This is the very basic answer of many, if not all, who have been asked why they entered the seminary. Others would have worded it differently, while majority, I believe, would have it just that - succinct, direct and simple. But no matter how it was said, whatever patterns or embellishments one may have added to it, just the same, the essence remains - the desire to serve God and his people.

Looking back on my own response, I could not help but recall the many persons and institutions who have shaped my way of thinking, belief and behavior in such a way that when the moment came for me to decide to enter the seminary, I just needed to trust in Him who invited me into this kind of life.

It all starts in the family.

My family is not an extraordinary one. Just like any other families, we had our own share of struggles and difficulties in life, finding simple happiness and joys in just being with each other during meals, recreation or doing household chores. Life at home was always characterized with fun and laughter, occasional bouts with life’s challenges but most of all, countless opportunities for showing respect and love toward one another.

I guess it’s because my parents set that example for us. They, too, have their own share of weaknesses. But we felt their being simple and loving parents enabled us to see beyond their limitations.

I have seen them smile, laugh, even cry; most importantly, I have beheld them in admiration whenever I saw them kneeling in prayer. For me, that’s the most powerful lesson I’ve learned from home: recognizing that we really can’t do it on our own. We needed God. We need God’s help and guidance.

Knowing this, I believe it helped me a lot growing up as a child. I was appreciated for whatever talent they saw in me, encouraged to use these gifts not only for my own growth but for others as well. Knowing when to say “I can,” and accepting the times to be humble enough to say “I can’t,” moved me in many ways to a deeper appreciation of the gifts I am entrusted with. Indeed, it all began with those simple acts of kindness and love we expressed and shared at home.

After some time, I had to leave home and start living on my own. Armed with a college degree, I worked in a glass factory, making my way from the bottom of the company ladder. I had to settle on my own, because traveling from home (in the province) to work (in Manila) proved impractical.

At first I had difficulty adjusting to my new situation - I missed special bonding times with my family. I had to contend myself with going home at first weekly, then twice a month until it became a monthly schedule. But as time went by, I somehow got used to the fact that I had a job to do and it’s what I studied college for anyway.

To cut the story short, my working days were practically just that - WORK. I devoted much of my time in the workplace, a little relaxation on weekends and attending Sunday Mass, and then work again.

I had to keep in mind the promise I made to my Dad when he passed from this world to the next - to continue what he had begun in the family. I became “father” to my siblings and mom, in my own little way, and took up my share in seeing to the family’s needs.

God has been gracious enough to us. My siblings finished their schooling and are now settled; my Mom got married again and they have kids. Somehow, my work is done; I was happy and grateful for that.

But I was left confronted with my own life to think of. Slowly, it dawned on me that I was looking for meaning in my life. I had a stable job - a rewarding one at that - a career to pursue, a charming lady in my life…but, I felt lonely within.

Deep down, I longed for more - I couldn’t express exactly what it was. Until I was brought back to my first dream as a child.

Recalling the first instance of mimicking that person wearing a long, white robe with his hands in prayerful gesture, I thought of it as a happy moment for me. With my siblings acting as Church-goers, I’d gleefully give them small pieces of Chinese candy haw flakes as if they were receiving communion.

It was while pondering on those moments when I began to consider the seminary life. After some weeks of consultations and asking for spiritual advice from the local parish priest, I found myself in deep thought and reflection about that kind of life. I could not believe myself, but I was indeed seriously considering the matter at hand. And with God’s grace, after a long process of examinations and interviews and difficult decision making, I was finally accepted and entered the seminary.

The seminary became my second home. It’s where I found new family members - of different cultures, backgrounds, moods and the like. It’s where daily learnings take on different forms - classroom settings, meals, recreation, apostolate, pastoral exposures and even rest. It’s where we’re gathered as one in daily worship of God in the Eucharist, Reconciliation and other liturgical practices, fostering our devotions and spiritual life. It’s where we’re being guided to deal with our own humanity - emotions, behaviors and interests. It’s where we’re being formed to become pastors, future leaders of the Church, after the image of Christ, the Good Shepherd.

Indeed, the seminary is a home. It’s where I once again experienced the acceptance and respect I first had with my family. It’s where I had my own share of pains and struggles, too, and bearing them silently, most of the time. It’s where I find the same God my parents made known to me - God who cares, who loves, who forgives and who’s there at all times.

Here I am now, at the last stage of my seminary formation, because of God’s love and mercy. I still am saying I want to serve God and his people. Only that, now, it has become very real to me.

To serve God means to be in His presence. I cannot give myself fully to others had I not stayed with Him in the first place - to be with God, to stay with God - always.

To serve God and his people means to empty myself with any tinge of selfishness and worldly ambitions. For how can I be a true servant if all I think of in the first place is my own needs, comfort and whims?

To serve God and his people means I must constantly be open to the promptings of the Spirit. To be docile and obedient to people entrusted with my formation and, in the process, to be formed also by the community I am called to serve.

My family, my fellow workers, my seminary community - these are the people who help me continue to experience God. They are the constant reminders for me that without them, I wouldn’t be what I am now. And I am grateful for that. I am still answering God’s call to love and serve His people in my daily life in the seminary. It’s a steady invitation from God for me to always choose Him over and above all the many choices before me. And it helps me to be always conscious of the fact that more than myself taking the leap of faith, it was God who trusted me in the first instance. No matter how weak I could get in my response, I still am saying, I want to serve God and his people, until the time becomes ripe for me to do so fully.