Tuesday, February 25, 2014
God's Calling.
Someone asked me to take a look at the letters between Father Adrian and Mr. Aaron Quituga, which was published in Junglewatch. The person gave me the weblink to those letters, and wanted to know my opinion on it.
So, here is my opinion, which I'm sure some people will disagree. Regardless of whether one disagrees or not, the poster did ask my opinion.
The priesthood is not something one should take lightly. It is a calling from God. And when God calls someone to serve Him, He wants 100% from that person. God is not satisfied with only half of your service nor 99% of it. If one is to serve God as a Catholic priest, this means that one is ready to give up everything.....and yes, that would also include any "backup plans" they may have in mind. This is what Father Adrian meant when he wrote: "Pray to our Blessed Lady who said 'I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done unto me according to your word." "Backup plans" are only there for those who wish to follow their own will rather than our Lord's will.
Matthew 19:27-30 Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?" Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or fathers or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
The seminary prepares a man for the priesthood, and the Church should not choose a man to go into the seminary based on his ethnicity or because he is Chamorro. The Church selects them because he feels the calling from God, and has decided to answer that calling with a yes.
After reading Mr. Quitugua's letters, it appears that upon joining the Seminary, he is not in it 100%. In other words, he has a backup plan. He wants to make certain that his credits in the seminary are still counted in the event that he has decided that the priesthood is not for him. He even asked if the Archdiocese would reimburse him for the money he already spent on a college education. When God calls men to the priesthood, He wants these men to give Him 100% service to Him. And the man who is called has to answer with either a yes or no, and not put in any backup plans or depend on money. He either trust God or not.
It can be very discouraging when one is denied the seminary of his choice; however, Mr. Quitugua should not be discouraged. God allows things to happen for a reason. Perhaps, in her wisdom, the Church sees that Mr. Quitugua is not yet ready for the priesthood.
Perhaps, his best option would be to attend the University of Guam and take courses that could benefit him in the event that he still feels the calling to the priesthood. For example, he can take up some counseling courses. A priest would need counseling skills when dealing with troubled marriages and/or persons. And why should he ask to be reimbursed money for taking a counseling class? In EWTN, Father Gould explained that one of the key ingredients that are essential for future priests is "sacrifice". Candidates should know that they are giving up marriage, a family, economic wealth, and all the temptations that Jesus went through in the desert.
Priestly Vocations
As for Father Adrian's letters, I see nothing in those letters making any promises to Mr. Quitugua whatsoever. Mr. Quitugua had already decided not to attend the Bl. Diego Institute, a local institute, and he was inquiring whether the Archdiocese can sponsor him at Mount Angel Seminary. They gave their answer. Father Adrian did not say the reason as to why Mr. Quitugua was denied. For all I know, the possibility exists that he may have seen that Mr. Quitugua is not yet ready for the priesthood.
According to Mr. Quitugua's letter (my emphasis on bold):
The idea that came to mind is this: Since the reason for not allowing local seminarians from Guam to have an education abroad is due to lack of financial resources, would the Archdiocese sponsor me to study at Mount Angel Seminary if I were to consume the cost of my education and formation there since I seek a fully accredited seminary? It would not cost our Archdiocese any money to send me there. As we discussed, Mount Angel is an accredited institution with a general education program. They would accept the college credits I have already earned and should I discern that I am not called to priesthood after all, credits will transfer out of them to accredited secular institutions, such as UOG, which ensures that I would still be on track to earning an undergraduate degree.
Apparently, Mr. Quitugua is more committed to securing his future needs rather than making a sacrifice and placing his full trust in God to take care of his future. Indeed, he is not ready for the priesthood.
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Well said Diana. Persecution is heavy with JW. Chuck,Tim and the rest of their company consider this charism a devilish movement. I disagree strongly. Continue to pray for all of us, many saints were persecuted.
ReplyDeleteYes, we pray for all the brothers and sisters walking in the communities so that God will strengthen us. We also pray for our persecutors, who are in darkness.
ReplyDeleteSo Diana, since you are well versed with the structure of the NCW, what is wrong with the Carmelite Order here that the girls have to enter in New Jersey? Is because that is the seat of the Neocatechumenal Way?
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous.
DeleteFirst of all, to answer your SECOND question, New Jersey is NOT the seat of the Neocatechumenal Way. The Neocatechumenal Way doesn't have a seat or capital....not even in Spain where it begun.
