More Than Fish and Vegetables

More Than Fish and Vegetables

by Sem. Chester Rommel Canonicato of St. Uriel

Friday, day of the death of our Lord and here in the seminary, more than abstinence from meat, our apostolate held us, so as to share in the sufferings of our Lord. Moreover this is a part of our formation. During our apostolate we are helping do chores in certain institutions we most often help in cleaning, teaching, giving both to old and young people and other activities that engage us to with different kinds of people. By these interactions we are learning new things, values, and realizations that are being inculcated in our hearts and minds are some of them.

SENSITIVITY IN THE NEEDS OF OTHERS

We are exposed to a bigger world, a world that is full of needs: need for the word of God, need for care, need for love and other. Through our apostolate, it helps us realize that there are many people who need attention, physically or emotionally, which leads us to more sensitive and intensified our willingness to serve.

APPRECIATION OF GOD’S BLESSINGS

We become more aware of God’s presence, and of God’s blessings. We become more thankful because of the realization that the Lord bestowed on us many blessings.

JOY AND PERSONAL FULFILLMENT

We find joy to what we have to accomplish things which we taught we cannot do, like giving both to the elderly and playing with children. We feel the fulfillment when we see smiles and receive the warm gratitude of the ones we are serving.

EXPOSURE TO SOCIAL REALITIES

The life of every person is not just pure joy and happiness, but there are also times of difficulties and injustices. Through the apostolate we see this social reality and learn how to respond to it, because of our personal experiences with the sufferings and injustices.

STRENGTHENING OF VOATION TO PRIESTHOOD

Because we see Christ in the faces of other people, our love for Him increases this love makes our vocation to priesthood livelier and is strengthened. Our experiences with different situations in the apostolate area make us more eager to become priest in the future.

These are only some of the experiences we have in our apostolate, truly it becomes an avenue for self-discovery and self-realization will surely help us in our future ministries. This is why we are fond of Friday, not only because of the fish and vegetables, more also because of the apostolate that gives us bunches of experiences.