Mark Anthony Demeterio Muya FSP Reflection Paper #1

Narration

When God created all creation, there must be a reason why he did it. That reason must

serve as the purpose of everything. One day, I had to write a paper and I needed to recall the

First Principle and Foundation of St. Ignatius of Loyola. It is written on a document translated by

Elder Mullan, SJ:

“God created human beings to praise, reverence, and serve God, and by doing this, to
save their souls. God created all other things on the face of the earth to help fulfill this
purpose…”1
This brought me to recall once again my search for purpose in life.

I graduated as a Computer Engineering student last 2014. Pursuing wealth to lift up the

economic status of our family, my parents and I dreamed that I would apply after graduation to

where I had my on-the-job training: either in Smart Communications or PLDT. But just right

before my graduation, my parish priest went to our small community where our house can be

located to say mass. It was Lent. Before the start of the mass, the parish priest invited the

neighborhood for those who would like to have confession. I came first on the line. After my

confession, my parish priest asked me how I was doing. I did tell him that I am about to

graduate in May. Given that I told him of the course I went through, he said that he needed a

technical person in the parish and he invited me to consider applying in the parish.

Fast forward, I did apply to my parish as a computer technical assistant. My parents

were inviting me to quit the job after some time, feeling disappointed that I had applied to the

parish church. Aside from computer stuff, I was asked to do secretarial work such as finding

guest priests to celebrate our sacraments and blessings. Most of the time, I was having a

difficulty in finding guest priests most especially when most of them have a prior appointment. I

also find it difficult when sickness visits my parish priest or he may have an emergency meeting

1
Ignatius of Loyola, “THE FIRST PRINCIPLE AND FOUNDATION,” trans. Elder Mullan, SJ and edited by Rick
Rossi, March 2015, https://www.bc.edu/content/dam/files/offices/ministry/pdf/First%20Principle%20and
%20Foundation%20-March%202015%20%282%29.pdf .
Mark Anthony Demeterio Muya FSP Reflection Paper #1

to attend to, and I must find a guest priest to take his schedule. Then on many occasions, the

secretary of the parish would tell me that perhaps I may consider becoming a priest one day,

and she shall pray for me. That secretary would also ask her friends coming in the parish office

for prayers for me that I may become a priest. I am not sure of this, but many of them would

agree that my personality is fit to priesthood. As I worked for five long years in the parish, I

questioned the meaning and purpose of my life. Shall I work day in and out like home-office all

throughout my life? What will be next on this? Considering what others are telling me, I asked

the Lord, “Lord, if you would let me help your Church as your priest, let me pass the exams in

San Jose Seminary or in any other seminary that you wanted me to be.” I applied to San Jose

Seminary and got accepted. My call to the priesthood developed during that parish office work

for five years, although this vocation was not in my plans.

Analysis

One may be into the daily routine of life, and like me, I had a day questioning the

purpose of my life. What am I called to do by God? What will be next? I consider the reason that

my response to the parish priest of considering his offer to apply to the parish office as a

computer technical assistant is that I owe a lot to God, and I am grateful to all the wonders he

made in my life. Some of which I am grateful for: the second life of my family who supposedly

drowned and trapped in the second floor of our house during Typhoon Ondoy, the second life of

my papa being revived from 18-minutes being declared clinically dead, and having my papa’s

boss as a benefactor who supported me to finish college. All these are just some of the big

things that I am grateful for. These serve as milestones in my life leading me to thank God. I

cannot but thank God by offering myself to serve in the Church in the small way that I can be.

Another aspect of the calling that I need to highlight is the process of discernment. As

we can recall, it is not my plan to pursue the priesthood vocation. It is through the

recommendation and prayers of those who invited me to take the step. They see me available
Mark Anthony Demeterio Muya FSP Reflection Paper #1

and most probably can become a priest one day to help in the Church. They pledged support for

me and that they will continue to pray for me. Now, I am here wanting the priesthood, and keep

on discerning where the Lord will be sending me. Therefore, listening is essential in the process.

Meaning

People may have plans, but be ready that one may be called to another path. Just like

me, I had my plans to go to a particular profession, but I had done small steps leading me to

another path, perhaps caused by people surrounding me and the opportunities presented to me.

And yet I consider all these as God’s instrumentality for me to know where the Spirit leads me. I

do own my decisions in entering into this vocation, and yet major of the factors affecting my

decision is with the help of the graces of the Spirit. Listening to the Spirit through the signs of

the times, through the people around us, and through the Word of God shall be one’s foundation

in pursuing the purpose and call of God.

Enactment

I do want to become a priest one day in my diocese, and this development of desire I do

credit to the Holy Spirit. I realize that however I wanted to become a priest, I am still in the

process of discernment. I have my formators, fellow seminarians, and my bishop who will co-

discern with me of my vocation. I may not later be a priest as I would see something unlikely in

myself not appropriate for priesthood, I do remain open for other possibilities of vocation. All I

need to do is to keep listening to the Spirit and that I shall participate in God’s graces along the

way. Generally, everyone is called to holiness. That pursuit for holiness may get back to the

First Principle and Foundation of Ignatius: to praise, reverence and serve God. In any of the

vocations available, the Lord will continue to invite us towards holiness with the help of his

mercy and grace. I am invited to keep my trust in the Lord, for he will never give up on me.