FATHER FRANCIS FERNANDES

DO NOT BE AFRAID OF LETTING GOD SPEAK INTO YOUR LIFE

Would I Make a Good Priest?

I didn’t always want to be a priest. I had wanted to be a priest as a kid, but the desire faded away as I grew. By the time I was applying to university through QTAC in 2012, I definitely did not want to be a priest. I wanted to get married and work either as an engineer or industrial designer and recall being a little anxious that God might have other plans.

My time discerning between engineering and industrial design was a time of confusion and uncertainty. Many voices were offering conflicting advice, and they all seemed correct. Some people said, “Do what you love!” other more practical people said, “do what brings in the money!” Still, others said, “God wants what you want!” To cut a long story short, I gave one course a go and found neither of the two careers were realistic options for me. It was a time of dissatisfaction.

That dissatisfaction, however, opened me up to letting God speak his Good News into my life. I visited the vocations office and various discernment events and was surprised at how much priesthood resonated with me. The things I loved best about industrial design and engineering - that they brought joy and comfort into people’s lives – were things that I could do on a deeper level as a priest. God didn’t annihilate my passions; in fact, he deepened them.

I was fortunate to have chatted with a certain seminarian on one of my Quo Vadis weekends (he is now a priest in the Brisbane Archdiocese). I asked him if he was excited about getting ordained. He responded by saying that he didn’t see himself as being in the seminary to be ordained but to actively discern if God was calling him to the priesthood. Though I wasn’t afraid of stepping into the seminary, I do remember thinking then, “so I won’t be locked in if I give it a go!” Thus, to discern well and leave the seminary journey would have been as much a success as discerning to stay on. So I entered Canali House in 2014 and joined the seminary the following year.

I suppose a challenge I encountered during my time in the seminary was dealing with the question of whether I would make a good priest or not. It was not a crushing concern, but it crossed my mind on several occasions, especially when I became conscious of the areas in my life which still needed growth. The turning point came during my thirty-day retreat in my fifth year. In that time, I got to explore with Jesus all the underlying concerns, assumptions and baggage I was carrying in me. I saw myself more clearly, let go of a lot, and trusted God to continue leading me as I went out into ministry.

To you, the reader, I offer brotherly encouragement. Do not be afraid of letting God speak into your life. To paraphrase St. Augustine, God is closer to us than we are to ourselves. A good discernment begins with daily prayer. Also, remember not to discern alone! Find a priest or religious sister and journey together to explore what God and your own heart is saying to you. If even that is too much, I encourage you to at least pray for the desire to hear and heed God’s call.

FROM THE DIRECTOR

Welcome to our latest edition of Vocare for 2021, titled Good News.

This year has begun with Good News as Pope Francis announced it as the “Year of Saint Joseph”. I received this Good news, with a grateful heart. In his Apostolic Letter, Patris Corde (A Father’s Heart) as well as in his message for World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Pope Francis offers us Saint Joseph as our patron and model, to inspire us to open again the doors to Christ and let him into our hearts. Saint Joseph’s example of daily leap into the dark with trust as he said Yes to God’s call, is a prophetic sign to us, that grace offers the single, steadfast, pathway through which we too can discern and respond to our individual vocations.

Everything is grace. A Yes to grace here and now in 2021 could be a Yes to a life of adventure with God. As we leap into the future with hope, the Yes of Saint Joseph inspires us to recreate our hearts to live our vocation as a gift for others. God looks on the heart (1 Sam 16: 7). One of the greatest legacies of Saint Joseph to Christian Vocations is the Cultivation of “This selfgiving, Yes-heart of the Father,” even in the face of the unknown.

As we stand before this dramatic turn in both vocations and human history, Saint Joseph gives us the courageous heart to leap into our own amazing joyful unknown of God. It is only those who joyfully enter into the uncharted vocational space of the unknown, with the God who also wants to be wrestled with, that will receive, celebrate, and announce this Good news.

When I was growing up, I was told that Australia was the end of the world. So naturally, I neither planned nor imagined that Australia would ever form part of my leap into the heart of God. If you are reading this vocare now, it is because you have also learned or are learning “to dream” and risk abandoning yourself and projects to grace.

Through the patronage of St Joseph your leap of Yes to God, as well as mine, becomes a fountain of living water for others, “like God’s living water flowing from the Temple”. Amazingly, our leap of Yes which becomes the Good-news is not the end of the journey.

It is only the beginning.

Saint Joseph, Pray for us.

Father Stanley Orji

ISAAC FALZON

“I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH HIM WHO STRENGTHENS ME”

(PHIL 4: 13).

keeping my focus on His face

Saint Ignatius of Loyola once said, “you wish to reform the world? Reform yourself [first].” My entire discernment journey started (and will continue) with the want/need to become a better person. If I can be a better person, then I can be a better disciple.

Life has not always been smooth sailing for me; however, I should not complain in comparison to many people’s lives. By the age of fifteen, things were not going so well. I searched for meaning, purpose, and happiness in other people and material goods. This led me down a dark path; I was in serious trouble with many different people and authorities. I had developed various illnesses, and I was unhappy with who I was and who I was becoming. I continued this way of life for 12 years until I had a re-conversion experience on a mission trip in Uganda. To cut a long story short, Uganda led me to serve with Net Ministries, and Net Ministries played a part in me joining the Seminary in 2017.

The biggest challenge that I faced in my discernment journey was myself. I had lived a full and colourful life, and when I looked at those priests and Seminarians, I knew they all seemed so perfect to me. I questioned my abilities and worthiness. I thought, why me? There were many other people who I thought would be better suited to the role. But God did not call them, He called me, and I had to act. If everyone left important things up to those they thought would be better at the job, nothing would get done. God does not call the equipped; He equips the called.

