Nowadays, when we look at local telenovelas and movies, their titles usually give us a hint that the plot will revolve around third parties and marital infidelity. This made me ask myself if these themes are becoming normal in the eyes of modern-day society.

When I heeded the call to the priesthood, I wholeheartedly accepted that I would not be able to build my own family and experience getting married and raising my own children. But this does not mean that I am exempted from the temptation of having an "affair" – an affair with the world. Our vocation is a call to a relationship with God. Therefore, as we said our 'yes' to Him, we entered a relationship with Him, we got 'engaged' and are now in the stage where we prepare ourselves towards a lifelong commitment with Him and His Church.

Today's Gospel reminds me that I must always be faithful to the 'yes' that I gave to God when I heeded His call. Our Rector often tells us that "something must start somewhere." Indeed, as a seminarian, I must already uphold my fidelity to my vocation and learn to turn away from those things of this world that may lead me to become unfaithful.

This is why we often ask the people to pray for us as well. My brothers and sisters, pray for us, seminarians, that we may become faithful in our response to the call of God. Also, pray for the priests, that they may always be faithful to the vows they have taken during their ordination. And lastly, let us pray for one another, that we may always become faithful to the covenants we have taken, whatever our current state of life may be.

By: Sem. John Paul T. Toting

Today's Gospel

Mt 19:3-12

Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying,

"Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?"
He said in reply, "Have you not read that from the beginning
the Creator made them male and female and said,
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?
So they are no longer two, but one flesh.
Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate."
They said to him, "Then why did Moses command
that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss her?"
He said to them, "Because of the hardness of your hearts
Moses allowed you to divorce your wives,
but from the beginning it was not so.
I say to you, whoever divorces his wife
(unless the marriage is unlawful)
and marries another commits adultery."
His disciples said to him,
"If that is the case of a man with his wife,
it is better not to marry."
He answered, "Not all can accept this word,
but only those to whom that is granted.
Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so;
some, because they were made so by others;
some, because they have renounced marriage
for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever can accept this ought to accept it."