Appreciating Vocations

Excerpt of the Homily of Most Rev. Romulo Valles, D.D., Archbishop of Davao during the investiture and installation of St. Francis Xavier Regional Major Seminary last July 13, 2019.

We are here to share the joy with our seminarians of the Regional Major Seminary of Mindanao popularly known as REMASE.

Annually, we celebrate the Investiture and Installation to Ministries — as lectors and acolytes, we clothe them with cassocks noting that their formation to priesthood is already a few steps away from completion.

Here in REMASE, 15 are from the Diocese of Butuan, hence, I am very happy that the newly installed Bishop of the Diocese of Butuan is here with us — Bishop ‘Memeng’ Almedilla.

What a beautiful surprise! He is the latest bishop in the whole country.

I am also happy that the formators are here with us today, headed by Fr. Rene Retardo, the rector, who was just recently installed this school year, along with other visiting priests.

My brothers and sisters, friends of REMASE, parents who were from afar, thank you so much for your presence. Our common denominator here is our faith in the Lord that we express in our daily lives within the church.

According to the opening prayer, “God will always love the Church, and will never cease to provide for people who will serve, pasture, and nourish the church that is of Him.”

We are reminded if this through the many vocations in the church.

The Lord has called many. He called some to be good parents, some to be teachers, some to be in the religious orders. These clergy are called to inspire others so that they may realize that God is in the midst of us.

In this religious vocation, there are those who are called to priesthood. And they are here in REMASE.

Back in the CBCP, I had a souvenir program with that I scanned so that I can get inspiration from for my messages. Archbishop Soc Villegas, in his opening message said, a vocation is always a mystery. A mystery that will only be fully understood in heaven. It is a heavenly reality and only fully seen and appreciated in heaven. Meanwhile, that mystery is partially discovered and appreciated along the way as we live that vocation.