with the love of Christ and burning with zeal to make him known more widely, loved more deeply, and followed more closely” (Ecclesia in Asia, 23).
As ordained ministers and belonging to the company of Jesus may we be always on fire, exuding “The joy of the Gospel (that) fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus.” (E.G., 1)
Rev. Patrick Vance S. Nogoy, SJ was ordained to the Diaconate last September 5, 2015 in Ateneo de Manila University’s Church of the Gesù. He was ordained along with five Scholastics from Arrupe International Residence: Rohit Dominic Mree [CCU], Ernest Justin [IDO], John Min-Cheol Kim [KOR], Anthony Prathapraj Chandrakumar [SRI] and Peter Nguyen Van Tang [VIE]. Support our mission of forming the next generation of missionaries in God’s vineyard. Click here to know more about JesuitAid.