As I discerned the right decision two things stood out to me. Firstly, I felt God saying to me that “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil 4: 13). I just needed to step out onto the water and keep my focus on His face and not the storm around me. If I believed that I could do it, if it was the work of God, and I worked hard, I could do anything, and everything would fall into place. Secondly, it was a simple decision; it was either a yes or a no, and I thought it was either a yes or no to God, so I felt that I had better say yes.

Despite all that went through my mind during my initial discernment, I have enjoyed every moment of the formation process. I have noticed that the reasons I joined the Seminary have not been the reasons I stayed in the Seminary and will most likely not be the reasons I will (potentially) be ordained. Namely, as I grow and change and my relationship with God deepens throughout this formation process, my goals, desires and dreams have deepened and changed as well.

Presently, I find and experience God the most during praise and worship and traditional liturgies. I feel God in equal amounts through listening to the likes of Emmanuel worship (‘desire’ is my favourite song) and in singing Latin or Gregorian chants. I am deeply attracted by the immense diversity, beauty, and potential that our Church, the sleeping giant, holds. I am in love with our mother Church, and I desire nothing more than to see her and the entire faithful shake with life and joy. And finally, I am very excited about my (potential) future ministry as a priest and the future of our great Church.

Gerard Lai, A Seminarian's Story

I REALISED THAT JESUS WAS THE REAL DEAL AND THAT I COULD HAVE A PERSONAL FRIENDSHIP WITH HIM, JUST LIKE A BEST FRIEND.

I was brought up in a Catholic family as the middle child between two sisters. My parents are both from Malaysia, and they met here in Australia. Faith at home was praying before meals, praying before bedtime and going to mass on the weekend. I had faith, I believed in God, but I did not quite understand what that meant. Growing up, I never really considered the Priesthood.

I was at a youth camp in year 10 when I had my first spiritual awakening. The most exciting part of the camp was experiencing the power and love of Jesus for the first time. This happened during a time of reflection we were invited to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. At first, I told the priest the little things, but finally, I poured out my heart and told him everything. I looked up to see the priest’s reaction, he just looked at me, smiled very gently and warmly, said the prayer of absolution and wished me well.

As I walked back to my seat, I remember feeling a wave of peace come over me. It finally all made sense. I realised that Jesus was the real deal and that I could have a personal friendship with him, just like a best friend.

After high school, I completed two years of missionary work with NET Ministries Australia. I then continued pursuing my dream to become a scientist by studying a Bachelor of Science which I completed in 2016.

However, I felt like something was missing. My time on NET had really deepened my faith and made me realise that it was not automatic that you got married, had kids. There were other ways to serve. I wanted to find out what this whole priesthood thing was for myself. So I had a chat with the Vocations Office, and they recommended that I move into Canali House, a house of discernment of men thinking about the Priesthood. I spent two years in Canali house discerning God’s call for me.

I remember towards the end of my second year at Canali, I thought to myself: “Gerard, you can’t discern forever.” I remember still being torn between becoming a good dad and a good priest. So I said a sincere prayer asking God to show me which path I should take. I reflected on my life journey from high school until my current moment.

The fact that I was still considering Priesthood for two years in Canali House without any clear sign opposing it, made me sway in favour of the Priesthood. I still felt compelled to give Priesthood a go and knew that I would be discerning in the Seminary anyway so I went ahead with it.

I knew deep down that I would be running away from God and live in regret if I didn’t give the Seminary a go. So I gave it a go and here I am three years later, still on the journey and still discerning in the Seminary, but now I feel even more convicted that I’m supposed to be a priest.

In the Seminary, we do not pray 24/7, we do not know the bible back to front, nor do we have our lives in perfect order. Just like Jesus’ disciples, we are very ordinary people who have responded to the call of God in an extraordinary way.

Father Frank Jones, A Priesthood Life Story

ONCE I RECEIVED THE CERTAINTY OF HIS PRESENCE IN THE MASS, I WAS HOOKED.

I’ve been a priest for over 33 years, and I’d have to say that every year the joy of priesthood just gets better. It is this joy that keeps me going and maintains my sense of deep gratitude.

At the centre of the life of a priest is this mystery of being loved by God and feeling that love increase as you get older. I have never felt more contentment and deep satisfaction in my life as I do now. All this is due to the grace and blessings of being one with Jesus in His priesthood.

My journey began at 15 years of age when I felt that the Lord was calling me. I started going to Mass daily beginning each day with Him, and once I received the certainty of His real presence in the Mass, I was hooked for life.

I began a St Vincent de Paul conference with mates from school where we would mow lawns for the widowed and visit the lonely once a week. Small acts of charity but the blessings I received through those encounters only enhanced my sense of vocation.

The paths I have taken as a priest have led me from Australia to Latin America and serving amongst very poor peoples. It has been a privilege and again joy to become family amongst different cultures.

As a priest, you are given the name Father because you become part of a family in any mission or parish you are sent to lead. The Spirit is the one who leads you to places you would never have thought possible. The mateship and loving friendship amongst my priest mates and beautiful people of the parishes I have belonged to never leave you. There is a bond that reaches into eternity, and every Eucharist opens that reality each day.

All the wonderful women friends and religious who have taught me the essence of my vocation are part of the joy beyond human understanding that St Paul refers to in his letters. Any suffering I have encountered along the way has always been followed by grace. This joy I refer to is the gift of the Spirit. It is the centre of our being as a priest and part of the hundredfold that Jesus promises.