Kargador at Dawn

Kargador at Dawn
Work in the Vineyard

Friday, June 16, 2017

OMI Postulants' Admission

OMI Postulants’ Admission

During the Mass of the Holy Spirit for the Communities here at the Marian Hills on June 14, 2017, I could not help but noticed the offerings of the seven lighted candles marking the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Yet during the celebration, because of the “wind” from the Holy Spirit began putting off some of the lighted candles.

The first one to go off was the Gift of Fortitude. I was thinking… “Oh my God, there goes the gift of fortitude!” Yet on a second thought… methinks that the HS is, perhaps, telling us that this gift is NOT yet needed here since the formands are well protected by the walls of our houses and properties.

Then the second to go off was the Gift of Understanding. Oh my! What is happening… would it mean there would be less understanding in these houses? Yet, on a second thought… perhaps it is not yet time for this gift. Understanding, usually, is associated to age and experience - sometime during the senior years or somewhere near it.

Then the 3rd to go off was the Gift of Knowledge. Ah, this must really be something! But on further reflection… It may not be the gift that is needed at this stage. The knowledge at this stage of formation is basically “input” from the formators and resource people that feed the formands.

And the 4th light to go off was the Gift of Wisdom. Oh my! What would this mean…? Wisdom - NOT yet at this stage! Wisdom comes not only with age and experience but with prayers and solitude. So this has to go off!!!

The three remaining lighted candles were the Gift of Counsel (3rd candle); the Gift of Piety (6th Candle); and the Gift of Fear of the Lord (the 7th candle).

I thought that these three remaining lighted candles representing Counsel, Piety and Fear of the Lord are the most appropriate gifts of the Holy Spirit for you guys, at this stage of your formation. Yes, you seek Counsel as you begin the journey and discern God’s call. Yes, you need the gift of Piety as you begin to venture in Spiritual Life – the journey of the soul inward. And yes, at this stage, you need the gift of the Fear of the Lord. We begin the journey with this gift to remind us that here begins NOT only knowledge as the saying goes – “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” but also the beginning of a journey towards God.

Usually here ends my homily… but I have two added quotations to remind us of the first reading taken from 2 Corinthians 4)

“Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us.” (2 Cor. 4:7)

Yes, we re the earthen vessels where God put that call – the treasure entrusted to us. This also shows us that the treasure of surprising power is NOT from us but from God. Fragile as we are and at times also broken… the lord puts that treasure in the vessels that we are…

We have nothing to fear – neither our fragility or even our brokeness – the pot and the potter image in Jeremiah assures us that whatever… and not withstanding… God remakes the spoiled/broken vessels that we are to always something new that is pleasing to him.

“But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.” (Jeremiah 18: 4)


Homily by Fr. Jun Mercado, OMI
Mass of the Reception of OMI Postulants
6 am, Tamontaka, Dinaig


June 16, 2017

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