| Fulfillment in Life in Knowing and Loving God |
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Fr. Mon Merino L oneliness that wants to be conquered is fulfillment at the end of life.What is the meaning of life? For the past several years, there was something in my heart that I could not shake off. The thought never seemed to leave my mind. God called me a countless times. In each occasion, there was always a sense of "being disturbed." I felt like I had a new life after I attended a Life in the Spirit Seminar in PLDT. That was the first call. The next call came when I met a seminarian who later became my friend. He was like a Hosea sent to a stubborn Gomer. The third call cropped up through a newspaper headline that looked like a search-in/want ad for priesthood. To my mind, it was a strange call in an unlikely time. In 1992, I made a deal with God that if I won in a parish slogan-writing contest, I would consider the call. True enough, the winning "compelled" me to apply in Holy Apostles Senior Seminary that same year. I passed the application despite my deliberate inattention to things spiritual. In 1996, I held office in CBCP Commission on the Clergy. But still, the adamant heart was there. In 1998, I made another deal with God that if He really wanted me for priesthood, He would have to make me an executive first. Strange luck, I was in no time promoted as PLDT head of Property Group. In one of my conversations with my boss, Manny Pangilinan, I could not help but ask why he had to work hard despite his material comfort. "God has blessed me with so much, and the only way I can thank Him is to help other people," said he. Those words inspired me to reach out to other people. Before I entered the seminary, at age 36, I had this fear of leaving the company with that kind of position to boot. To top that, I was uncertain if I could make it to the finish line since only two out of 10 seminarians would make it to priesthood. But the Lord just would not concede to a restless heart. To cut the story short, I was finally ordained in October of 2006. Priesthood brings me to three realizations in finding fulfillment in life.
First, fulfillment does not come from material things.
Second, we all have our own callings in life. Each life has its own calling.
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