Be attuned to the voice of the Lord

An excerpt or the homily or the Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D., Archbishop of Davao and CBCP President during the Vocation Month Launching of the Archdiocese of Davao in St. Francis Xavier Regional Major Seminary of Mindanao, Catalunan Grande, Davao City, September 12, 2020. (Part 3 of 3)

Laing tawag – gitawag natu’g laing vocation sa kinabuhi sa pagka-pari o pagka-madre ug pagka-relihiyoso. But it comes from the same root, the same source, likeness, we are made according to the likeness and image of God. Recoup by baptism and it is why basically I think a good formation… good formation begins with basic Christianity, basic formation of faith, back to the gift of baptism – that’s the beginning. And then from there you realize among the baptized, among the images and likenesses of God you are called to be priest, some are called to be papa and mama. Naa pa gyu’y giingon there are vocations within vocations some are called simply to be excellent teachers – minyo sila, vocations. Murag sibo pag-ayo there are teachers who are life giving, there are really dedicated and life giving farmers – sample lang na. Karong bulana dinhi sa simbahan ang atong focus lang ang ingon ta ang gitawag nato nga religious vocation to be magpari, magrelihiyoso, madre ug religious priest ug mga brothers. But the same ang bottom line is we become godly, we live the divine orientation which is as I pointed out the orientation of the cross.

In today’s celebration, I know very well gamay ra akong gi-touch sa scriptures katong middle reading but also it is allowed in a homily to dwell on the feast of the day, the Blessed Virgen Mary. And the very valid occasion of what we call the Launching of the Vocation Month. I would like to close that I did not examine it very well but the first reading switches in the second part to the breaking of bread and drinking of the cup, the Holy Eucharist. I think for us, for you seminarians and for those who are in novitiates, those who are postulants in religious houses and formation we know very well that the breaking of bread is the centerpiece of our daily activity. So that we can I go back what I said every day we can be attuned to the voice of the Lord to see if we are called by the Lord, to see if we can live the calling of the Eucharist which is again to empty ourselves for others. If I may put it this way, can we be as dedicated as the mama and papa that many of us would know great sacrifice for their children, can we be dedicated like them as priest, as sisters, as religious – that’s one thing. But in the end since this is Vocation Month thank you Fr. Elvie for this invitation, we know also that it is the grace of the Lord in His own mysterious ways, He sets up things so that young men and women will have the opportunity, will have the atmosphere to hear the voice of the Lord as it calls each one of them to the particular role in life that we will have in the life of the world and the life of the church.