Une vocation noble, it's french for a Noble Calling.
As part of my discernment process here at the school God has placed me, I think I am understanding a new calling from God. Something like this has come to me only by the grace of God, through the hands of Mary. To comprehend this calling is a great privilege and an honor to believe that Christ himself is working through me to others.
My servitude has been a big part of my faith to Christ, It is something that I love doing. The smile that is left is a rewarding element to witness. Every mission trip that I have gone on is still in some way, shaping me even to this day. One that stands out that most, is my mission trip to Honduras.
Here, I went on a one week mission to build homes for those who have literally nothing. No Water, no electricity, no shelter. While it helped me realize to be grateful for everything I have, It helped me even more to understand that no matter what race we are, or even what language we speak, we are still are one in the same. A huge family that share in the same graces from God himself. It was just last year that I felt being called to becoming a missionary priest to help provide the sacraments and virtues to those who are less fortunate than others. In April 2010, I took a trip to Dallas with the diocese of Tulsa to visit the Holy Trinity Seminary. Someone that I grew very fond of on that trip was a 42 year old man from the Philippian Islands. Though his accent made it hard for me to understand, I still managed to make out what he was saying. It was a real gift and I am truly thankful that I see that. We hung out together, he taught me a few words, laughed together. He smiled, and every time he did it reminded me of the happiness from serving those who really need it. So this bond between the both of us started to become a real lesson for me. Later while I was visiting the seminary, I woke in the middle of the night, walked to the kitchen to help myself to a midnight snack. There I would meet a native from Guatemala, he happened to be in the kitchen eating too. We talked for a good hour, learning from each others past experiences. As he's telling me his story, for some reason the only thing that's running through my head is ways to help people. He told me that he went to school in Guatemala to become a priest. He emphasized that the people only have mass once every 3 months. When he told me this, my mind sort of stuck on this thought of helping out and changing this. Anyway, through time he got so sick, the school was forced to medically release him since they did not have the resources to keep him there. Frustrated, he set out for a desperate attempt to head for the United States, so he applied for a visa. I remember him saying that usually, it takes about 2 months to receive a visa in Guatemala, it is only typical. He said the very next day, heard at the knock at his door, and opened it to find somebody with an envelope that had his visa inside. He said, it was a miracle and to this day he believes it was an angel. One week later he found out that his uncle was flying to Houston for business, he begged his uncle for a ticket to come with, he found out that his uncle had exactly the amount needed for one more ticket in his bank. So he ended up going and now he is in Dallas, Texas attending a seminary, studying to become a priest.
I was amazed at the story and how everything seemed to work out for him. The whole weekend for me was a lesson, and a calling to help all of those in need. The thought of people having mass once in every 2 or 3 months lingered in my head, I couldn't imagine not having mass for that long.
Even now, we take it for granted and don't really get what we should out of it. We have the opportunity to attend daily mass while others only once every 90 days. That alone provides me with the desire to help as much as I can. Every time I am around somebody from a different country that calling just passes through my head. Talking with people from Honduras, Guatemala, Ivory Coast, Mexico, Haiti, and even the Bahamas, it really does go through your head. It's tough to discern what Christ wants out of us, but I learned that if we pray and put ourselves in obedience to God, graces will always be provided to help us see that calling. That calling, whatever it may be will always be a noble one.
Today, I found myself really grateful for what I have. I got a call from my dad, saying he was in Oklahoma City on business, so I suggested that we meet up for dinner. When I left to head for the city, It was pouring rain. I couldn't see the road, couldn't even see through my windshield cause of all the mist from the cars ahead of me. I remember thinking about turning around and not taking a risk at killing myself just to see my dad. A lot of times we can take for granite what we have and don't even think about it. When I met him at the restaurant we were meeting, we shook hands, hugged and shared stories. I told him how I was doing and he told me how he was doing. He ended up telling me that earlier he had picked a guy up looking for a ride, he was homeless, unemployed and just placed there by God in providence. It was really fun to catch up with my father, since it had been a really long time since we talked.
