"How do you know if you are called?
That is for you to know. You need to have an open heart to be able to hear God calling you."
While paying close attention to the big screen, and making sure I was able to read the English subtitles, I was also having flashbacks of the wonderful experience of seeing the Holy Father so close during his apostolic visit to our country last January. It is amazing how I have been given the once-in-a-lifetime honor to serve the Vicar of Christ.
Before the movie was shown, MTRCB chairman Atty. Toto Villareal gave a short welcome speech, after Bishop Mylo Vergara gave his. Atty. Toto quoted Saint Catherine of Siena as calling the pope "the sweet Christ on earth". Speaking from experience, the pontiff indeed emanates that sense of sweet joy, peace, and love, as if Jesus the Good Shepherd Himself was physically present among his sheep.
As a Lay Dominican novice, I knew that Saint Catherine, who though a Doctor of the Church, was illiterate, corresponded with the pope in Avignon, and was instrumental in the return of the Seat of Peter in Rome after being in France for 67 years. But that endearment with which Saint Catherine addressed Pope Gregory XI was something new to me. I learned, thanks to Google and EWTN, that it was in one of her letters to the pope that she called him "dolce Cristo en terra".
I have lived to see three popes in my lifetime, and have been blessed to have encountered them up close ~ Saint John Paul II during World Youth Day in 1995, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at the Randwick Racecourse during WYD 2008 in Sydney, and Pope Francis at Tacloban airport during his visit to the Philippines earlier this year.
In all three instances, being in close proximity to the Bishop of Rome felt like being reunited with a grandfather I have been separated from for so long, and at the same time feeling that Jesus is truly Emmanuel, physically present through his Vicars on earth, to assure me that He loves me so much.
Gifts from the Popes
My encounter with Saint John Paul II came at a time when I was not sure I really knew what God meant me to be. I was not even certain of what I wanted for myself. Although I have been educated in Catholic schools, it was "Lolo Lolek" that helped me embrace my heir-ship as God's daughter, through the merits of Jesus. It was his constant reminder not to be afraid to follow Christ no matter the struggles and persecution that motivated me to take the path of service. His teachings instilled in my young mind to never compromise my values and my Faith in exchange for the things that the world could offer. WYD 1995 was the beginning of many years of active participation and volunteerism in Church ministries. I remember shedding tears of unexplainable joy and peace which enveloped my entire being when he looked towards us, as his pope mobile passed us by on Quirino Avenue in Manila. Had it not been for the bulletproof glass that enclosed the pope, we would have been able to reach out for his hand and touched him! One of Saint JP II's legacies is the initiation of the World Youth Days.
I took part in the 20th WYD in Cologne, in the hopes of seeing Saint JPII again. But in April of that year, 2005, he died due to heart failure. His successor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, although typecasted by some as arch-conservative, was actually the one who made me appreciate the Magisterium, the richness of our Faith which she teaches and protects, and the traditional catholic doctrines and values. He helped satisfy my hunger to know more about the teachings of the Church, at a time when I needed firm and sound theology because I was surrounded by people who kept telling me I was going to burn in hell for being Roman Catholic, because I follow a religious leader who they said is an anti-Christ, and because I pray the rosary and honor the Virgin Mary as the Mother of God. I have heard from some friends that Fr. Joseph Ratzinger is th least favorite of all the popes of the Gen X, the Millennials, and the Generation Z. I personally think many failed to appreciate Pope Benedict simply because they did not try to really get to know him (through his many writings). There is no mistake I love all the three popes of my life, but If I were to rank them, Opa Joseph Aloisius will be on the top. I was a pilgrim to all three World Youth Days under his papacy.
And then came Padre Jorge, who Filipinos call Lolo Kiko. (Lolo is the Filipino word for grandfather, and Kiko is a nickname or endearment for Francis). Throughout his life as a priest, he is said to have been notable for being humble, having concern for the poor, and emphasizing on God's mercy. But I'd say that his two predecessors also showed humble obedience to the will of God, and both had been awesome fathers to all their children. I cannot, and will not even dare, compare the three popes. I love them all!
With Lolo Kiko, the one thing remarkable is that my non-Catholic friends (finally!) have many good things to say about the charismatic leader of the Church founded by Jesus Christ Himself. A Baptist friend said that he felt blessed during the papal visit because according to him, Pope Francis walks and lives the Christian walk, and breathes to be Christ-like. Another friend who belongs to a Pentecostal church, said that the pope is a beacon of hope for humanity, especially in the new era of Christian persecution in which we live in.
Sweet Encounters and Vocational Inspiration
Towards the end of the movie Papa Francisco, some clips from the pontiff's apostolic visit to the Philippines last January 2015 were included. I remember those sleepless nights before and during his 6-day visit. I would do it all over again if given another chance! And I also could not help but remember those priceless moments with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Saint John Paul II.
All the papal gatherings I have attended were wonderful experiences of communion with my fellow Catholics, and with thousands of people from all over the world during the World Youth Days I participated in. All three popes were able to transmit the Holy Spirit's omnipresence that I felt the holy presence of God. All encounters with the Vicar of Christ has influenced me greatly, and radically changed my life.
My own vocation story took almost 20 years to unfold. Sinner as I am, uncertainties and doubts still beset me every now and then, but with God's grace, I am able to run with endurance the race set before me, with eyes fixed on Jesus. (Hebrews 12:1)
The Promise of the Future
There are still moments when I would hear God calling me, telling me something, and yet I'd be totally clueless and unable to understand what He wants me to do. It is in these crucial moments that I "borrow" prophet Samuel's words: Speak Lord, for I am listening. And I beg Him to lead me to the path He wants me to follow, and to grant me the grace to be able to do what He wants done in my life.
Saint John Paul II, as one of my intercessors, always reminds me to never be afraid, because God is always with me, and life with Christ is a wonderful adventure. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has taught me that though the world offers me comfort, I was not made for that, because I was made for greatness. (Not in the eyes of men, but in the eyes and heart of God!) And Pope Francis has challenged me to swim against the tide of this culture of relativism and the ephemeral that sees everything as temporary. In Christ I shall find fulfilled my desire for goodness and happiness. He alone can satisfy my deepest longings which are often clouded by deceptive worldly promises.
I have an aunt who is a Discalced Carmelite nun. When I told her that I have joined the Lay Dominican Fraternity (or the Third Order of Saint Dominic), she exclaimed with much gladness that I am starting to reap the fruits of World Youth Days and papal encounters.
God alone knows what He has in store for me. But I am confident that He only has the very best for me and my loved ones. He is a God of surprises; a Father who delights in seeing His children happy. I only have to be open to Him!
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