Secondly, to answer your FIRST question, the Carmelite nuns in Guam are of advanced age. In other words, they are elderly. One of the reasons they were relocated to Tamuning was due to their small numbers and their frequent visits to doctors and health services. Over the years, the number of religious sisters has been declining. This is true not only for Guam, but worldwide. Today, it's fortunate that we have at least one or two young girls in Guam who have answered God's call to join the Carmelite Order even if they are walking in the Neocatechumenal Way.
In the Carmelite Order, the young girl would be trained in following the ideal life established by St. Teresa of Avilla. She would be trained as a nun to lead a contemplative life of prayer, spiritual readings, and manual work. Now that Guam's Carmelite nuns are so advance in their age and take frequent visits to the doctor or health clinic because some of them are ill, would they be capable of teaching an aspiring young girl this religious life, or would she be more of a caregiver? I am looking at this from a logical and reasonable perspective. Thus, I would think that it would be logical and beneficial if Guam's girls be sent off-island to a Carmelite monastary where they can be trained in living the ideal life of St. Teresa of Avilla. But I would also hope that someday, they would return to the island and take over the Carmelite Monastary here to be inspiring role models for Guam's women who hear God's calling.
Finally, I would appreciate if the thread of this post is not derailed too much or too far off. This post is about God's calling and deals with the letters written by Mr. Aaron Quituga and Father Adrian. As I said in my post, I don't think Mr. Quitugua is ready for the priesthood yet. The seminary is not a place to discern whether one should become a priest or not. It is a place to prepare men for the priesthood. A person doesn't enroll into law school to discern whether he wants to become a lawyer or not. The purpose of law school is to prepare students into the field of Law. In a similar manner, a Seminary is a place to prepare candidates for the priesthood. And I also believe that every candidate should be screened before entering any Seminary.
So you judge his heart and intentions? Do you even know him? Shame on you Jacque!
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous,
DeleteI'm not judging his heart and intentions. I judged his actions. Mr. Quitugua made it clear in his letter the reasons he wanted to enter Mount Angel Seminary. This is what he stated:
They would accept the college credits I have already earned and should I discern that I am not called to priesthood after all, credits will transfer out of them to accredited secular institutions, such as UOG, which ensures that I would still be on track to earning an undergraduate degree.
I will not claim to know the man's intention from one mere statement.
DeleteThat's why I read your blog to know more and not judge by a statement taken out of context.
Actions are not email statements..
Dear Anonymous,
DeleteI never said that Mr. Quitugua should not be a priest. I said that he is not yet ready for the priesthood. Based on his statements in his email, he is not ready for the priesthood yet.
Being a Priest is most sacred and honorable vocation, is not just going to an Marine recruiter and telling him what you want. The recruiiter would tell you to go to Navy. Priesthood is much more than that, is not a walk in the park. Specially the Sex Scandal that darken the Church. The Catholic Church is very much leery and sensitive when it comes to this. I know a couple of former Seminarian not from the Way but sponsored by the Archdiocese who change their mind of Priesthood Vocation. Two years of funding from the Archdiocese down the drain. Did the Archdiocese condemn them and made a big stink about it? No. So all this kid have to do is wait patiently and stop hiding behind Tim White Tiger Rohr. Honestly my opinion; this is STUPID.
ReplyDeleteHow do you jump to that conclusion from one email thread? But you are after all entitled to your opinion and it is quite unfortunate that you are so quick to judge.
ReplyDeletePeople make professional judgments all the time. Employers make professional judgments on whether an employee deserves a pay raise or not.
DeleteI'm sure that Mr. Quitugua has heard the calling to be a priest, but based on Quitugua's letters published in Junglewatch, I don't think he's ready for the priesthood yet, and I already stated my reasons why. I'm sure that when he's ready, he would make a good priest. But for now, he needs to learn how to sacrifice some things and trust that God will take care of his future.
And you of course are the professional to make this judgement? Peace out.
DeleteNo. I said, I expressed my opinion as to why he is not ready for the priesthood. I don't have the authority to deny Mr. Quitugua his entrance or sponsorship to a Seminary. Only the Church or his Vocation Director can make that professional judgment.
DeletePriesthood is lonely vocation because of celibate life. Priest are not formed SUPERHERO. They are human also, so jumping into it you must be scrutinize. Is not just joining the military. Again with the sexual allegation that occurs from the past this results to stricker guidance. In Colorado churches were sold because of this Church scandal. A friend of mind told me one Old Church were formed as a strip club. Could you imagine that. How sad I was when he told me this.
ReplyDelete