“Life is not black and white. It is a beautiful kaleidoscope of colours, textures, shades, and distinctions. it is a canvas of details, tones, differences and diversities.”
Just like also the call of God— many forms, many ways, mostly unexpected; but always going towards the same direction… towards the greatest artist of all who is God. God who is the light of the world who enables us to see and understand His marvellous canvass of life.
Sometime in April, 2008 a total stranger asked me what time the last train would leave the LRT station somewhere in Manila. Without any hesitation, I assisted and generously gave him the information he needed. Me, I just came from the Church and I asked God to give me a sign for what I am longing for. I believe there was a divine intervention because he introduced himself as a seminarian… a Blessed Sacrament brother. It rung a bell! I was praying for a deeper meaning in life, but I didn’t expect more than this. As we part ways we exchanged mobile phone numbers and he referred me right away to Fr. Randy Vergara, SSS, who was the vocation director then. From then on until the time I entered the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, the ray of light of God always gives meaning to my life. His wisdom, little by little, was revealed to me as I discover my vocation which is a gift of God to me.
Christ is the light of the world, as whoever comes to see His light will have the light of faith. I have come to see light upon gazing on Him at the Crucifix – as Christ was revealed as the Son of Man and truly the Son of God; He suffered for us because of God the Father’s tremendous desire to redeem us from our sins… a sacrifice born out love.
As a seminarian, my prayer-life
sustains me to persevere. My prayer-life connects me to God who constantly inspires me to give myself generously in His heavenly mission here on earth. Doing my ministry in my apostolate area becomes an invitation for me from God to love as He does.
The Holy Eucharist is a witness to the truth and love which Christ himself teaches us from God,the Father. The Holy Eucharist is an inexhaustible expression of God’s love which fills me with His divine presence. His divine presence is a spark of hope where I always cling-on to in times of sorrow… His divine presence is a ray of light that sheds meaning to all chaos and adversities that wounds and breaks me most of the time. The Eucharist, as the source and summit of the Church’s life and my life, there, I always draw my inspiration to do my mission with joy in my heart.
To become a Religious-Priest someday is to become a faithful lover of the Holy Eucharist. The Holy Eucharist is Jesus Christ Himself who is really present in the form of the Bread that is broken and shared. Like Him, in doing mission, I will also be broken and be shared to others.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————–
Admin note: Br. Alvin Manaois is a professed scholastic of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, Province of Our Lady of the Assumption (Philippines). He is now on his philosophy studies at San Carlos Seminary, Manila, Philippines.
Would you like to follow Jesus as a priest or brother in the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament?Please click here to contact us.
