Kent Lhoyd Mangubat

Class of Pedro

Spiritual Reflection and Vocation Story

Like the person in the gospel of Luke chapter 9, verses 56-62, I also wanted to follow Christ
wherever He goes because I know that is the right thing to do. In fact, I am now in the seminary
because I see Christ here, and if he permits me I wanted to follow him in the priestly life. But of
course, it’s not easy to follow the way of Christ because you need to have that “total surrender”. It
means that you need to surrender everything, your family, your happiness, your ambitions, and your
freedom to some things, including your life, for God, for his Church, and for his people. My life was
fueled with worldly things before, and in order to follow Christ, I must leave all such things and focus
my life on Him. Yet, I find it hard to do it because I keep on looking at those things outside the
seminary. I am like the man who sets a hand on the plow and keeps on looking at what is behind. The
idea is somehow like, I wanted to be a priest but maybe I can’t because the world has lots of good
temporary offers for me.

My vocation story goes like this, growing up I really don’t have that sincere relationship
with God. I believe that in 2018 the desire to enter the seminary started, during this time I started
serving God as a May Catechist, and before the year ends I was invited to join the Parish Youth
Coordinating Council. 2019 I was privileged to be one of the participants in the National Youth Day
held here in Cebu, in the same year there is also a vocation campaign in our school. After that
vocation campaign, there are times that out of nowhere I come to think about the seminary and the
priestly vocation. In those times, I am so young and I don’t have any idea on how to become a priest
so nothing happened and I just somehow forgot that desire to enter the seminary. My life continues
until the pandemic come and during the moments of lockdown I am alone in our home, I can’t attend
mass, there was no Flores de mayo at that time, and everything is prohibited. The world grieves from
many death and many are experiencing anxiety but in these trying times, the desire to enter the
seminary resurrected in me again. During the lockdown, I devout myself to prayer, and my spiritual
life started to grow. During the pandemic I realized something, everything will soon vanish and
everyone might leave you, and when you have nothing and you are alone, God is always with you to
rescue you and be your happiness and strength. From there, I started searching on facebook and
youtube about what is the priesthood and during those times I considered myself as an addict in
watching vocation stories. Through those vocation videos, I learned that there is a “call” from God to
someone he wishes to become his priest, and all of the time after learning that, I keep on asking God
if he is calling me or not. The question in my mind at that moment is this “How can I respond if I am
not called?” Then I continued to pray and ask him for help in my discernment until I decided to enter
the seminary to purify my intention and seek his call to wherever he wanted me to be.

So months passed, and I am certain with my decision to enter the seminary so I took the
entrance exam here at San Carlos Seminary College and thanks be to God I passed the exam and the
live-in orientation. In these moments of happiness because I am now finally qualified to enter the
seminary there is still a huge cross that I need to take up and that is my father because he has no
support on me regarding my decision to enter the seminary because he is not a catholic and I am the
only boy among his four children plus I am the eldest. My decision to enter the seminary build more
gaps between me and my father, when I offer him something to eat or drink he refuses to accept it.
Even the tradition of asking for a blessing by giving his hands to me was no longer observed because
he refuses to give his hand to me. Yet, my decision is still firm, I will enter the seminary. I tried to
talk to him several times but he never respond to me. So, I decided to offer him to God through the
intercession of St. Joseph hoping for conversion. In this another trying time of my life, I really
thanked God for giving me a very supportive and understanding mother who motivates me and join
me in moments of my great sadness and struggles.
 The struggle did not stop there, the day before I was supposed to enter the seminary I
found out that I have a medical problem, a spot in my upper lobes to be exact. So I was not able to
start my formation at that time because I need to undergo some tests and medication. My faith was
tested again and at this moment I thought that it is a sign from God that I am not really for the
priesthood. I really don’t know how to respond to that situation so what I did is to cry and cry inside
my room. I distance myself from the world for two weeks so that I can reflect and understand God’s
plan for me and my vocation. My mom, on the other hand, felt my pain because she know that I really
wanted to enter the seminary so without knowing she keeps on updating the seminary about my
situation. Then, on august 6, 2022, on the feast of the transfiguration of Jesus, my mom informed me
that my sputum was negative and she said “Paparion gyud lagi kas Ginoo dong” with tears in her
eyes and a huge smile on her face. Then I updated the seminary regarding the result and Fr. Cha said
that he will just inform us as soon as Msgr. Tan arrives because the seminary fathers will discuss it
first. Then, weeks passed and I never receive a single message or information, and with full
confidence, I entrust everything to God for above all His plans are always greater than mine. On
September 2, I received a message from Father Cha that on September 4, I will start my formation and
on that night I prepared all the things I need because of my excitement. And now I am almost one
month here in the seminary and the seminary life is not easy yet I am happy because this is what I
have prayed for.

I really wanted to end this very long vocation story but before that, I would like to
highlight the greatness of the Lord through the intercession of St. Joseph, Mama Mary, and Ven.
Bishop Camomot. I mentioned earlier that I and my father were not in a good relationship because of
my decision to enter the seminary. But during those times that I am in great pain and struggle the Lord
our God is silently working out things in accordance with his will. Without expecting and even
imagining it, my father slowly accepted my decision and my proof of that is the moment when he
accompany me as I enter the seminary and he even go here during the feast of St. Therese of the
Chilld Jesus though he did not enter the seminary but the very fact that he drove for my mom and my
sibling to be here was already a great miracle for me. Every time I have the chance to contact them we
talk with my father the way we usually do and it really fills my heart with great happiness. Now I
realized that God permits all the struggles to happen so that my father will see how serious I am in
finding my vocation and indeed God’s plan is always greater than mine. Thanks and Praises be to
God!