A Desire that is Different from the Rest

(An excerpt from the Homily of Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D., Archbishop of Davao, May 23, 2022 during the live streamed mass of the Baccalaureate Mass and 58th Commencement Exercises of St. Francis Xavier College Seminary of Davao at the XACOSE Chapel, Catalunan Grande, Davao City)

Unsa atong class? Heavenly-class. [A] Christ-like class. That is why your graduation [is] truly— and what we talked about earlier, discipleship, [is] very foreign to the world.

Dili ta malain, pasagdan lang nato na— given na. Dili sila ka-gets nato.

That is why baynte tres lang mo kabuok. Pila ang mu-exam sa Civil Engineering? Libo-libo. Sa Lawyers? Libo-libo, Sa Pilipinas pa lang na. Kamo baynte tres, gamay because your orientation is very different, your gaze, and your heart is supposed to be yearning for something else in the world but not of the world.

So we are both happy that somehow with your supportive parents– that somehow they are here, but also we know that the world, your friends, dili ka-gets kung ngano mag-pari ning gwapong tawhana ni.

Maot ug nawong o gwapo ug nawong, dili kasabot nganong mag-pari kay dili man punterya ang Dubai, dili man Makati, dili man Hongkong, dili man London, dili man Law Firm, dili man sweldo o balay, lahi [ang ilang gusto].

“May katok sa ulo ning mga bataa ni.”

Never mind them because we are not targeting for world-class education– though it is a part of it, but our standard is to be a disciple of the Lord.

Pursuing what your heart desires will give you the joy of imagining– those were the words of Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles D.D. to the graduating class of St. Francis Xavier College Seminary of Davao.

In this world, A desire that is different from the rest is bound to receive questioning glances. It is sometimes difficult to fathom why someone would journey to a path that is different from the norm.

However, this very fact is what makes human beings unique and special– for we are able to enjoy the freedom of discovering ourselves and our special interests, and deciding which role we should play to preserve order and peace in this world.

From this excerpt, there are two main takeaways: a. Do not let society’s questioning eyes detract you from what your heart truly desires, and b. We cannot fit everyone into a specific box as each person are unique.