Baguio City — Casiciaco Recoletos Seminary officially starts the new formation year with a holy mass invoking the Holy Spirit, officiated by no less than the Prior Provincial last August 17, 2019 at the seminary chapel.
In his homily, Rev. Fr. Dionisio Q. Selma, OAR reminded the seminarians, specifically the neophytes, to not be afraid to follow Jesus for he promised to send his Holy Spirit to whoever becomes his disciples.
“To follow Jesus is not easy, but we know there are more important things that await us, more than what the world can offer,” he said, adding that “you are here because you are loved by God.”
The Father of the Province said that while everyone has the freedom to respond to or reject Jesus’ call to follow him, there will be an accounting of one’s choices in life at the end.
Responding to one’s call, he added moreover, entails being joyful.
“God doesn’t want us to be sad ministers,” he said. “He wants us to be happy because we are convinced that we are proclaiming Jesus.” Hence, formation requires from the formand openness of heart, he added.
“Formation is not seemingly hard, but we can’t do that without openness to the grace of the Holy Spirit,” he said. “This is what gives meaning to our stay in the seminary.”
The Prior Provincial also witnessed the Profession of Faith of both the religious and lay formators, attesting with their signatures that they will not teach to seminarians anything contrary to the teachings of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
The community beadle and vice beadle, together with the chairmen of different working committees in the seminary, also swore an oath to perform their duties to the best of their abilities before the Prior Provincial.
Photo Caption: Fr. Selma officiates the Mass of the Holy Spirit last August 17, 2019.
